Find It Fix It Flog It (2016-2022): Season 1, Episode 19 - Episode #1.19 - full transcript
Oh, my god. Look at that!
The homes of Britain are stacked
with old possessions.
It's an old toilet!
Thanks for telling me.
What looks like junk can actually be
worth a pretty penny.
I have never seen a chair like it.
Henry Cole and Simon O'Brien are
here to turn the clutter into hard cash.
Pretty immaculate -
between 14 and 17 grand.
Upcycling genius Simon...
It works. Don't sound so surprised!
...and his restorer love turning
everyday objects into fantastic furniture.
Come here. Come on.
Absolute winner!
DING DING!
Whilst for Henry and his mechanic...
That is absolutely stunning, Guy.
...it is all about restoring retro
and vintage classics.
She is on, it runs!
Despite their differences,
they always come good and they will
turn a tidy profit for their owners.
You will put in your pocket
£10,630.
Absolutely brilliant. Today,
the boys go to extreme lengths
to rescue a long forgotten item.
You have got to step out of your
comfort zone every now and then,
and I have today
with an aluminium boat.
Henry's modelling efforts
fall short...
What do you reckon? You look like
you've been through a hedge
backwards, they're very dusty.
...and the restorations impresses
at the valuations.
I think the fabric's great.
They look really good.
Fantastic job!
Henry and Simon are back
on the road,
and on the hunt for a
hidden treasure.
Today they are in York,
in north Yorkshire.
Yorkshire is, to me, the most
beautiful county in the UK.
And of course we're not far
from York, once known as Jorvik.
Led by Ivar The Boneless, the
Vikings invaded York in 866
making it the capital
of their new territory in England.
I think it is right here.
I think it is. It is right here?
Yes. You don't know,
why am I asking you?
All I do is look at the Sat Nav
and tell you!
Yes, I know, sometimes, I forget to
look, don't I?
Because I have switched off
the talking bit of the Sat Nav.
"At the end of the road,
turn right."
It's Henry's choice
of salvage spot first,
he has brought Simon to see ex-shop
fitter Dave Bell,
who swapped the hustle and bustle
of London life, for
the tranquillity of Yorkshire
20 years ago.
Dave has always been a car
and furniture enthusiast
and has been collecting and
upcycling stuff from a young age.
I started with cars and bicycles
then a bit of furniture,
and it has progressed
with those things.
I see stuff all of the time and the
trouble is that the more space you
have, the more you fill it!
Dave is eager to off-load a few
items to finance his next
restoration project.
I think Henry and Simon
will both find items,
there's plenty around here.
There's Some 20-odd vehicles
and a barn full of furniture
and quirky stuff.
Dave, good morning. Hello Henry.
EXCHANGE PLEASANTRIES
Dave, just the drive-in.
Oh, my word.
Would you describe yourself
as a collector?
Yes, eccentric collector,
I would say!
I can see already the petrol pump
behind me and auto-memorabilia.
Auto-memorabilia, yes.
I do upholstered furniture too.
You're in, mate! Which way?
I think that way.
Cheers, Dave. We will see you later,
mate. I smell good stuff.
Henry and Simon will, as ever,
take two items each to restore
and upcycle.
You can't get a more perfect day
than going to a shed that I have picked
in the most beautiful
Yorkshire countryside.
Simon, for once, seemed
relatively happy.
Oh, Henry. Oh, my word.
There is everything here
I could possibly...
Guitars. Petrol pump,
check out the petrol pump!
That is nice. Rocking horses.
That is lovely. Beer signs. Speakers.
Look at this. Hang on mate,
can I have a go at that just while
you're talking to me.
I love stuff like this!
I tell you what, if Simon has...
Aargh!
Nice try, Henry, but eagle-eyed
Simon has already spotted something
of interest.
What is this?
In walks into that room full
of items, that blue metal box
just leapt out at me.
What is it?
It is a bit like a fridge
but smaller.
It's a cold box, isn't it?
Before the invention of electric refrigerators,
people used to rely on
non-mechanical cold boxes,
placed in a cellar or larder - the
vents allowed cold air to circulate
keeping food and drink cool.
What would you do with that?
Doesn't it just want to be...
Just a modern day cupboard for other things.
Beautiful, man.
That whole '50s vibe is really
in vogue at the moment,
I think I would get a really good
price for Dave for that.
Go on, let us have a little shifty around.
Simon reckons he can re-purpose the
cool box as a kitchen cupboard so he
is off the mark but Henry soon
catches up.
To find a petrol pump like that...
That is lovely, that is mint.
It's a shame I can't do anything about...
That's nice.
That is a glass...
It has not gone that well, has it?
Behind some bicycle wheels, there it
was, a beautiful medical cabinet.
Do it there, mate. There you go.
What do you think? Hey?
There are some little glass shelves
in the bottom
which I can just put in there.
We will clean it up and paint it and
polish up the hinges and really make
it a beautiful feature.
Let's find another barn.
Following in Simon's footsteps,
Henry has also bagged a retro
find with this medical cabinet.
I love this place.
Now look, I know you think I'm crazy
right?
I know you are crazy. But,
I was in an art gallery
the other day. And?
Apart from the lovely paintings
in there,
they were displaying all of the
pottery and that kind of stuff on
a trestle table.
And then bingo, here is one.
Shall we get it out? Henry is right,
there is a strong demand for aged
trestle tables with similar ones selling
for £170 on auction websites.
Henry is changing.
Everything he could wish for
is here,
and he is taking an old wooden
trestle table.
What do you reckon mate,
you are the pro?
That is spot-on.
It is a little bit damp,
let it dry out a little over a bit
of time
and I will do something funky with
the legs and get them fixed up.
Perhaps powder coat them or paint
them. Yes, it is nice,
that marriage of the metal
and the word, isn't it?
That is a definite, definite.
I'll have it.
I'm taking it because I want to show
myself most especially that you can
create something lovely out of a
piece of wood
and a couple of metal legs.
Convinced the trestle table can make
some money for Dave,
the usually motor-mad Henry
has opted for another upcycling
project, as his second pick.
Hey, check out that, man.
Not to be outdone,
Simon is searching every inch
of Dave's grounds to find
his final pick.
And my eye took me to a big
metal bed.
Ooh, blimey! Is that really heavy?
KNOCKING
What is it, alu?
It is riveted, look. Is it? Wow!
A boat, surrounded by nettles
and thorn bushes.
Why would you even get involved?
But he did.
Don't go, "Wow, Henry!" to me.
That's an upturned boat with a buoy
sticking out the back!
But it's an aluminium upturned boat.
A pure aluminium boat.
Where do you find one of them?
In the nettles, that's where!
You're not going to try and attempt
to get it out?
Why not? Oh, blimey!
We might need Dave.
CHUGGING
Dave to the rescue on his massive
Ferguson tractor.
It's a little grey Fergie as well. Yeah.
You have got to step outside your
comfort zone every now and then
and I have today - in no uncertain
terms with an aluminium boat.
With the rescued boat bagged as
Simon's second item,
it is time to share the rest of
their haul with Dave.
Dave I think it is fair to say, you
know what my first item is?
Yes.
So he has got a boat. Yeah.
It came from an auction.
There was nobody else bidding on it
so I got it for a pound.
£1? I am going to make money
on that!
For the first time in his life,
he could double his money!
That is my first item.
Tell him about your second.
My second item, mate, what
do you know about this?
It is beautiful. Probably around
Second World War, a bit after.
Shall I tell you about mine?
That trestle table, I think that
will come up beautifully.
And my second item, I am going to
take it away and I'm going to clean
it up and
put the glass back in and do
whatever we have got to do with it.
I think we are done as well.
We are.
What a great day we have had.
Coming up...
Simon is in a cutting mood.
It is not a boat any more, Nick!
Henry keeps it real.
Leave it like that. It's rustic
charm, it ain't a Regency table,
is it?1
And on their second search,
the boys find more hidden treasure.
It's weird. It's beautiful though,
mate. It is. Look. It says "heater".
Expert upcyclers and restorers Henry
Cole and Simon O'Brien are on a
mission to turn trash into cash.
Well, that's a definite, definite...
Yeah, I'll have it.
After picking up two items
each from Dave Bell's,
the boys are back in the workshops.
In Oxfordshire, Henry and his
restorer Guy Wilson
are deciding what to do with the old
metal medicine cabinet.
How about if I try and lanish it.
You know you can do that
kind of zig-zaggy
angle grinder effect on the steel
and then Briwax the metal
and then it may turn out that when
I try and lanish it,
it doesn't work, in which case
we've lost nothing,
we'll have to paint it anyway.
We're going to return it to
bare metal
but with a really nice
patina from the angle grinder.
If it does work it would be
really cool.
It would be really quite cool, yeah.
Wouldn't it?
For Henry's second item,
the lads head outside to discuss
the trestle table.
Now, you probably think I've
lost my marbles yet again.
No, not necessarily.
The top's lovely.
All we do is we paint the legs.
Yeah. Perhaps dark green, or black.
Yes. I agree with that, yeah.
And then just sand this down
and wax it.
Yeah, beautiful.
Henry and Guy get straight down
to business,
tackling the trestle table's
uneven legs.
It's going to look beautiful,
isn't it?
It will look great.
OK. Right, heat that bend there.
Years of wear and tear have left
the metal legs misshapen,
so it's time to turn up the heat.
Using a blowtorch, the boys soften
the metal before using pliers to
re-straighten the legs.
That'll work. It will.
That's great. Leave it like that,
because that's what it's about.
You know? It's rustic charm.
It ain't a Regency table, is it?
Well, no, but it will work now.
Yeah, that's great.
Look.
Next, Guy removes old rusty nuts
and bolts with an angle grinder.
And Henry removes rusty nails from
the table top for safety.
That was easy.
Good. Right, those are
the nails out.
He then prepares the metal legs
for painting,
using a wire brush to remove
the worst of the rust.
Do you think these should be
dark green or black?
Green. Yeah, do you reckon?
British racing green.
So green polish, lovely.
You can have a British racing
trestle table.
Guy then gets busy with
the medical cabinet.
Using an angle grinder,
he removes the old paint,
stripping it back to its bare metal.
Come on then, what are you going
to show me? Oh, OK.
There. Cor, mate, that is an
absolute sausage, isn't it?
Hey? Are you quite happy to carry on
and we just do that bare metal,
rather than paint it, because we
were going to paint it, remember?
I quite like it bare metal.
What do you think?
If we did it hammered green,
the glass has got
a little green hue to it.
Yeah. Right.
OK, paint it.
Go on then. See you later.
Pleased with the distressed effect
on the bare metal exterior,
Henry has decided that painting
the interior a bold green
is the best way
to increase the cabinet's value.
In Liverpool, Simon is revealing his
plans for the boat to upcycling
partner in crime Gemma Longworth.
Now you want to humiliate me
as well.
It can be, to my mind,
one of two things - a boat,
we can get it all polished.
Imagine it, if this was
mirror-polished, an aluminium boat.
It would be amazing, but it might be
a little bit beyond that.
Yeah. My other thought,
OK, if you imagine most of it
standing on end, OK.
Yeah. Put a seat in and it's like
a garden seat,
but it's a covered garden seat.
Get all the rot off it, get it
cleaned up and then think again,
then we can decide if it will
ever be a boat again.
No, that ship has sailed, Simon.
Perhaps Gemma will be more impressed
with the 1950s cold box.
Now then. This is lovely.
I don't think we need to do too much
to this.
Give it a clean and get it back to
its former glory, get it repainted.
Get some shelves in it. Yeah.
Done, isn't it?
Which is lucky because we've got
plenty to do with the smaller item
behind you. Yeah, yeah.
Both of these items are in need of
sandblasting and powder coating.
There you go, one boat.
One cool box, off to the blasters.
See you later, guys.
Firstly, the old rust and paint
is removed
in an industrial blasting process.
Travelling at 400mph,
sand particles and compressed air
strip the old paint
from the metal and wood
and finally the items
are coated with paint.
The boat and cold store
are now back.
Simon and boat maker Nick
are discussing the next stage
of the boat's transformation.
Though no longer seaworthy,
Simon hopes his garden bench idea
will still add value for owner Dave.
This is going to be our seat
because we've already got
the support for it here,
so that determines where
we then cut to.
I reckon about 450 millimetres
is standard seat height,
so I'm just going to cut it all
the way around there,
but what I'd like is the lovely
hardwood rubbing strakes,
a bit of your magic.
So a bit of boat work.
Exactly, yeah. That sound good?
Yeah. Yeah. All right, well good
luck, Nick.
Yeah, thanks.
Never mind Nick, I've got to cut
the boat in half.
Using inexpensive pine,
Simon and Nick crack on with
making the boat seat.
By making the seat before
I cut the boat,
the seat will brace the boat and
stop it spreading as I cut it.
Nick plans to add an oak edging to
the entire boat which will cover
unsightly holes
and add a decorative touch.
Well, I've set up
a temporary steamer,
just using a piece of waste pipe,
because we're going to have to bend
the oak round
the curve of the bow on the boat.
The oak goes into the waste pipe
and then leave it for a
couple of hours.
Hopefully it'll get soft enough
to pull around the curve.
So without that you couldn't do it,
it would break.
And switch it on, and then hopefully
in a couple of hours...
...it will be ready.
While the oak steams, it's finally
time to cut the boat in half...
It's not a boat any more, Nick.
...sealing its fate
as a garden chair.
With the restoration in full swing
it's now Simon's turn to
pick the next hunting ground.
They're heading to Hertfordshire,
home to Letchworth,
the world's first-ever Garden City.
They are off to meet
Richard and Barbara Hartnett,
who have been running a house
clearance business since 2009
and their busy schedule rescuing
unwanted items from homes
and businesses has left them
in desperate need of a break.
For most people it's rubbish.
It isn't though. We get asked
to clear things that
you look at and think,
"Why are you clearing it?"
And sometimes things that you think
that wouldn't be worth anything turn
out to be something really nice.
Richard and Barbara are hoping that
the items salvaged
by Henry and Simon
will make a profit, pumping some
cash back into their business.
We always look at things and think
someone else could use
what we've found.
It'll be interesting
to see what they do. Well, yeah.
Is there anything that
you specifically want to
spend the cash on?
Is there a holiday,
something you need?
A holiday would be nice,
but it is a business at the
end of the day, we run a business,
so it will go back into the pot.
I tell you what, we'll split it
50-50, how about that?
Yes. A spa. A bit of a break.
A bit of a spa break.
A bit of a spa break, some back into
the business, is that a deal?
Give you some time off.
Where do we start?
You could go that way.
I'll go that way.
First impression of Richard and
Barbara's place, very well ordered.
You could see everything and that
means these people are serious about
what they do, which means there's
going to be good stuff.
Take the dog for a walk.
Well, it's got wheels.
Oh, I'm loving that.
There's something for you.
Whenever you see costume of any sort
you can't resist putting it on.
I feel like something out of
Madame Tussaud's.
I think Henry should do panto,
you know.
Come on, chaps, time to get down
to business.
This is great. It's a nice
director's chair. Yeah.
They are in good nick, these.
They are in good form
and they're iconic.
They are iconic and they are in
good nick, aren't they?
I mean could you do something
really funky with it?
Well. I couldn't.
But I know a girl who can.
Directors' chairs like these sell
for £35,
so to make real money Simon and
Gemma will have to come up with some
creative design ideas.
I think Gemma will be absolutely
chuffed with the directors' chairs
because she can really get
stuck into them,
but those need TLC and that's what
they are going to get.
So Simon is in on the action,
snapping up the directors' chairs
as his first find.
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
What's that?
Is that a lamp or something?
I don't know, I don't think it is
because if it was a lamp it
would be glass and not gauze.
It's weird.
It's beautiful though, mate.
It is. Oh, look, it says heater.
Something heater. Oh, wow.
It's a little paraffin heater.
There you go, mate.
This little paraffin heater dates
back to the '40s or '50s
and was used to stop greenhouses
or car radiators
from freezing on cold nights.
Though not especially valuable,
it appeals to Henry's
fascination with vintage tools
and machinery.
That will polish up beautifully.
Brass gauze, get it going.
Beautiful. A lot of people would
think that is scrap, you know,
but to me, I know once
it's polished up
we're going to get good money for
that. I like it.
With the paraffin heater bagged,
biker boy Henry can't resist
the item right next to it.
Now, now let's talk about eras.
That's got to be '80s.
Yeah, it is, early '80s, probably.
The interesting thing about these is
that they're original Belstaff.
They are sort of the Louis Vuitton
of leathers, if you see what I mean.
Founded in Staffordshire 1924,
Belstaff are world-famous today for
their all-weather jackets with
celebrities such as David Beckham
frequently modelling their clothing.
If you've got an early '80s
classic bike.
Yeah. Yeah? You want the leathers to
go with it for that whole look.
Those leathers, by the time we
finish with them, they will be mint.
They are the perfect accompaniment
for your classic bike.
I'm not going to get a fortune
but it would be fascinating to me
to find out
whether these things do
properly have a value
because I think they do.
Henry Cole vintage clothing expert,
what's next?
So Henry's done and dusted,
choosing the '80s Belstaff leathers
as his second item,
which leaves Simon trailing behind,
in need of his final pick.
What have you got there?
Unbeknownst to you, once upon a
time... You went fishing.
No, no, we were walking through
a barn.
You saw... it was like a lamp,
a standard lamp.
You said that looks a bit like...
...a fishing rod.
Him and I have been into a lot of
barns. I don't remember going,
"That looks like a fishing rod,
with a light on the end of it."
Did I say that?
I would really like to turn that
into a cool lamp.
I love it, mate. You should do that.
With Simon netting his final item,
it's time to see what Richard
and Barbara make of their catch.
First of all, directors' chairs.
They're missing a bit of material,
the material could do
with replacing.
I'm going to really funk them up
and sell them on and make some
profit for you. Great, sounds good.
Next to that
we have a fishing rod, so I'm going
to see what I can do with that.
What do you reckon?
Sounds brilliant.
Guys, obviously those are leathers
for a motorcycle
so immediately I was drawn to it.
Those kind of leathers from that
period do have a value.
The other little lamp that
actually Si found,
not only is it a decorative item but
it could heat you in the outside
lavatory or something.
Great. Today has been...
Fantastic. See you later, guys.
Bye.
Coming up - the good...
It's like framing a picture.
The bad...
I kind of messed up slightly with
these leathers, I think.
And the beautiful...
Yeah, I like what you've done
with this.
Very in vogue at the moment.
Restoration experts Simon O'Brien
and Henry Cole
are on a mission to turn
discarded items
into profitable pieces.
Henry Cole, vintage clothing expert.
After both choosing
their final two items,
it's back to their respective
boltholes to begin work.
In Liverpool, Simon's showing off
his directors' chairs to Gemma.
This one is missing
the fabric for the back.
Other than that, though,
they look in pretty good condition.
Well, here's my thinking.
Dead simple, look.
The frame is all good. Yes.
But the fabric, I'm sure
you'll agree, is a bit tired,
particularly as we have
a piece missing here. Mm-hm.
So what it needs is someone who is
particularly talented with fabric
to give it new seats, new backs,
kind of bring them up to date.
Yeah. Go crazy.
Yup. So, do you know anyone
who can do that?
Not off the top of my head,
but I'll look.
THEY LAUGH
For expert seamstress Gemma,
replacing the old fabric's
no trouble.
I'm going to use these old pieces
as a guide template for my fabric
so I know roughly
where I need to cut.
At a cost of £15,
this contemporary design
is a cheap and cheerful way
to update the chairs.
OK, now I can start to sew up
on the machine.
Copying the original design,
Gemma sews the two tubes
in which the back of the chairs
will slot into.
There we go.
Let's see.
Just slide it in.
There you go. Perfect.
There we go.
Now, they look pretty cool,
even if I say so myself.
Simon's second item,
the fishing rod,
which he plans to re-purpose
into a lamp,
has been dropped off
at Ian the blacksmith's.
He's inserting a metal rod
inside the wooden rod
so that the lamp has
a permanently bent shape.
He's also fashioning a metal base
on which the rod will stand.
In Oxfordshire, Henry's modelling
the Belstaff leathers
that he picked up
at Richard's place.
What do you reckon?
You look like you've been through
a hedge backwards in 'em.
They're very dusty.
A bit of Alvin Stardust
going on here, what do you reckon?
But joking aside, if they fitted,
they're Belstaffs,
they're good quality. Yup.
And at the moment,
they're very in vogue.
The zips all work. Yep.
So, basically, what I'm going to do
with the leathers
is give them some lovely
leather food,
just make them supple again and
really just love them
and clean 'em up
and they'll look great.
I think they're worth
a bit of money. Yeah.
Next up, the small paraffin heater.
Carrying on the red theme.
Yes. That's heavy, isn't it?
That's Ali, I reckon.
Yes, some Ali doesn't polish,
it stays that dull grey
and until we have a go at it,
we won't actually know.
Well, the bottom line is I thought
it was definitely worth the risk
and then we could heat it up and
spark it up and see what happens.
If we can get it going, it could
warm the cockles of his heart.
There you go, mate, you hobble off.
I'm just going to get out of these.
Serves you right.
You get no sympathy.
Oof...
While Guy cracks on
with polishing the paraffin heater
on the polishing mop,
Henry's done some research
into the Belstaff leathers.
I kind of messed up slightly
with these leathers, I think.
They are a bit too young
to be worth a lot of money.
But, you know,
they're worth some money, these.
But it's nice to bring them
back to life
and someone who's into
that whole retro thing
of the early '80s, late '70s,
and they've got a Japanese bike
to go with it
or something like that,
this will look cool with them.
They may be young, but that means
that they're immaculate,
so all I'm doing is just putting
some leather rejuvenator on them
and shining them up - tell you what,
they're coming up a treat.
Leather restorer softens
and cleans brittle old leather
and can be picked up
for just under a tenner.
And Henry's got a top tip
for removing any lint
left behind from the duster
using everyday gaffer tape.
Let's hope my little trick's
going to work.
That's the one. Look at that.
There we are.
It's coming off nicely.
There we go. That's done.
Look at that.
Cool. A nice set of leathers.
I wonder how old polisher's
getting on.
Guy, meanwhile, is making progress
on the little paraffin heater.
All right, Polisher. Yup.
How's it hanging? All right.
Cor, that looks great, mate.
Oh, my word.
It's got a few dull patches, look.
It's going to take... just a bit
of grinding away on it.
Will it? Yeah. Tell you what, mate,
it looks beautiful, doesn't it?
To get into
the hard-to-reach places,
Henry's finishing the heater
by hand.
When you're mopping stuff,
sometimes you can't get into
little bits,
but it's just about
attention to detail.
This is another thing, look.
I've fashioned a wick.
There you go, look at that.
And then obviously this bit
sits in the paraffin
and the paraffin is sucked up here,
light this bit, and you're away.
It's just lovely, isn't it?
With the first valuation
around the corner,
the next job up in Liverpool
is to finish the first finds
from Dave Bell's place.
Simon and boat expert Nick
are attaching the softened
oak strips
around the edge of the boat.
Now you can see the steam coming off
and what, we just leave it
to dry out, now?
We just leave it to dry out.
It'll take the shape.
It's a lovely technique.
You know, I've heard of it.
I've never seen it done before.
Yeah. That's brilliant.
The problem is the answer.
The oak's strips
are clamped into place
and after drying, the wood will
be set into its new shape,
leaving Simon free to paint
the wooden slats with white gloss.
Well, the blue and white.
As I'm painting it,
I'm drifting away
to a Greek island -
a blue and white
traditional Greek fishing boat.
There it is.
The '50s cold box has also been
blasted and powder-coated
an attractive green colour
and Simon's adding
some final finishing touches.
Using an angle grinder,
he's fashioning some shelves
from an offcut of metal given
to him by Ian the blacksmith.
So, I'll just pop them over.
Let's pop this shelf in.
CLANGING
There you go.
Put the handles back on,
put the badge back on.
Look at that. Gorgeous.
Back to the boat seat
and with the paint dry,
it's time to stand it up.
I'm excited.
Let's get this thing stood up.
All right...
That just looks brilliant, mate.
I've obviously got that last slat
to put on the back,
but, mate, that... just makes it.
Absolutely finishes it off.
It's like framing a picture.
Thanks very much indeed. Great.
Good job. Yeah.
You can have the other half,
if you want. Take it home with you.
Thanks a lot.
In Oxfordshire, Henry's turning
his attention to his earlier finds
and another bit of furniture.
To get the trestle table
looking its best for the valuation,
Henry's using an electrical sander
to give the table top
a smooth, professional finish.
That's coming up well.
Just a lot of hard slog,
that's all it is, boys.
SANDER WHIRS
We'll give it once over with this
and then I'm going to hand-sand it,
because that's how I prefer
doing it.
Yeah, that's come up lovely.
The old metal legs are also given
a new lease of life
with some British racing green
metal paint, costing around £8.
And to finish, Henry's adding
lashings of beeswax wood polish...
I've put it on really thickly,
to the point I've nearly finished
a whole pot,
but this wood hasn't been loved
for years and years and years,
so it's soaking up the polish.
...then buffs up to
a brilliant shine.
Not bad. There's a little bit of
a sheen coming
and the wood looks beautiful.
I'll just do the front here.
What do you reckon? Lovely.
This is how I imagined it to be.
Yeah, well, it is lovely.
Yeah, good.
How are you coming on there, man?
I'm trying to clean the glass.
OK, so, I'll clean these ones.
The medicine cabinet
is also given a final polish.
Get the old wax on it, mate.
Yeah, get in there.
You're good at this.
Flying along.
Oh, it's a beautiful thing. Not bad.
Do you want to get your shelves in?
Yeah, come on, then. Stand it up.
And the addition of glass shelves
completes the transformation.
All right, son? Right, shut that.
Look at it. Is it passable?
I think it's nice.
From what it was, that's quite cool.
It's been worth the hassle
cos we've brought something back
to some kind of different life.
And it's different
and we like different.
But have they increased
the item's value?
It's time to find out
at the first valuation.
Henry chose to help
lifelong collector of cars
and furniture Dave Bell
in North Yorkshire.
Now Dave has arrived to inspect
Henry and Simon's handiwork
and to see if they've made him
some profit
to go towards funding future
automotive projects.
How are you doing, mate?
Great to see you.
Hey, Dave, well, look.
Feast your eyes, guv.
Oh, God.
Go and have a look.
Take a seat, mate.
LAUGHTER
What do you reckon, mate?
Can I have the rear half back again?
I've still got the other half.
Have you? Yeah, yeah.
I'd said that at the time.
Two boats for the price of one
but we tried them both,
they both sank,
so I turned one half into a seat.
So, what do you reckon?
I like it.
Do you like 'em? Yeah.
Good stuff, mate.
Hey, Dave, hopefully, it seems
that you like what we've done,
but have we made you any money?
That's the key.
That's not our decision.
It's the decision for
our independent valuer, Fay,
who's going to come and say hi.
Fay Rutter runs a successful
antiques emporium in the Midlands.
With years of experience,
she always on the money
when it comes to valuations.
So, I guess we should start
with the biggest item
which is half a boat.
I love this. I think it's great.
What can I say?
Re-purposing the old aluminium boat
into a stylish garden seat
cost £150 for sandblasting,
powder-coating and timber.
It would make a fantastic feature
at the bottom of somebody's garden
or maybe as a shop fitting
in a surf shop, something like that.
It's brilliant.
I think you've done a good job
of making it look very good.
I could easily get
around £400 for this.
Cor!
Simon's off to a flying start,
netting a £250 profit for Dave.
250 quid for you to take home
with that lovely garden seat
and I thoroughly enjoyed
doing that project.
Cheers, mate. Come on then, Fay.
OK. Our meat store, cold box,
cold cabinet.
To renew this retro cold cabinet,
Simon spent £40
on sandblasting and paint.
I've seen quite a few of these
in my time.
Usually they come along
and they're unrestored.
I usually sell these for
around about £75 unrestored.
I know you guys have put
a lot of work into this.
Lots and lots of work.
Lots and lots of work.
But, I'm sorry...
I can only see it fetching £100.
£100? Mm.
£100...
Not quite the hot profit
Simon was hoping for.
But the cool box has still added
£60 profit to Dave's total.
£60, mate?
Yeah. Yeah. I agree with you.
I can see you... Same here.
I agree as well, Dave.
She deals in the cold market,
you know what I mean?
SHE LAUGHS
But she is going to be
really kind to you and I
for the next item,
which is the cabinet.
Yeah, I like what you've done
with this.
It's, again, retro,
very in vogue at the moment.
There's a whole industrial look
going on.
Spending just £5
for metallic paint,
Henry's industrious makeover
has given the old medicine cabinet
a new lease of life.
I think as a bathroom cabinet
or even, I don't know,
a display cabinet,
I think it looks really good.
Really up-to-date.
I'm going to put a value on of £80.
OK.
By keeping costs low,
Henry's first item has made Dave
a profit of £75.
I'm glad it's been done
and it's done nice.
I like that a lot.
Cool, I'm glad you like it.
Now, come on, then. Trestle table.
Oh, trestle table.
I like what you've done with it.
I think the top looks great.
Henry has also spent just £5
on this makeover,
restoring the wooden table top
to pristine condition
and giving the metal legs
a fresh coat of paint.
You've made it, sort of,
like a usable piece.
I could see it being used
as a kitchen table
or, again, a shop fitting,
in a nice shop window,
with jumpers sat on it or something.
Yeah. At the end of the day, though,
it is still a trestle table
and so I give a value of £100.
OK. Well, the good news is,
I've sold it, actually.
Oh, go on.
For 125 quid.
Well done, you.
Henry's bit of business has banked
Dave another £120 profit
to add to his total.
In total, Dave, we've made you £505
out of all that lot,
so hopefully that sounds
pretty good.
Yes, it does.
Thanks to the boys' efforts,
Dave is walking away with
an impressive £505 profit.
They've done a great job,
haven't they?
My stuff looks really nice.
They've done well. I was surprised
about the trestle table.
I never expected the amount
that they got for that.
Coming up, Simon's pleased
with his fishing rod lamp.
You like it? I do, I like it.
Do you really like it? Yeah.
I'm just fishing for compliments.
Henry sets the mood
with his paraffin heater.
Even you look good in candlelight.
Yeah.
HE LAUGHS
And the items impress
at the final valuation.
It's the best fun he'd had
for the last 15 years.
Henry Cole and Simon O'Brien
are restoring and upcycling people's
clutter into desirable new items
in the hope of turning a
profit for their owners.
As I'm painting it,
I'm drifting away.
Henry's choice of
location raised £505.
So Simon's under pressure to do
better for his choice -
house clearance business owners
Richard and Barbara Harknett
from Hertfordshire.
The fishing rod is back
from Ian the blacksmith's,
who's made a bespoke
metal base for it.
And to continue its
transformation into a lamp,
Simon's running a flex from the
bulb through the rod's eyes,
the hooks that normally
hold the fishing line.
That just goes into there as you'd
put your fishing rod together,
and then a base as a counterbalance.
That slots in there,
and he's even made a nice collar
so that it fits snug and
doesn't rattle around.
And all I have to do now
to complete the bend
is put a lampshade on,
and there it is.
That's really good, actually.
Do you like it? I do, I like it.
Do you really like it? Yeah.
I'm just fishing for compliments.
Back in Oxfordshire,
having mirror-polished
the little paraffin heater,
Henry and Guy add
some fresh paraffin
before giving it a test run.
Shall we give it a go? Yeah, go on.
I've got some paraffin in
my little shnoolie here.
I'll put that in. I'm going to put
my little wick in. Yeah.
Ready? Are you ready to run?
Now we're on. That's it.
There we go.
There we go!
Oh, isn't that twee? Look at that.
I mean, even you look
good in candlelight.
Yeah. Vaguely.
I tell you what, mate,
that's a lovely job, isn't it?
What a beautiful, little thing.
Back in Liverpool,
a local antique shop has shown an
interest in buying
the refurbished directors' chairs,
and Gemma's trying to seal the deal.
Hi, Tony. How are you?
I'm good, thank you.
Nice to meet you. My eye was caught
by these two directors' chairs.
Yes, what do you think of them?
They look pretty smart.
So, would you be interested
in going for these?
Very much so. Just
see the folding...
They do still fold.
The standard thing.
And the arms go down.
Fantastic. Yeah.
Yeah? Yep, I'm very happy with that.
Is that a deal, Tony? Absolutely.
Brilliant. Thanks very much.
You're welcome.
A result, but did Gemma get a
good price for the chairs?
It's time to find out at
the final valuation.
Simon chose house
clearance business owners
Richard and Barbara Harknett's
place in Hertfordshire.
Barbara, Richard, come on in.
Come and join us!
Now they've come to find out
what's been done to their
property and, importantly,
find out if they've made some cash
for a much-needed holiday.
Nice to see you.
Right then, I'd like to
introduce you to Guy,
who works with me on
the restorations,
and he's modelling,
for you, the leathers!
LAUGHTER
Feel free if you want
to feel, Richard!
I'll go and have a bit of a stroke!
Oh, you want to get a closer look?
Am I allowed?
Of course you can!
Absolutely, Barbara.
Please, Barbara, feel free!
It's the best fun he's
had for the last 15 years!
LAUGHTER
That's enough, that's enough!
Come on!
So, hopefully, you can love
what we've been up to...
Absolutely. ..and done
with this stuff,
but have we made you any money is
the other question, isn't it?
Well, that is not down to us.
We need our independent valuer,
Fay, who's going to join us now.
Fay Rutter is back to price up
the boys' latest restorations.
But let's start with the unique,
one-off fishing rod standard lamp.
Fay, come on. Crikey, you're right
there, it is a one-off, isn't it?
To re-purpose the old fishing
rod into a standard lamp,
Simon hired a
professional blacksmith
and bought a new lampshade
for a total cost of £50.
It's quite ingenious, really.
I think it's perhaps
a limited market,
but, er... I'm going to plump
for £115.
That's brilliant.
Simon's off to a good start with his
unique fishing rod lamp netting a
£65 profit for Richard and Barbara.
Tell me, then, what you make of
the very simple, but very
lovely, directors' chairs?
I think they're very simple
and very lovely. I like those.
It cost just £15 for new fabric to
give the pair of directors' chairs
a contemporary new look.
I think the fabric's great.
I think they look really good.
Fantastic job. I like those.
OK. Come on then.
I'm going for £50.
£50 for the pair?
Gemma was spot-on the money, as she
sold the chairs for £25 apiece.
Deducting costs leaves Richard
and Barbara sitting pretty
on a £35 profit.
Fay, Guy's modelling some, I think,
rather beautiful retro
Belstaff leathers.
Please feel free, you can talk
to him, you can cuddle him.
Guy, would you mind giving
us a twirl, please?
So we've got, sort of...
I don't know, 1980s, 1990s
set of Belstaff bikers' leathers?
Yeah, I mean, probably '80s, you
know, kind of kitsch, kind of retro.
Using leather restorer that he
already had at his workshop,
Henry revived the leathers
without spending a penny.
These are quite hard to, er,
off the top of my head,
cos obviously I don't come
across them every day of the week,
but I've done a bit of research
and they tend to make £80.
Yeah, that's probably about fair,
actually, boys and girls, I think.
The Belstaff leathers have
added £80 in pure profit
to Richard and Barbara's tally.
OK, moving on to the lovely, little,
mirror-polished, beautiful lamp
that Guy spent hours polishing.
While he was wearing the leathers?
Luckily not!
LAUGHTER
Once again, this restoration
didn't cost Henry a thing,
thanks to Guy's hard work
at the polishing mop.
A very pretty little 1930s paraffin
heater lamp that would probably have
been used in, I don't know,
a greenhouse or an outhouse,
something like that.
But it's come up really nicely.
It's got a nice, chrome,
mirror finish on it,
so I think you've done a nice
job of that. How much, Fay?
25 quid.
What?!
The paraffin heater has
added a further £25 profit
to round off today's valuation.
So just the stuff that
was just lying round,
cluttering up your space as
you go about your business,
has made you £205.
How about that? Brilliant. Good.
That's all right, isn't it?
Listen, guys, it's
been an absolute pleasure.
And you, thank you. Cheers.
Henry and Simon's hard work has
made Richard and Barbara £205.
I think a nice, little holiday
would be nice with the money
that comes out of that, what
do you think? I think we do.
I think we always need
a holiday, so, yes,
we should put it towards a
nice break away. Definitely.
Simon's choice made £205, but it's
Henry who's come out on top today.
His selection - a collector's
paradise in North Yorkshire -
made Dave Bell £505.
Great, thanks so much, mate.
Thanks a lot, Dave. You're welcome.
Give me the news.
I know which way this is going.
I won. Yeah, I know that's
what you were going to say.
So what I'm going to do now, mate,
is I'm just going to chill,
reflect on my glory and just
relax tonight. Yeah, go on.
Argh!
Subtitles by Ericsson
The homes of Britain are stacked
with old possessions.
It's an old toilet!
Thanks for telling me.
What looks like junk can actually be
worth a pretty penny.
I have never seen a chair like it.
Henry Cole and Simon O'Brien are
here to turn the clutter into hard cash.
Pretty immaculate -
between 14 and 17 grand.
Upcycling genius Simon...
It works. Don't sound so surprised!
...and his restorer love turning
everyday objects into fantastic furniture.
Come here. Come on.
Absolute winner!
DING DING!
Whilst for Henry and his mechanic...
That is absolutely stunning, Guy.
...it is all about restoring retro
and vintage classics.
She is on, it runs!
Despite their differences,
they always come good and they will
turn a tidy profit for their owners.
You will put in your pocket
£10,630.
Absolutely brilliant. Today,
the boys go to extreme lengths
to rescue a long forgotten item.
You have got to step out of your
comfort zone every now and then,
and I have today
with an aluminium boat.
Henry's modelling efforts
fall short...
What do you reckon? You look like
you've been through a hedge
backwards, they're very dusty.
...and the restorations impresses
at the valuations.
I think the fabric's great.
They look really good.
Fantastic job!
Henry and Simon are back
on the road,
and on the hunt for a
hidden treasure.
Today they are in York,
in north Yorkshire.
Yorkshire is, to me, the most
beautiful county in the UK.
And of course we're not far
from York, once known as Jorvik.
Led by Ivar The Boneless, the
Vikings invaded York in 866
making it the capital
of their new territory in England.
I think it is right here.
I think it is. It is right here?
Yes. You don't know,
why am I asking you?
All I do is look at the Sat Nav
and tell you!
Yes, I know, sometimes, I forget to
look, don't I?
Because I have switched off
the talking bit of the Sat Nav.
"At the end of the road,
turn right."
It's Henry's choice
of salvage spot first,
he has brought Simon to see ex-shop
fitter Dave Bell,
who swapped the hustle and bustle
of London life, for
the tranquillity of Yorkshire
20 years ago.
Dave has always been a car
and furniture enthusiast
and has been collecting and
upcycling stuff from a young age.
I started with cars and bicycles
then a bit of furniture,
and it has progressed
with those things.
I see stuff all of the time and the
trouble is that the more space you
have, the more you fill it!
Dave is eager to off-load a few
items to finance his next
restoration project.
I think Henry and Simon
will both find items,
there's plenty around here.
There's Some 20-odd vehicles
and a barn full of furniture
and quirky stuff.
Dave, good morning. Hello Henry.
EXCHANGE PLEASANTRIES
Dave, just the drive-in.
Oh, my word.
Would you describe yourself
as a collector?
Yes, eccentric collector,
I would say!
I can see already the petrol pump
behind me and auto-memorabilia.
Auto-memorabilia, yes.
I do upholstered furniture too.
You're in, mate! Which way?
I think that way.
Cheers, Dave. We will see you later,
mate. I smell good stuff.
Henry and Simon will, as ever,
take two items each to restore
and upcycle.
You can't get a more perfect day
than going to a shed that I have picked
in the most beautiful
Yorkshire countryside.
Simon, for once, seemed
relatively happy.
Oh, Henry. Oh, my word.
There is everything here
I could possibly...
Guitars. Petrol pump,
check out the petrol pump!
That is nice. Rocking horses.
That is lovely. Beer signs. Speakers.
Look at this. Hang on mate,
can I have a go at that just while
you're talking to me.
I love stuff like this!
I tell you what, if Simon has...
Aargh!
Nice try, Henry, but eagle-eyed
Simon has already spotted something
of interest.
What is this?
In walks into that room full
of items, that blue metal box
just leapt out at me.
What is it?
It is a bit like a fridge
but smaller.
It's a cold box, isn't it?
Before the invention of electric refrigerators,
people used to rely on
non-mechanical cold boxes,
placed in a cellar or larder - the
vents allowed cold air to circulate
keeping food and drink cool.
What would you do with that?
Doesn't it just want to be...
Just a modern day cupboard for other things.
Beautiful, man.
That whole '50s vibe is really
in vogue at the moment,
I think I would get a really good
price for Dave for that.
Go on, let us have a little shifty around.
Simon reckons he can re-purpose the
cool box as a kitchen cupboard so he
is off the mark but Henry soon
catches up.
To find a petrol pump like that...
That is lovely, that is mint.
It's a shame I can't do anything about...
That's nice.
That is a glass...
It has not gone that well, has it?
Behind some bicycle wheels, there it
was, a beautiful medical cabinet.
Do it there, mate. There you go.
What do you think? Hey?
There are some little glass shelves
in the bottom
which I can just put in there.
We will clean it up and paint it and
polish up the hinges and really make
it a beautiful feature.
Let's find another barn.
Following in Simon's footsteps,
Henry has also bagged a retro
find with this medical cabinet.
I love this place.
Now look, I know you think I'm crazy
right?
I know you are crazy. But,
I was in an art gallery
the other day. And?
Apart from the lovely paintings
in there,
they were displaying all of the
pottery and that kind of stuff on
a trestle table.
And then bingo, here is one.
Shall we get it out? Henry is right,
there is a strong demand for aged
trestle tables with similar ones selling
for £170 on auction websites.
Henry is changing.
Everything he could wish for
is here,
and he is taking an old wooden
trestle table.
What do you reckon mate,
you are the pro?
That is spot-on.
It is a little bit damp,
let it dry out a little over a bit
of time
and I will do something funky with
the legs and get them fixed up.
Perhaps powder coat them or paint
them. Yes, it is nice,
that marriage of the metal
and the word, isn't it?
That is a definite, definite.
I'll have it.
I'm taking it because I want to show
myself most especially that you can
create something lovely out of a
piece of wood
and a couple of metal legs.
Convinced the trestle table can make
some money for Dave,
the usually motor-mad Henry
has opted for another upcycling
project, as his second pick.
Hey, check out that, man.
Not to be outdone,
Simon is searching every inch
of Dave's grounds to find
his final pick.
And my eye took me to a big
metal bed.
Ooh, blimey! Is that really heavy?
KNOCKING
What is it, alu?
It is riveted, look. Is it? Wow!
A boat, surrounded by nettles
and thorn bushes.
Why would you even get involved?
But he did.
Don't go, "Wow, Henry!" to me.
That's an upturned boat with a buoy
sticking out the back!
But it's an aluminium upturned boat.
A pure aluminium boat.
Where do you find one of them?
In the nettles, that's where!
You're not going to try and attempt
to get it out?
Why not? Oh, blimey!
We might need Dave.
CHUGGING
Dave to the rescue on his massive
Ferguson tractor.
It's a little grey Fergie as well. Yeah.
You have got to step outside your
comfort zone every now and then
and I have today - in no uncertain
terms with an aluminium boat.
With the rescued boat bagged as
Simon's second item,
it is time to share the rest of
their haul with Dave.
Dave I think it is fair to say, you
know what my first item is?
Yes.
So he has got a boat. Yeah.
It came from an auction.
There was nobody else bidding on it
so I got it for a pound.
£1? I am going to make money
on that!
For the first time in his life,
he could double his money!
That is my first item.
Tell him about your second.
My second item, mate, what
do you know about this?
It is beautiful. Probably around
Second World War, a bit after.
Shall I tell you about mine?
That trestle table, I think that
will come up beautifully.
And my second item, I am going to
take it away and I'm going to clean
it up and
put the glass back in and do
whatever we have got to do with it.
I think we are done as well.
We are.
What a great day we have had.
Coming up...
Simon is in a cutting mood.
It is not a boat any more, Nick!
Henry keeps it real.
Leave it like that. It's rustic
charm, it ain't a Regency table,
is it?1
And on their second search,
the boys find more hidden treasure.
It's weird. It's beautiful though,
mate. It is. Look. It says "heater".
Expert upcyclers and restorers Henry
Cole and Simon O'Brien are on a
mission to turn trash into cash.
Well, that's a definite, definite...
Yeah, I'll have it.
After picking up two items
each from Dave Bell's,
the boys are back in the workshops.
In Oxfordshire, Henry and his
restorer Guy Wilson
are deciding what to do with the old
metal medicine cabinet.
How about if I try and lanish it.
You know you can do that
kind of zig-zaggy
angle grinder effect on the steel
and then Briwax the metal
and then it may turn out that when
I try and lanish it,
it doesn't work, in which case
we've lost nothing,
we'll have to paint it anyway.
We're going to return it to
bare metal
but with a really nice
patina from the angle grinder.
If it does work it would be
really cool.
It would be really quite cool, yeah.
Wouldn't it?
For Henry's second item,
the lads head outside to discuss
the trestle table.
Now, you probably think I've
lost my marbles yet again.
No, not necessarily.
The top's lovely.
All we do is we paint the legs.
Yeah. Perhaps dark green, or black.
Yes. I agree with that, yeah.
And then just sand this down
and wax it.
Yeah, beautiful.
Henry and Guy get straight down
to business,
tackling the trestle table's
uneven legs.
It's going to look beautiful,
isn't it?
It will look great.
OK. Right, heat that bend there.
Years of wear and tear have left
the metal legs misshapen,
so it's time to turn up the heat.
Using a blowtorch, the boys soften
the metal before using pliers to
re-straighten the legs.
That'll work. It will.
That's great. Leave it like that,
because that's what it's about.
You know? It's rustic charm.
It ain't a Regency table, is it?
Well, no, but it will work now.
Yeah, that's great.
Look.
Next, Guy removes old rusty nuts
and bolts with an angle grinder.
And Henry removes rusty nails from
the table top for safety.
That was easy.
Good. Right, those are
the nails out.
He then prepares the metal legs
for painting,
using a wire brush to remove
the worst of the rust.
Do you think these should be
dark green or black?
Green. Yeah, do you reckon?
British racing green.
So green polish, lovely.
You can have a British racing
trestle table.
Guy then gets busy with
the medical cabinet.
Using an angle grinder,
he removes the old paint,
stripping it back to its bare metal.
Come on then, what are you going
to show me? Oh, OK.
There. Cor, mate, that is an
absolute sausage, isn't it?
Hey? Are you quite happy to carry on
and we just do that bare metal,
rather than paint it, because we
were going to paint it, remember?
I quite like it bare metal.
What do you think?
If we did it hammered green,
the glass has got
a little green hue to it.
Yeah. Right.
OK, paint it.
Go on then. See you later.
Pleased with the distressed effect
on the bare metal exterior,
Henry has decided that painting
the interior a bold green
is the best way
to increase the cabinet's value.
In Liverpool, Simon is revealing his
plans for the boat to upcycling
partner in crime Gemma Longworth.
Now you want to humiliate me
as well.
It can be, to my mind,
one of two things - a boat,
we can get it all polished.
Imagine it, if this was
mirror-polished, an aluminium boat.
It would be amazing, but it might be
a little bit beyond that.
Yeah. My other thought,
OK, if you imagine most of it
standing on end, OK.
Yeah. Put a seat in and it's like
a garden seat,
but it's a covered garden seat.
Get all the rot off it, get it
cleaned up and then think again,
then we can decide if it will
ever be a boat again.
No, that ship has sailed, Simon.
Perhaps Gemma will be more impressed
with the 1950s cold box.
Now then. This is lovely.
I don't think we need to do too much
to this.
Give it a clean and get it back to
its former glory, get it repainted.
Get some shelves in it. Yeah.
Done, isn't it?
Which is lucky because we've got
plenty to do with the smaller item
behind you. Yeah, yeah.
Both of these items are in need of
sandblasting and powder coating.
There you go, one boat.
One cool box, off to the blasters.
See you later, guys.
Firstly, the old rust and paint
is removed
in an industrial blasting process.
Travelling at 400mph,
sand particles and compressed air
strip the old paint
from the metal and wood
and finally the items
are coated with paint.
The boat and cold store
are now back.
Simon and boat maker Nick
are discussing the next stage
of the boat's transformation.
Though no longer seaworthy,
Simon hopes his garden bench idea
will still add value for owner Dave.
This is going to be our seat
because we've already got
the support for it here,
so that determines where
we then cut to.
I reckon about 450 millimetres
is standard seat height,
so I'm just going to cut it all
the way around there,
but what I'd like is the lovely
hardwood rubbing strakes,
a bit of your magic.
So a bit of boat work.
Exactly, yeah. That sound good?
Yeah. Yeah. All right, well good
luck, Nick.
Yeah, thanks.
Never mind Nick, I've got to cut
the boat in half.
Using inexpensive pine,
Simon and Nick crack on with
making the boat seat.
By making the seat before
I cut the boat,
the seat will brace the boat and
stop it spreading as I cut it.
Nick plans to add an oak edging to
the entire boat which will cover
unsightly holes
and add a decorative touch.
Well, I've set up
a temporary steamer,
just using a piece of waste pipe,
because we're going to have to bend
the oak round
the curve of the bow on the boat.
The oak goes into the waste pipe
and then leave it for a
couple of hours.
Hopefully it'll get soft enough
to pull around the curve.
So without that you couldn't do it,
it would break.
And switch it on, and then hopefully
in a couple of hours...
...it will be ready.
While the oak steams, it's finally
time to cut the boat in half...
It's not a boat any more, Nick.
...sealing its fate
as a garden chair.
With the restoration in full swing
it's now Simon's turn to
pick the next hunting ground.
They're heading to Hertfordshire,
home to Letchworth,
the world's first-ever Garden City.
They are off to meet
Richard and Barbara Hartnett,
who have been running a house
clearance business since 2009
and their busy schedule rescuing
unwanted items from homes
and businesses has left them
in desperate need of a break.
For most people it's rubbish.
It isn't though. We get asked
to clear things that
you look at and think,
"Why are you clearing it?"
And sometimes things that you think
that wouldn't be worth anything turn
out to be something really nice.
Richard and Barbara are hoping that
the items salvaged
by Henry and Simon
will make a profit, pumping some
cash back into their business.
We always look at things and think
someone else could use
what we've found.
It'll be interesting
to see what they do. Well, yeah.
Is there anything that
you specifically want to
spend the cash on?
Is there a holiday,
something you need?
A holiday would be nice,
but it is a business at the
end of the day, we run a business,
so it will go back into the pot.
I tell you what, we'll split it
50-50, how about that?
Yes. A spa. A bit of a break.
A bit of a spa break.
A bit of a spa break, some back into
the business, is that a deal?
Give you some time off.
Where do we start?
You could go that way.
I'll go that way.
First impression of Richard and
Barbara's place, very well ordered.
You could see everything and that
means these people are serious about
what they do, which means there's
going to be good stuff.
Take the dog for a walk.
Well, it's got wheels.
Oh, I'm loving that.
There's something for you.
Whenever you see costume of any sort
you can't resist putting it on.
I feel like something out of
Madame Tussaud's.
I think Henry should do panto,
you know.
Come on, chaps, time to get down
to business.
This is great. It's a nice
director's chair. Yeah.
They are in good nick, these.
They are in good form
and they're iconic.
They are iconic and they are in
good nick, aren't they?
I mean could you do something
really funky with it?
Well. I couldn't.
But I know a girl who can.
Directors' chairs like these sell
for £35,
so to make real money Simon and
Gemma will have to come up with some
creative design ideas.
I think Gemma will be absolutely
chuffed with the directors' chairs
because she can really get
stuck into them,
but those need TLC and that's what
they are going to get.
So Simon is in on the action,
snapping up the directors' chairs
as his first find.
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
What's that?
Is that a lamp or something?
I don't know, I don't think it is
because if it was a lamp it
would be glass and not gauze.
It's weird.
It's beautiful though, mate.
It is. Oh, look, it says heater.
Something heater. Oh, wow.
It's a little paraffin heater.
There you go, mate.
This little paraffin heater dates
back to the '40s or '50s
and was used to stop greenhouses
or car radiators
from freezing on cold nights.
Though not especially valuable,
it appeals to Henry's
fascination with vintage tools
and machinery.
That will polish up beautifully.
Brass gauze, get it going.
Beautiful. A lot of people would
think that is scrap, you know,
but to me, I know once
it's polished up
we're going to get good money for
that. I like it.
With the paraffin heater bagged,
biker boy Henry can't resist
the item right next to it.
Now, now let's talk about eras.
That's got to be '80s.
Yeah, it is, early '80s, probably.
The interesting thing about these is
that they're original Belstaff.
They are sort of the Louis Vuitton
of leathers, if you see what I mean.
Founded in Staffordshire 1924,
Belstaff are world-famous today for
their all-weather jackets with
celebrities such as David Beckham
frequently modelling their clothing.
If you've got an early '80s
classic bike.
Yeah. Yeah? You want the leathers to
go with it for that whole look.
Those leathers, by the time we
finish with them, they will be mint.
They are the perfect accompaniment
for your classic bike.
I'm not going to get a fortune
but it would be fascinating to me
to find out
whether these things do
properly have a value
because I think they do.
Henry Cole vintage clothing expert,
what's next?
So Henry's done and dusted,
choosing the '80s Belstaff leathers
as his second item,
which leaves Simon trailing behind,
in need of his final pick.
What have you got there?
Unbeknownst to you, once upon a
time... You went fishing.
No, no, we were walking through
a barn.
You saw... it was like a lamp,
a standard lamp.
You said that looks a bit like...
...a fishing rod.
Him and I have been into a lot of
barns. I don't remember going,
"That looks like a fishing rod,
with a light on the end of it."
Did I say that?
I would really like to turn that
into a cool lamp.
I love it, mate. You should do that.
With Simon netting his final item,
it's time to see what Richard
and Barbara make of their catch.
First of all, directors' chairs.
They're missing a bit of material,
the material could do
with replacing.
I'm going to really funk them up
and sell them on and make some
profit for you. Great, sounds good.
Next to that
we have a fishing rod, so I'm going
to see what I can do with that.
What do you reckon?
Sounds brilliant.
Guys, obviously those are leathers
for a motorcycle
so immediately I was drawn to it.
Those kind of leathers from that
period do have a value.
The other little lamp that
actually Si found,
not only is it a decorative item but
it could heat you in the outside
lavatory or something.
Great. Today has been...
Fantastic. See you later, guys.
Bye.
Coming up - the good...
It's like framing a picture.
The bad...
I kind of messed up slightly with
these leathers, I think.
And the beautiful...
Yeah, I like what you've done
with this.
Very in vogue at the moment.
Restoration experts Simon O'Brien
and Henry Cole
are on a mission to turn
discarded items
into profitable pieces.
Henry Cole, vintage clothing expert.
After both choosing
their final two items,
it's back to their respective
boltholes to begin work.
In Liverpool, Simon's showing off
his directors' chairs to Gemma.
This one is missing
the fabric for the back.
Other than that, though,
they look in pretty good condition.
Well, here's my thinking.
Dead simple, look.
The frame is all good. Yes.
But the fabric, I'm sure
you'll agree, is a bit tired,
particularly as we have
a piece missing here. Mm-hm.
So what it needs is someone who is
particularly talented with fabric
to give it new seats, new backs,
kind of bring them up to date.
Yeah. Go crazy.
Yup. So, do you know anyone
who can do that?
Not off the top of my head,
but I'll look.
THEY LAUGH
For expert seamstress Gemma,
replacing the old fabric's
no trouble.
I'm going to use these old pieces
as a guide template for my fabric
so I know roughly
where I need to cut.
At a cost of £15,
this contemporary design
is a cheap and cheerful way
to update the chairs.
OK, now I can start to sew up
on the machine.
Copying the original design,
Gemma sews the two tubes
in which the back of the chairs
will slot into.
There we go.
Let's see.
Just slide it in.
There you go. Perfect.
There we go.
Now, they look pretty cool,
even if I say so myself.
Simon's second item,
the fishing rod,
which he plans to re-purpose
into a lamp,
has been dropped off
at Ian the blacksmith's.
He's inserting a metal rod
inside the wooden rod
so that the lamp has
a permanently bent shape.
He's also fashioning a metal base
on which the rod will stand.
In Oxfordshire, Henry's modelling
the Belstaff leathers
that he picked up
at Richard's place.
What do you reckon?
You look like you've been through
a hedge backwards in 'em.
They're very dusty.
A bit of Alvin Stardust
going on here, what do you reckon?
But joking aside, if they fitted,
they're Belstaffs,
they're good quality. Yup.
And at the moment,
they're very in vogue.
The zips all work. Yep.
So, basically, what I'm going to do
with the leathers
is give them some lovely
leather food,
just make them supple again and
really just love them
and clean 'em up
and they'll look great.
I think they're worth
a bit of money. Yeah.
Next up, the small paraffin heater.
Carrying on the red theme.
Yes. That's heavy, isn't it?
That's Ali, I reckon.
Yes, some Ali doesn't polish,
it stays that dull grey
and until we have a go at it,
we won't actually know.
Well, the bottom line is I thought
it was definitely worth the risk
and then we could heat it up and
spark it up and see what happens.
If we can get it going, it could
warm the cockles of his heart.
There you go, mate, you hobble off.
I'm just going to get out of these.
Serves you right.
You get no sympathy.
Oof...
While Guy cracks on
with polishing the paraffin heater
on the polishing mop,
Henry's done some research
into the Belstaff leathers.
I kind of messed up slightly
with these leathers, I think.
They are a bit too young
to be worth a lot of money.
But, you know,
they're worth some money, these.
But it's nice to bring them
back to life
and someone who's into
that whole retro thing
of the early '80s, late '70s,
and they've got a Japanese bike
to go with it
or something like that,
this will look cool with them.
They may be young, but that means
that they're immaculate,
so all I'm doing is just putting
some leather rejuvenator on them
and shining them up - tell you what,
they're coming up a treat.
Leather restorer softens
and cleans brittle old leather
and can be picked up
for just under a tenner.
And Henry's got a top tip
for removing any lint
left behind from the duster
using everyday gaffer tape.
Let's hope my little trick's
going to work.
That's the one. Look at that.
There we are.
It's coming off nicely.
There we go. That's done.
Look at that.
Cool. A nice set of leathers.
I wonder how old polisher's
getting on.
Guy, meanwhile, is making progress
on the little paraffin heater.
All right, Polisher. Yup.
How's it hanging? All right.
Cor, that looks great, mate.
Oh, my word.
It's got a few dull patches, look.
It's going to take... just a bit
of grinding away on it.
Will it? Yeah. Tell you what, mate,
it looks beautiful, doesn't it?
To get into
the hard-to-reach places,
Henry's finishing the heater
by hand.
When you're mopping stuff,
sometimes you can't get into
little bits,
but it's just about
attention to detail.
This is another thing, look.
I've fashioned a wick.
There you go, look at that.
And then obviously this bit
sits in the paraffin
and the paraffin is sucked up here,
light this bit, and you're away.
It's just lovely, isn't it?
With the first valuation
around the corner,
the next job up in Liverpool
is to finish the first finds
from Dave Bell's place.
Simon and boat expert Nick
are attaching the softened
oak strips
around the edge of the boat.
Now you can see the steam coming off
and what, we just leave it
to dry out, now?
We just leave it to dry out.
It'll take the shape.
It's a lovely technique.
You know, I've heard of it.
I've never seen it done before.
Yeah. That's brilliant.
The problem is the answer.
The oak's strips
are clamped into place
and after drying, the wood will
be set into its new shape,
leaving Simon free to paint
the wooden slats with white gloss.
Well, the blue and white.
As I'm painting it,
I'm drifting away
to a Greek island -
a blue and white
traditional Greek fishing boat.
There it is.
The '50s cold box has also been
blasted and powder-coated
an attractive green colour
and Simon's adding
some final finishing touches.
Using an angle grinder,
he's fashioning some shelves
from an offcut of metal given
to him by Ian the blacksmith.
So, I'll just pop them over.
Let's pop this shelf in.
CLANGING
There you go.
Put the handles back on,
put the badge back on.
Look at that. Gorgeous.
Back to the boat seat
and with the paint dry,
it's time to stand it up.
I'm excited.
Let's get this thing stood up.
All right...
That just looks brilliant, mate.
I've obviously got that last slat
to put on the back,
but, mate, that... just makes it.
Absolutely finishes it off.
It's like framing a picture.
Thanks very much indeed. Great.
Good job. Yeah.
You can have the other half,
if you want. Take it home with you.
Thanks a lot.
In Oxfordshire, Henry's turning
his attention to his earlier finds
and another bit of furniture.
To get the trestle table
looking its best for the valuation,
Henry's using an electrical sander
to give the table top
a smooth, professional finish.
That's coming up well.
Just a lot of hard slog,
that's all it is, boys.
SANDER WHIRS
We'll give it once over with this
and then I'm going to hand-sand it,
because that's how I prefer
doing it.
Yeah, that's come up lovely.
The old metal legs are also given
a new lease of life
with some British racing green
metal paint, costing around £8.
And to finish, Henry's adding
lashings of beeswax wood polish...
I've put it on really thickly,
to the point I've nearly finished
a whole pot,
but this wood hasn't been loved
for years and years and years,
so it's soaking up the polish.
...then buffs up to
a brilliant shine.
Not bad. There's a little bit of
a sheen coming
and the wood looks beautiful.
I'll just do the front here.
What do you reckon? Lovely.
This is how I imagined it to be.
Yeah, well, it is lovely.
Yeah, good.
How are you coming on there, man?
I'm trying to clean the glass.
OK, so, I'll clean these ones.
The medicine cabinet
is also given a final polish.
Get the old wax on it, mate.
Yeah, get in there.
You're good at this.
Flying along.
Oh, it's a beautiful thing. Not bad.
Do you want to get your shelves in?
Yeah, come on, then. Stand it up.
And the addition of glass shelves
completes the transformation.
All right, son? Right, shut that.
Look at it. Is it passable?
I think it's nice.
From what it was, that's quite cool.
It's been worth the hassle
cos we've brought something back
to some kind of different life.
And it's different
and we like different.
But have they increased
the item's value?
It's time to find out
at the first valuation.
Henry chose to help
lifelong collector of cars
and furniture Dave Bell
in North Yorkshire.
Now Dave has arrived to inspect
Henry and Simon's handiwork
and to see if they've made him
some profit
to go towards funding future
automotive projects.
How are you doing, mate?
Great to see you.
Hey, Dave, well, look.
Feast your eyes, guv.
Oh, God.
Go and have a look.
Take a seat, mate.
LAUGHTER
What do you reckon, mate?
Can I have the rear half back again?
I've still got the other half.
Have you? Yeah, yeah.
I'd said that at the time.
Two boats for the price of one
but we tried them both,
they both sank,
so I turned one half into a seat.
So, what do you reckon?
I like it.
Do you like 'em? Yeah.
Good stuff, mate.
Hey, Dave, hopefully, it seems
that you like what we've done,
but have we made you any money?
That's the key.
That's not our decision.
It's the decision for
our independent valuer, Fay,
who's going to come and say hi.
Fay Rutter runs a successful
antiques emporium in the Midlands.
With years of experience,
she always on the money
when it comes to valuations.
So, I guess we should start
with the biggest item
which is half a boat.
I love this. I think it's great.
What can I say?
Re-purposing the old aluminium boat
into a stylish garden seat
cost £150 for sandblasting,
powder-coating and timber.
It would make a fantastic feature
at the bottom of somebody's garden
or maybe as a shop fitting
in a surf shop, something like that.
It's brilliant.
I think you've done a good job
of making it look very good.
I could easily get
around £400 for this.
Cor!
Simon's off to a flying start,
netting a £250 profit for Dave.
250 quid for you to take home
with that lovely garden seat
and I thoroughly enjoyed
doing that project.
Cheers, mate. Come on then, Fay.
OK. Our meat store, cold box,
cold cabinet.
To renew this retro cold cabinet,
Simon spent £40
on sandblasting and paint.
I've seen quite a few of these
in my time.
Usually they come along
and they're unrestored.
I usually sell these for
around about £75 unrestored.
I know you guys have put
a lot of work into this.
Lots and lots of work.
Lots and lots of work.
But, I'm sorry...
I can only see it fetching £100.
£100? Mm.
£100...
Not quite the hot profit
Simon was hoping for.
But the cool box has still added
£60 profit to Dave's total.
£60, mate?
Yeah. Yeah. I agree with you.
I can see you... Same here.
I agree as well, Dave.
She deals in the cold market,
you know what I mean?
SHE LAUGHS
But she is going to be
really kind to you and I
for the next item,
which is the cabinet.
Yeah, I like what you've done
with this.
It's, again, retro,
very in vogue at the moment.
There's a whole industrial look
going on.
Spending just £5
for metallic paint,
Henry's industrious makeover
has given the old medicine cabinet
a new lease of life.
I think as a bathroom cabinet
or even, I don't know,
a display cabinet,
I think it looks really good.
Really up-to-date.
I'm going to put a value on of £80.
OK.
By keeping costs low,
Henry's first item has made Dave
a profit of £75.
I'm glad it's been done
and it's done nice.
I like that a lot.
Cool, I'm glad you like it.
Now, come on, then. Trestle table.
Oh, trestle table.
I like what you've done with it.
I think the top looks great.
Henry has also spent just £5
on this makeover,
restoring the wooden table top
to pristine condition
and giving the metal legs
a fresh coat of paint.
You've made it, sort of,
like a usable piece.
I could see it being used
as a kitchen table
or, again, a shop fitting,
in a nice shop window,
with jumpers sat on it or something.
Yeah. At the end of the day, though,
it is still a trestle table
and so I give a value of £100.
OK. Well, the good news is,
I've sold it, actually.
Oh, go on.
For 125 quid.
Well done, you.
Henry's bit of business has banked
Dave another £120 profit
to add to his total.
In total, Dave, we've made you £505
out of all that lot,
so hopefully that sounds
pretty good.
Yes, it does.
Thanks to the boys' efforts,
Dave is walking away with
an impressive £505 profit.
They've done a great job,
haven't they?
My stuff looks really nice.
They've done well. I was surprised
about the trestle table.
I never expected the amount
that they got for that.
Coming up, Simon's pleased
with his fishing rod lamp.
You like it? I do, I like it.
Do you really like it? Yeah.
I'm just fishing for compliments.
Henry sets the mood
with his paraffin heater.
Even you look good in candlelight.
Yeah.
HE LAUGHS
And the items impress
at the final valuation.
It's the best fun he'd had
for the last 15 years.
Henry Cole and Simon O'Brien
are restoring and upcycling people's
clutter into desirable new items
in the hope of turning a
profit for their owners.
As I'm painting it,
I'm drifting away.
Henry's choice of
location raised £505.
So Simon's under pressure to do
better for his choice -
house clearance business owners
Richard and Barbara Harknett
from Hertfordshire.
The fishing rod is back
from Ian the blacksmith's,
who's made a bespoke
metal base for it.
And to continue its
transformation into a lamp,
Simon's running a flex from the
bulb through the rod's eyes,
the hooks that normally
hold the fishing line.
That just goes into there as you'd
put your fishing rod together,
and then a base as a counterbalance.
That slots in there,
and he's even made a nice collar
so that it fits snug and
doesn't rattle around.
And all I have to do now
to complete the bend
is put a lampshade on,
and there it is.
That's really good, actually.
Do you like it? I do, I like it.
Do you really like it? Yeah.
I'm just fishing for compliments.
Back in Oxfordshire,
having mirror-polished
the little paraffin heater,
Henry and Guy add
some fresh paraffin
before giving it a test run.
Shall we give it a go? Yeah, go on.
I've got some paraffin in
my little shnoolie here.
I'll put that in. I'm going to put
my little wick in. Yeah.
Ready? Are you ready to run?
Now we're on. That's it.
There we go.
There we go!
Oh, isn't that twee? Look at that.
I mean, even you look
good in candlelight.
Yeah. Vaguely.
I tell you what, mate,
that's a lovely job, isn't it?
What a beautiful, little thing.
Back in Liverpool,
a local antique shop has shown an
interest in buying
the refurbished directors' chairs,
and Gemma's trying to seal the deal.
Hi, Tony. How are you?
I'm good, thank you.
Nice to meet you. My eye was caught
by these two directors' chairs.
Yes, what do you think of them?
They look pretty smart.
So, would you be interested
in going for these?
Very much so. Just
see the folding...
They do still fold.
The standard thing.
And the arms go down.
Fantastic. Yeah.
Yeah? Yep, I'm very happy with that.
Is that a deal, Tony? Absolutely.
Brilliant. Thanks very much.
You're welcome.
A result, but did Gemma get a
good price for the chairs?
It's time to find out at
the final valuation.
Simon chose house
clearance business owners
Richard and Barbara Harknett's
place in Hertfordshire.
Barbara, Richard, come on in.
Come and join us!
Now they've come to find out
what's been done to their
property and, importantly,
find out if they've made some cash
for a much-needed holiday.
Nice to see you.
Right then, I'd like to
introduce you to Guy,
who works with me on
the restorations,
and he's modelling,
for you, the leathers!
LAUGHTER
Feel free if you want
to feel, Richard!
I'll go and have a bit of a stroke!
Oh, you want to get a closer look?
Am I allowed?
Of course you can!
Absolutely, Barbara.
Please, Barbara, feel free!
It's the best fun he's
had for the last 15 years!
LAUGHTER
That's enough, that's enough!
Come on!
So, hopefully, you can love
what we've been up to...
Absolutely. ..and done
with this stuff,
but have we made you any money is
the other question, isn't it?
Well, that is not down to us.
We need our independent valuer,
Fay, who's going to join us now.
Fay Rutter is back to price up
the boys' latest restorations.
But let's start with the unique,
one-off fishing rod standard lamp.
Fay, come on. Crikey, you're right
there, it is a one-off, isn't it?
To re-purpose the old fishing
rod into a standard lamp,
Simon hired a
professional blacksmith
and bought a new lampshade
for a total cost of £50.
It's quite ingenious, really.
I think it's perhaps
a limited market,
but, er... I'm going to plump
for £115.
That's brilliant.
Simon's off to a good start with his
unique fishing rod lamp netting a
£65 profit for Richard and Barbara.
Tell me, then, what you make of
the very simple, but very
lovely, directors' chairs?
I think they're very simple
and very lovely. I like those.
It cost just £15 for new fabric to
give the pair of directors' chairs
a contemporary new look.
I think the fabric's great.
I think they look really good.
Fantastic job. I like those.
OK. Come on then.
I'm going for £50.
£50 for the pair?
Gemma was spot-on the money, as she
sold the chairs for £25 apiece.
Deducting costs leaves Richard
and Barbara sitting pretty
on a £35 profit.
Fay, Guy's modelling some, I think,
rather beautiful retro
Belstaff leathers.
Please feel free, you can talk
to him, you can cuddle him.
Guy, would you mind giving
us a twirl, please?
So we've got, sort of...
I don't know, 1980s, 1990s
set of Belstaff bikers' leathers?
Yeah, I mean, probably '80s, you
know, kind of kitsch, kind of retro.
Using leather restorer that he
already had at his workshop,
Henry revived the leathers
without spending a penny.
These are quite hard to, er,
off the top of my head,
cos obviously I don't come
across them every day of the week,
but I've done a bit of research
and they tend to make £80.
Yeah, that's probably about fair,
actually, boys and girls, I think.
The Belstaff leathers have
added £80 in pure profit
to Richard and Barbara's tally.
OK, moving on to the lovely, little,
mirror-polished, beautiful lamp
that Guy spent hours polishing.
While he was wearing the leathers?
Luckily not!
LAUGHTER
Once again, this restoration
didn't cost Henry a thing,
thanks to Guy's hard work
at the polishing mop.
A very pretty little 1930s paraffin
heater lamp that would probably have
been used in, I don't know,
a greenhouse or an outhouse,
something like that.
But it's come up really nicely.
It's got a nice, chrome,
mirror finish on it,
so I think you've done a nice
job of that. How much, Fay?
25 quid.
What?!
The paraffin heater has
added a further £25 profit
to round off today's valuation.
So just the stuff that
was just lying round,
cluttering up your space as
you go about your business,
has made you £205.
How about that? Brilliant. Good.
That's all right, isn't it?
Listen, guys, it's
been an absolute pleasure.
And you, thank you. Cheers.
Henry and Simon's hard work has
made Richard and Barbara £205.
I think a nice, little holiday
would be nice with the money
that comes out of that, what
do you think? I think we do.
I think we always need
a holiday, so, yes,
we should put it towards a
nice break away. Definitely.
Simon's choice made £205, but it's
Henry who's come out on top today.
His selection - a collector's
paradise in North Yorkshire -
made Dave Bell £505.
Great, thanks so much, mate.
Thanks a lot, Dave. You're welcome.
Give me the news.
I know which way this is going.
I won. Yeah, I know that's
what you were going to say.
So what I'm going to do now, mate,
is I'm just going to chill,
reflect on my glory and just
relax tonight. Yeah, go on.
Argh!
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