Episode 17 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts...

What about that?

..with £200 each, a classic car,

and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Can I buy everything here?

The aim? To make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

-Feeling a little saw.

-This is going to be an epic battle.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

So, will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?

-The honeymoon is over.

-I'm sorry!

This is the Antiques Roadtrip!

On this Antiques Roadtrip, we're on our second leg of an adventure

with seasoned pros Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning.

Well, Paul, day one of our second leg.

We had our first auction and I wiped the floor with you!

I thought you were going to be more gentle than this.

I didn't expect a drubbing.

No, I know that my competitor is a giant.

Oh, man.

He's not a giant, Anita. You're just quite petite.

She's also a garrulous Glaswegian girl

with an auctioneer's love for the aesthetic and unusual,

and a complementary way with words.

You are never dull.

I am sitting next to you

and I think that you're one of the most exciting antique experts out.

Quite!

While Paul Laidlaw's an eagle-eyed Carlisle auctioneer

who specialises in militaria.

This is much better than the drubbing!

Better than "I've got loads of money, you've got nothing, Laidlaw!"

I'm loving the new Anita.

Both our learned pair started with £200.

From that, Paul has now amassed a budget of £216.10.

But Anita has romped away so far,

boasting coffers standing at £300.40.

And she hasn't yet tired of reminding Paul of the fact.

No offence!

Don't let her get to you, Paul.

Count those chickens.

I see those chickens, but I don't care how many there are. Nope.

Neither do I.

Today, they're driving a natty little

1957 Morris Minor 1000 Traveller.

The car was manufactured before seat belts were mandatory,

so it's legal to drive without them.

On this epic roadtrip,

they'll travel from Ford in Northumberland

before traversing England's ancient shires,

to end up in Stamford in Lincolnshire,

docking up more than 1,000 miles.

On today's leg, they begin in the steel city of Sheffield,

heading for auction in Luddendenfoot in West Yorkshire.

Well, we're in Sheffield today, and already,

pockets are full of dosh...

Yours may be!

Oh, Paul...

-Looks an exciting city, as well.

-I'll tell you what - chimney pots!

What's this chimney pots thing?

I'm none the wiser, Anita.

The number of chimney pots.

Population.

I think he means the higher the number of chimney pots,

the greater the population of the city.

Glad that's settled.

But they are indeed arriving in the glorious city of Sheffield,

chimney pots and all.

A recent study found that Sheffield is the happiest city in Britain,

so let's hope some of that positive spirit rubs off on Anita and Paul.

They're pulling up at Langton's Antiques and Collectibles,

so stand by...

-Here we go, this is it!

-Here we are!

-Oh!

-THEY LAUGH

-Are you having problems there?

-I'm having problems stopping it!

I think it's because you're a bit nervous.

-Come on, darling.

-Right, let's do this.

-Oh, this looks great. It's huge!

-So, we're going to...

We'll avoid the elbows at dawn and we'll split up.

Yes, we don't want elbows at dawn.

There's plenty of space in here for both of you

to have a jolly good browse.

On this second leg of their trip,

what are Anita's tactics for besting her rival?

I'm in the lead

and the temptation would be to spend a lot of money

to feel safe and secure and go for it,

but I know that Paul Laidlaw is a canny sort of chap.

All he needs is a little bit of luck and he will sail away from me,

so I'm going to continue to try and be a little bit careful.

Very canny, Anita.

Wow, this is a really good military section

and this is just a Paul Laidlaw street!

I hope he doesn't notice this bit.

MUSIC: Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler? by Bud Flanagan

I think I'll guard it.

You do look fearsome.

Does my bum look big in this hat?

No comment.

-Paul!

-PAUL LAUGHS

I don't think there's anything here to interest you,

so I'd like you to back right off.

What on earth?!

Honestly, Paul, I have no idea.

Enough of this tomfoolery - time to scout out some items, Anita.

And soon enough...

-You're a jewellery lady...

-I know.

-I thought you might like this one.

-That's quite nice. Amethyst...

-And pearls.

It's a sort of choker -

a close-fitting necklace in the Arts and Crafts style,

and set with seed pearls and amethyst-coloured stones.

-That is very sweet, isn't it?

-Yes.

-What sort of price is that?

-30 quid.

I do like these tiny seed pearls and I do like the...

-I think it's maybe amethyst glass rather than amethyst.

-Yeah.

I would probably consider it...a piece of costume jewellery,

rather than a precious piece.

What is the very, very best that you could do on that?

-25.

-25?

I was thinking round about...

15 to 18.

Can you come anywhere nearer that?

-I'll do it for 20.

-Will you do it for 20?

-Yep.

-Right, OK. Let's go.

Thank you very much. That's lovely.

And she's off.

A very decisive first deal struck for a modest price.

She's sticking to her strategy.

Meanwhile, Paul's in another area of the shop

and on his own hunt for treasure.

Ah! He's spied something.

Here I am looking at a piece that I'm beguiled by,

and I've got to drill down further

because we're looking at a joined-oak bedding chest.

Yeah, let's. Bear with me, OK? Let me clear the debris here.

It is indeed a chest...

fashioned of oak and ticketed at a very hefty £155,

but this one might have some serious age to it.

What is the period?

Late 17th, late 18th century.

So, I mean, this is potentially a 300-year-old piece of furniture,

and a useful piece of furniture.

Open it up, Laidlaw. What do you see?

Well, I'm going to be honest with you - I think it's right.

A lover of a real antique, Paul's quite smitten with it.

I'm really seriously tempted to.

Don't blow your top, old chap.

I want to buy it, but it's too big a gamble.

With a budget of £216.10,

it certainly would be a risky purchase,

but perhaps if he finds some other items to buy with it,

there could be a deal to be done.

And he soon unearths a candle box dating from the late 18th

or early 19th century, ticketed at £35.

And a Georgian tea urn, or samovar,

which is marked up at £80. Gosh.

This would have sat on some lovely Georgian sideboard

and it dates to 1830.

That's a good thing, is it not?

But again, it's copper and brass, and copper and brass doesn't sell.

Time to give Chris, the owner of these items, a call.

With a combined ticket price of a whopping £270,

he'll have to negotiate a terrific deal.

-OVER PHONE:

-If you make it 180 for the three, I'd be happy with that.

-I've got to come back at you cos we're still talking.

-Yep.

But there's a bit of chasm between it.

I'm going to 160, but that's me pulling my own teeth out.

If we make it 170, that's really...

160, can we do it or not?

And I'd respect no because we're both in business here.

-Do you 165 and you've got a deal.

-You've got a deal.

-OK.

-Chris, you're a good man. I like your style.

And I like yours, Paul.

Thanks to Chris's generosity, he's got all three items

for a bargain £165,

but now he's only got a paltry £51.10 left in his pocket.

Make no bones about it, I've gambled.

Well, let's hope it pays off, eh?

So, while Paul's paying the big stakes,

Anita's still nibbling away at smaller items.

You know, I've passed this little guy half a dozen times,

and every time I've passed him, he's brought a smile to my face.

I mean, he's a modern thing, but he is kinda fun, isn't he?

"Metal mouse."

A metal mouse he is - a rather quirky contemporary ornament.

I can't resist that. I think I'm going to have a go at it.

Jill, I know you're going to think I'm mad...

I'd quite like to buy it,

but I'd quite like to buy it very, very cheaply.

-Like, VERY, very cheaply.

-"VERY, very cheaply"? £10.

-£10? Is that the lowest you can go?

-I don't know. £8?

-£8, let's go for it.

-Deal.

-It's brought a smile to both of our faces.

-Good.

Another swift haggle means she has two buys under her belt already

and for only £28 in total.

Ah, but she's not finished.

Do you know, Jill? I was just thinking,

see if we had a wee bow-tie or a wee ribbon around it,

-it would make that mouse irresistible.

-Of course it would.

Obligingly, Jill has searched out a ribbon. You are demanding, Anita.

And she gets the prettifying ribbon

for a budget-busting 5p - ha! - making the mouse £8.05 in total.

Last of the big spenders, eh, Anita(?)

-Excellent, excellent.

-£8.05.

-Brilliant.

Now, having blown most of his cash, Paul's jumped in the car

and he's heading for the village of Eyam in Derbyshire.

Paul's going to spend the afternoon

in this pretty Peak District village

where he'll learn about an extraordinary sacrifice

made by Eyam's villagers in the 17th century,

one that saved countless thousands of lives.

Paul's aiming for the parish church -

the heart of this community since Saxon times

and central to the village's extraordinary 17th-century story.

-Francine?

-Yes, hello.

-Pleased to meet you! I'm Paul.

-Hello, Paul.

-This is Eyam Parish Church, isn't it?

-Yes, it is. Welcome.

And I'm here because I believe it's got a particularly poignant history.

It has indeed, yes.

It's well-known for its heroic action that it took in the 17th century

when we were having the plague.

-May we go in so you can tell me more, please?

-Yes, come in.

In 1665, an epidemic of bubonic plague spread horrifyingly

throughout the city of London.

Transmitted by rat fleas,

the disease claimed about 15% of the city's total population.

At the same time, a tailor in Eyam, more than 150 miles away,

ordered a consignment of cloth

that arrived in the village infested with the deadly fleas.

As villagers began succumbing to plague,

the parish's rector, William Mompesson,

knew that action had to be taken to prevent it spreading.

This stained glass window

commemorates what happened in the months following.

They agreed to put a quarantine in place

and have all the congregation, have all the community,

agree nobody in and nobody out,

completely isolating themselves from the outside world

so that the infection didn't spread any further than Eyam.

Because William Mompesson knew that, if people left the village,

they would take the infection with them.

And not only would a large proportion of Eyam people die,

but if it got into the cities and towns nearby,

there would be thousands dying and not just hundreds.

This act of sacrifice on the part of the villagers of Eyam

doubtless prevented the wider spread of plague in the north

and saved many thousands of lives in nearby towns.

We're famous because it worked. Nobody...

There were no cases of plague outside,

in the vicinity of Eyam, anywhere.

Derbyshire, Yorkshire...

So, how long does the quarantine last?

-14 months.

-Astonishing.

From a population of around 800,

Eyam had suffered devastating losses.

Mompesson wrote that 76 families had been affected by the plague,

260 had died...

-A third of population...

-A third of them died.

The stained glass window also commemorates

the story of one young couple who lived during the quarantine.

The girl in the golden dress is Emmott Syddall.

She was engaged to be married to the man you can see there,

a chap called Rowland Torre, who came from the next village,

and he was told to keep away, to keep out of the infection.

But the courting couple still wanted to see each other

and so met on either side of a wide stream.

She, in the quarantined village, and he, outside.

They would just be able to wave to one another.

They wouldn't be able to call out or touch one another,

but they'd be reassured that everything was all right.

He came every day until the end of April

and she didn't turn up.

And, of course, he couldn't come into the village

to find out what happened to her.

It's said that when the plague was over,

he was one of the first people to rush into the village and say,

"Where's Emmott? Where's Emmott?"

And, er, he found out that she had died.

A tragic story.

And it's always said that Rowland was so devastated

by the death of Emmott that he never married, and...

He became quite a recluse, I think.

Oh, it's tragic!

The church still has the parish plague register

where Emmott's name is recorded.

You've got Emmott Syddall on the 29th April.

It's quite moving, isn't it?

This register holds the memory of all the brave villagers

who gave their lives to prevent the spread of the plague.

That really shows the community spirit

and the caring of other people.

It's an inspiring piece of history.

Well, I have loved visiting it, I've got to say.

That's a really moving story and I'm heartbroken down to the individuals.

-Poor Emmott! Thank you very much.

-Thank you for coming.

-It has been tremendous.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Now, Anita is still back in the fine city of Sheffield

where she's heading for the lavishly named NP and A Salt Antiques

and meeting dealer Chris.

-Hi, I'm Anita.

-Hi, Anita. Chris.

-What a wonderful, splendid house.

-Yeah, lovely, isn't it?

-Chris!

This building once belonged to a renowned 19th-century

Sheffield silversmith and master cutler, John Rogers.

So, it's an appropriately historic place

for Anita to continue the hunt.

I saw some wee bits and pieces around here, Chris.

Right.

I quite like that combination of horn and the white metal there.

Could I have a wee look at that?

There we go.

Thank you.

-So, is this a little spirit flask?

-Yep.

Yeah, it's a flask for carrying grog,

fashioned of horn and white metal.

Probably dating from the early 20th century,

but there's no ticket on it, which presents an opportunity.

What sort of price on that, bearing in mind, Chris?

I know! I know!

Bearing in mind I've got a wee bit of repair on here.

£30.

-£30? Are you able to come to 25?

-£25, sold.

-Are you able to come to £20?

-Just!

Ah, right, that's great! Thanks very much.

So, she's bagged that for another modest amount.

Very thrifty, Anita!

And, she's browsing on.

Wow!

Yep! Right into an area that specialises in jukebox.

Here we go!

MUSIC: Tutti Frutti by Little Richard

Boogie!

Glad to see you've made a new friend, Anita.

-So, does your budget run to one, that's the question?

-Probably not.

Definitely not! Less jiving, more shopping, please.

ROCKSTEADY MUSIC

-There was another thing which caught my eye.

-What was that?

-The mask, up here.

-Oh, my word! Yes.

-Is that an old one?

-It is.

I think it is, that one. That's one of Norman's.

Dear Norman will be summoned.

What's caught my eye out here is that wonderful African mask.

Is this an old one, Norman?

Yes, it's quite old, that one.

-It looks sort of late Victorian, round about that sort of age.

-Right.

But what we'll do, we'll get it down and have a look.

Have a good look at it.

Lovely! It's a West African tribal mask ticketed at a pricey £220.

-It's got a nice patina on this.

-It's beautiful.

-Yeah.

You can have it for 100 if you wish.

If I'm paying £100 for it, I know that I'm taking a chance on it.

-Do you think I should take a chance?

-Oh, definitely!

-Let's just take a chance!

-Thank you very much. Thank you, Anita.

Thank you.

Crikey! Anita abandons her small spending strategy to splurge

on the striking mask, though at a terrific discount

thanks to storming Norman!

-Certainly different.

-Does this suit me?

-Gorgeous!

Indeed!

With that, it's a playful end to a very successful first day.

Nighty-night!

Anita, being £100 behind you...

Aw, my heart bleeds for you!

I'm feeling the love and the sympathy...

I think it would be...

You would understand if I was cautious,

didn't spend so heavily

and certainly didn't take risks on, you know, like furniture!

Imagine if I bought furniture!

Oh, you're not going to buy furniture, are you, Paul?

Oh, isn't he?

So far, Paul has spent a whopping £165 on three lots.

The tea urn,

the candle box and, indeed,

the late 17th century or early 18th century chest.

While Anita has scarcely been less of a spendthrift.

Splashing out £153.05 on four lots.

The choker with sea pearls,

the ornamental metal mouse with jaunty scarf,

the horn and white metal flask

and the African tribal mask.

I found that I was tempted beyond temptation...

Go on!

..into making speculative buys.

You've entered the world of speculation?!

It would seem so.

This morning, on this grand tour of the North,

they're heading to the city of Leeds,

whose canals and byways speak of its proud industrial history.

This morning, Paul is heading for the city's Swiss Cottage Antiques

where resides dealer John.

This is my place. Welcome.

-Good to see you. You are?

-John.

-I am Paul.

Sharp, Paul. Sharp!

Before long, he's spied something that chimes

with his love of wartime items.

Look at that.

That's a pretty nasty little plywood box of the 1940s.

A money box, you'd think, yes?

Look at that. A little paper label there.

Sunday School Force's Comforts Fund. Thank you.

The comforts phones were where...

It's an umbrella title that we can use to describe all of the civilian

volunteer activities that lent support in some way

to our fighting forces.

It taps into the sentiment of the population doing little things

where they could to support our troops fighting during the war.

Isn't that great?!

It's a good thing. Commercial thing?

No. It's worthless and priceless at the same time, no?

Nearby, there's a box stuffed full of more wartime memories...

Straight in from a house clearance.

..and an item dating from World War I.

This is the badge of the Old Contemptibles.

Who were the Old Contemptibles?

Well, they were the first British soldiers to fight overseas

during the First World War.

Kaiser Wilhelm referred to our British volunteers

and soldiers overseas as, "that contemptible little army".

And they took that, turned it right back at them

and referred to themselves as the Old Contemptibles.

So, this old veteran sat and whittled that thing

and hung it on in his office wall or whatever.

It's sweet. Not hugely valuable.

How do you put a price on a thing like that?

But I like what it evokes. Along with it, but from a different war...

It's a strange beast. That's an oil on canvas, yeah?

It's an amateur painting dating from the Second World War

celebrating the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

They were the technicians of the Army.

Armourers and artificers and so on.

In addition, Paul also found a cigarette box made of walnut

and dating from the period just after World War II in Germany.

Paul would like to add that, the painting,

Old Contemptibles carving

and the little Sunday school collections box

as one job lot of militaria.

Really set my world on fire? Well, no, they don't.

I think they're interesting, but they're not high-end.

Then again, I don't have a high-end budget. I've got no money to spend.

Very, very true, Paul.

But on his way to find dealer John, something else catches his eye.

I tell you what's hot, luggage.

And luggage is selling,...

Erm...

I dare say it'd be selling to some hipsters.

Hipsters, daddy-o! Crikey!

But I think most of it is selling to...

Er... Joe public as furnishing pieces.

Up here we've got a rather smart, rich, blue hide case.

I guess dating to the mid-20th century.

The '30s or as late as the '50s.

It was originally retailed by the famous London store Harrods

and marked up here at £55.

This was expensive.

It was a lady's piece.

So, he'd like both that and the assortment of wartime items

and best speak to John.

Can I ask you about your Harrods travel case?

-That's rather smart, is it not?

-55 quid, that one.

Straight to the chase! No, that works for me.

You know what doesn't work for me? I'll come clean with you.

Oh, dear!

-Oh, no!

-I've got a budget of 10 pence more than £51.

And I want to buy more than one thing.

Oh, dear!

Have we kicked it into touch

or are you the kind of man that I can negotiate with?

We can talk. See what else you're looking at first.

The various militaria is new stock and hasn't been ticketed yet.

And, of all things, the Sunday School Comforts...

-The collection box?

-Yes.

I'll take 50 quid across...

50 quid, I clear out those bits and bobs,

-and I'd take the good bit as well?

-Yes.

-You're a good man.

-Yeah.

Success! He gets the quality case and the interesting

wartime bits and bobs for £50 all in,

leaving him a regal £1.10 in his wallet.

Meanwhile, Anita is about to embark on a right royal adventure of her own.

She is heading for Leeds City Varieties Music Hall.

An historic venue,

which has entertained the people of the city for around 100 years

and along the way, played host to royalty

and some of the most famous entertainers in history.

Anita is meeting Rachel Lythe

of the theatre's History and Stories Department.

-Hello, I'm Anita.

-Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Rachel.

Rachel, it's wonderful to be here.

-Shall we go and have a look?

-I can't wait!

Music hall was a type of theatrical entertainment

popular in Britain from the mid- 1800s into the early 20th century.

In music halls like this one,

a variety performance of musical acts, novelty turns

and comedians would delight a packed crowd of punters.

This musical theatre opened in 1865.

In recent years, the theatre has been restored

to the glory of its Victorian heyday.

Rachel, this looks absolutely wonderful.

-And this is how it would have been in Victorian times?

-That's right.

About the 1900s.

So, what about the folk who came here?

What was the audience like?

The audience... This was very much a place for the masses.

It was the working man who'd been in the industries

and the mills all day, really hard grafting.

They looked to the music hall for light entertainment, a bit of relief.

It looks very grand and posh today,

but it would have been quite a different experience.

It was very noisy, very loud, very smoky, very smelly.

-Were they all sat down? Do you think they were well-behaved?

-No!

Definitely not. In the early days, we would have had thousands here.

Up to 2,000, potentially.

Today, we only have 467, so it shows the contrast

of how many people they would cram in here.

I wonder if they heckled the actors.

They definitely would have done.

So, the acts and the comedians,

part of their patter would have been to try and control that

and make sure they didn't get pulled off stage.

The music hall of 1900s might have been a rowdy affair,

but the stage here played host to performers who would go on to be

the most famous in the world.

Rachel has a record book dating from around the turn-of-the-century

in which the theatre manager has recorded the names

of some starry performers.

There's an interesting one here.

Can you see the Eight Lancashire Boys?

Charlie Chaplin was actually part of the Eight Lancashire Lads, the troupe,

a clog dancing troupe which used to tour around the country

before Charlie Chaplin became famous for his movies.

So, this would have been one of the first theatres that

-Charlie Chaplin appeared in.

-That's right.

-I wonder how much he made in those days?

-It was only a pound.

-A pound!

The other example, which is the other extreme, is Harry Houdini,

the great Harry Houdini has performed on this stage

and he came twice to the music hall in 1902 and 1904.

He was the great escapologist.

Yes, they used to come and wow the crowds with his big,

extravagant performances of escaping from handcuffs and various traps.

He was actually the highest-paid artist we've ever had here at the music hall.

In 1897 and 1902 and 1904, he was paid £130 and, again,

£150 two years later.

That is the equivalent of 8,000 today.

£8,000 a performance? Wow!

And it is thought the theatre not only played host to the

era's superstars, but also to royalty.

There's a rumour that Prince Edward used to sneak in here.

Right, and I don't suppose he would have been in these rows in the back.

No, he would have been further down in one of our boxes.

The Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII,

is rumoured to have snuck into the box here in order

to watch his mistress, the famous and the celebrated actress

Lillie Langtry, perform on stage.

Of course, to avoid scandal, the Prince would have been incognito.

This is where the Prince of Wales would have sat?

Yes, so the story goes that he used to sneak in here,

he'd come to Leeds to go to Harewood House to see his cousins and go grouse shooting,

and then apparently he used to sneak in here, pull the curtains to,

and then watch Lille Langtry perform on stage.

And then, we believe as a thank you for our discretion for letting him sneak in and out of the theatre,

when Prince Edward became king, donated us the royal crest,

which you can see up above the proscenium arch today.

Isn't that wonderful?

As a final treat,

Rachel is taking Anita right down on to the very stage

from behind whose curtain the stars of music hall would have emerged.

-This is where the greats would have waited before the performance began.

-That's right.

You'd be standing here, ready to go on stage.

A wee bit nervous.

-They'd be standing here...

-Ready for the curtain to open!

And the show to begin!

Don't milk your part, Anita. Honestly.

It's time to be on your way, girl.

Rachel, before I break into song,

I've got to say thank you very much. I've enjoyed it so much.

-You're very welcome.

-You've been wonderful. Bye-bye.

-Thank you.

Now, having splurged all his cash, bar £1.10,

Paul has gone for a walk around Leeds docks,

and as usual, he's looking at a bit of militaria.

I don't think you're going to be able to get that for £1, Paul.

Ah, that's more like it. You must be confident!

Well, I'm feeling good about today.

Jolly good!

But Anita is still on the hunt,

so she's driven to Gomersal, West Yorkshire,

where she is heading into the old silk mill and greeting dealer Tony.

-Hi there.

-Hello, I'm Anita.

-I'm Tony. Nice to meet you.

-It's lovely to see you.

Anita is running out of time to make her last purchase.

But, happily, she's spotted something.

I'm looking at these medals up here, can you tell me anything about them?

-I see there's a wee photograph of the guy.

-Yeah, the chap that won them.

To tell you the truth, we've not had them all that long,

I can't tell you all that much.

-Shall I get them down?

-Can I have a wee look?

It's a collection of medals, awarded during the Second World War

and framed along with a photograph, presumably of the soldier who won them.

Anita is branching out into Paul's specialism of militaria -

brave girl.

I'll tell you what's drawn me to these,

the fact that we have the guy's photograph. I always like that.

Gives it more of a story.

-We've only got £30 on it.

-£30 on it?

I'm kind of tempted!

I'm a wee bit tempted, I'm a wee bit tempted.

Would you take 20 for it?

-20?

-20.

It would give me a bit of a chance.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Do 20 on it? Go on, then.

Thank you, let's go for that.

That deal is done with military efficiency!

And she's got all her lots for auction.

So, Anita bought the choker, set with sea pearls,

the metal vase, the horn and white metal spirit flask and the African tribal mask.

And the frame of medals. She spent £173.05.

While Paul bought the copper and brass tea urn,

the wooden candle box

the oak chest,

the job lot of militaria,

and the vintage Harrods case.

He forked out £215 exactly.

But what do they make of each other's lots?

Paul has bought an interesting group of items this time

and I actually like all of his items.

The kist! Isn't that just the most wonderful,

wonderful piece of furniture?

300 years old. Paul is always a man of style

and what better style than to have a wonderful piece of Harrods luggage?

And in that marvellous blue colour.

I think in this leg he might have the advantage on me.

Very interesting. And Paul?

I'm worried about the necklet.

It looks to me as though you get a lot of rather smart jewellery for your money there.

£20 paid.

What can I say about the mouse? The mouse is a riot.

It's a wee charmer, so I'm in more bother. She's going to be difficult to beat,

she's, she plays this game well!

So, everyone is worried. Just the way we like it!

On this road trip, Anita and Paul have traversed the English North, beginning in Sheffield,

and ending up at auction here today at Luddendenfoot, West Yorkshire.

And they are enjoying the handsome and vertiginous landscape.

Look at that view! Isn't that absolutely magnificent?

We are at some altitude, are we not?

-Oh, wow.

-Need oxygen in a minute!

-Isn't that...?

-Keep your eye on the road, Anita!

That's a long way down there!

-Are you getting a wee bit nervous?

-What colour are these knuckles?

Thankfully they are just arriving at Calder Valley Auctioneers.

-Second auction, Paul.

-Second, round two.

Round two, who's going to win this one?

We'll see. Auctioneer Ian Piece is presiding today,

but before this grudge match kicks off,

what does he make of their lots?

A good assortment, one or two very quirky lots.

The Harrods case, travelling case.

Absolute wonderful quality. We always get...

..one lot that stands out and the mouse ornament is this week's.

The auction is about to begin. Good luck, you cheeky pair.

First up is Anita's horn and white metal spirit flask.

What am I bid for this, ladies and gentlemen? 40?

-30? 20 then. £20.

-Come on! Please, please!

20 I'm bid, thank you. At £20.

And 2.50. 25.

27.50.

At £30.

£32.50. 35.

£37.50.

£40.

£42.50.

-45.

-Where is it going to stop?

-At £45.

-£45.

£45, any bids over 45?

I hope I'm not going to have deja vu

all through this auction.

The flask has still seen her to a spirited profit.

Listen, it is early days.

It is. And there's everything to play for

as it's Paul's Georgian tea urn, now.

Shall we say for that, 50?

-40?

-Come on, come on!

30? 20?

20 I'm bid, thank you. 25.

-Where are we?

-30, £30.

-35.

-Yes!

-40.

45. At £45 on my right.

£45, any further bids? At £45...

Well done, darlin', well done.

-Are you happy?

-It's a baby step.

-Is it a baby step?

-It's a baby step.

-I think it's a sort of teenage step.

A teenage step? You two do talk some nonsense,

but that's another nice profit.

Now it's Anita's choker in the arts and crafts style.

It has Paul worried. Should he be?

-30.

-Yes, yes!

-20, I'm over 20 on a commission bid.

-At 20, and 20, any advances on 20?

-Come on!

22.50, madam, 25 on commission.

25, 27.50,

I'm 30 on commission bid, £30.

At £30, are we all done? Then at £30, it's selling, at £30...

Bang on the money...

Another decent profit to Anita and she is sitting pretty.

£30 is OK.

I think I got away lightly there.

That could have been more painful than that.

Next it's Paul's candle box, bought as part of a job lot.

Right, we shall say £20.

-Don't talk like that!

-15 I'm bid, 20 anywhere?

-A profit.

-15? I'll take 2.50. 17.50.

20. 2.50. 25.

7.50. 30. 2.50.

-32.50, anybody else now? 32.50.

-You've just stolen the midden there!

32.50, all done.

Another winner! They're on fire today.

Have the nerves calmed down, darling?

They're always there, lurking in the background.

Not to worry you further, Paul,

but Anita's charming metal mouse is next.

Eek!

£20? £15? 10?

Here we are. 10 I'm bid. 12.50.

15, 17.50, 20,

-2.50. 22.50. 25.

-There's more bids on it!

And it certainly does seem to have made an impression on the crowd.

-27.50.

-Yes!

Or Anita has!

-£30.

-It is a flying mouse!

And £30. £32.50.

£35. That's all that you need. There you go. 35.

Anybody else? £35, on my right,

are you sure? At £35 then...

Yes!

APPLAUSE

It charms the punters, as desired,

and Anita's quite jubilant.

I got carried away, but I couldn't help it!

And it brought a smile to all these people's faces!

Now it's Paul's classy vintage case.

Anita liked it, will the punters?

50. 40?

30. Thank you, £30 bid.

35, 40, 45, 50,

-55, 60...

-We're going, we're going!

-I have 60, anybody else at £60?

-Come on, come on, come on, come on!

At £60 then on commission bid, are there any other bids?

£60, it's going, at 60...

Quality will out, that was a good buy.

-Good buy.

-That's what I said.

-Who's a clever boy?

-I am, Anita.

Now it's Anita's framed World War II medals.

Normally Paul's area of expertise,

but can she beat him at his own game?

Shall we say 30, 20?

-15?

-Come on!

-15 I'm bid.

17.50. 20. 2.50.

22.50. Anybody else now? 25.

27.50.

27.50. 30.

32.50. 35. 27.50.

37.50 bid here. At 37.50.

You were absolutely right.

Good buy, you bought it.

We're going, 37.50...

It may not be her area, but that was a smart buy.

Paul's own job lot of militaria now.

After Anita's good show on the last lot,

this better win or it'll be eggy face for him!

15 to start then. 15, thank you, straight in.

Straight in.

19. 21. 23. 25.

25, 27 on the commission bid, 27.

Anybody else now? £27.

Selling then, commission bid, £27, are we all done?

27.

And it does! Phew!

They are nearly neck and neck now, as the last two lots are up,

and it's their biggest gambles.

Are you feart?

Yeah!

First, Anita's beloved African tribal mask.

£20 I'm bid, at £20.

And 22.50, do I see?

At 2.50.

25. At £25, anybody else now?

25 on my left.

Another bidder on your left.

27.50. £30. £30 here on my left.

£30. Are you all done at £30?

Here we go, £30.

There we are.

I made a small loss of £70!

Someone in the crowd's got a bargain piece of African art.

Now everything rests on Paul's 300-year-old chest.

50. 50 I'm bid. And 5 anywhere. And 5.

60. And 5. 70.

There's a determined man behind us.

80, and 5, 90, and 5, 100, and 5, 105 in the doorway.

Don't stop, keep going!

110, third row.

115. 120.

120 in the third row.

-£120 and... 125, you're back in.

-You're back in!

125.

Gentleman over there, £125.

All finished, £125 then?

To the pound!

It breaks even on the nose.

-Happy enough?

-I'm happy enough

Yeah.

Anita started this leg with £300.40. After auction costs are deducted,

she made a loss of £27.50

and ends today with £272.90.

While Paul began with £216.10.

After costs, he made a profit of £22.39

and ends today with 238.49

Well done, Paul!

-Well, Paul, that was exciting!

-Wasn't it just?

-I'm closing the gap, yes!

-You are. I'm still a wee bit ahead!

I know, but I've got you in my sights!

Onwards and upwards.

Onwards, to victory!

On the next Antiques Road Trip, we have scares...

Aaargh! It's like something out the Hammer House of Horrors!

And stares,

as Anita and Paul face off again.