Episode 6 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

I don't know what to do.

HORN TOOTS

With £200 each, a classic car and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

What a little diamond.

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

Back in the game. Charlie!

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Oh!

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

Oh!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Today marks the start of a brand spanking new road trip,

with a couple of our old favourites, David Harper and Anita Manning.

Well, David, here we are in Lancashire,

at the beginning of a big adventure.

You've no idea what's going to happen.

I think part of the excitement of the trip

is meeting all the characters.

It draws in the eccentric, doesn't it?

-Look at us.

-Exactly.

You're telling me.

Take a seasoned auctioneer - Anita, for example.

She's certainly got an eye for a bargain,

but does have a tendency to get distracted.

A hula hoop.

It is all the hip action. One, two, three.

Whoo!

THEY LAUGH

Cor, what a mover. Ha!

Her partner in crime is wheeler-dealer David Harper.

He takes a more serious approach to his shopping.

Is it a twizzly-wizzly? Look at that twizzly-wizzly!

Normally...

Oh! Ahem. Sorry about that, Roger.

Mm.

Our lovable oddballs are starting this journey with £200 each.

Their mode of transport is an old favourite of Anita's,

the 1965 Morris Minor convertible.

OK, this week David and Anita will be travelling over 700 miles,

starting in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, before snaking through Yorkshire,

all the way up to the town of Paisley in Bonnie Scotland.

They begin in the market town of Ramsbottom,

and head towards an auction in Knutsford.

-Off we go.

-Have a lovely time.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

David's first shop is Memories Antiques and Collectors,

where he's meeting dealer John.

-Hello, there, you must be John.

-I am.

-Hello, John, David Harper.

-Hello, David.

Very lovely to meet you.

Right, David, let's get going.

Nice box.

Look at this thing,

it's a mid-19th century walnut brass-bound writing slope.

It is absolutely, to my mind, drop dead gorgeous.

But in the market, nobody wants it,

and that's why it's languishing now, in an antiques centre, at £68

when, years ago, that would have been £200 or £300 or even £400.

It's an absolute stonker.

I've found fantastic love letters in things like this.

Hidden away in secret compartments.

What an old romantic. One to think about, perhaps.

What else catches your eye in here, then?

Do you know what that is? Without reading the label.

Oh, no, no, I'm not.

Doesn't that sink into the ground, is that something...

-That's right. It's a boot scraper.

-I like that.

-Yes, it is very nice.

I like that.

It is indeed a 20th-century blacksmith-made wrought iron

boot pull and scrape. That's a bit of a tongue twister.

Ticket price is £65.

What sort of money could that be?

45.

-I think we'll have to say yes, don't you?

-I hope so.

-OK.

-We've done a deal.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

That generous discount gives David his first item.

Meanwhile, Anita is heading just eight miles down the road,

where she is on the hunt for a bargain in Bolton.

She's visiting Bolton Antique Centre for a good old scout round.

-I'm always drawn to jewellery, I always like it.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And I noticed that you had a couple of Robert Allison pieces.

-I have.

I like his work.

Robert Allison is a renowned Glasgow silversmith

and Anita is a right sucker for jewellery,

especially with a Celtic theme.

-I'm trying not to spend too much money...

-I understand.

-This is my very first buy.

-I understand.

-My very first buy.

The Celtic cross brooch is cheaper, and priced at £65.

What's the very, very, very, very best you can do on that?

28.

28? Let's go for it.

-That's absolutely wonderful.

-Thank you.

-I'm so pleased about that.

I bought a Scottish thing, my very first buy!

Excellent.

That's a whopping £37 discount.

Off to a strong start here, girl.

Anita's eye has been caught by another piece of jewellery -

a diamond and pearl set stick pin.

It's referred to as yellow metal rather than gold,

as it's got no hallmark.

Ticket price is £95.

What is the best that you could do on that?

Um...

60.

-If it was hallmarked, I would be more encouraged to go with it.

-OK.

-But I still think it's a bonny thing.

-Would 45 help?

Oh, I'm so tempted!

That's another great discount of over 50%!

She's on a roll with Rosemary -

and also has her eye on a set of knife rests.

Ticket price is £36.

The only thing I worry a wee bit about is the age of them.

I really don't know.

-I've got a dilemma here.

-OK.

-Little pearl pin...

-Mm.

set of leaping, crazy horses.

Could I buy the two for 50?

55, I'd be happy.

55.

52?

Go on, we'll do 52.

-Will we do 52?

-52.

-Thank you very much, that's great.

-Pleasure.

So, that's the knife rests for £12,

and the stick pin for 40.

Added to the earlier purchase of her brooch,

Anita's already parted with almost half her budget.

Back in Ramsbottom, David's search for a deal continues with John.

-Eh, eh - car badges. Car-related stuff is good.

-Yeah.

-Well, if you like car-related stuff...

-I do.

Them gas headlights.

Ah. Interesting objects.

They're from a very early vintage car, aren't they?

Ah, right - OK.

-Gas ones, so...

-I think that would date them...

-Edwardian - 1905, 1910.

-Right.

-Can we have a look?

-Course you can.

Right...

-Look at the lenses - look at that glass.

-Yeah.

-You can see actually that's hand-blown glass.

-Yeah.

David's smitten.

But with a ticket price of £120,

John needs to speak to the owner.

David's bid is £60.

You can have them for £60.

Right, thanks, John. Bye.

-Have we done it?

-You've done the deal.

-Marvellous, put it there.

-Very good.

-Not bad at all.

But there's still one more item on his mind - or heart, I should say.

So, Gina. The 19th-century writing box. Any price on that?

-I think we've had a chat, haven't we? 55.

-55.

(Ohhh...)

It's devastating.

What were YOU thinking?

-DAVID SIGHS

-I love it. I love it.

30 I'd have a go, but I've still got a chance of...

It could make 60, it could make 10 quid.

What about 35 and we'll give you a pound back for luck?

Go on, then - whose hand do I shake?

I'm going to shake your hand as well.

So, 35 and a pound back for luck.

This is old school trading, isn't it?!

OK, come on then, mathematician - how much do I owe you?

£139, by my count.

45 for the boot pull and scrape,

60 for the gas head lamps

and 34 on the writing slope.

He's also parted with quite a chunk of his budget.

David is back on the open road,

and heading for the town of Todmorden.

He's visiting Picture House Antiques,

clutching his remaining 61 smackers.

Wa-hey!

Gosh, quite a contemporary feel, don't you think,

if you look around?

Nicely spread out. Big, red walls.

Modern things...

Well, modern - '60s, '70s, vintage, retro,

mixed with 18th-century furniture - it just works.

-Now, you must be Roger.

-Yes, how are you, David?

The thing I'm interested in is a real antique,

but it's got a contemporary feel about it.

That's the copper Art Nouveau Arts and Crafts dish.

I mean, it's pretty standard fare, isn't it?

But because it's reasonably plain,

it's got a bit of a modern look about it, hasn't it?

-I think that's circa 1900, bang on.

-Yeah.

It's got the Arts and Crafts quality, as in it's handmade,

hand-beaten and it's got the Art Nouveau decoration.

I'd have it for 20 quid. I would say yes and shake your hand right there.

Let me just consult with Pamela, because she knows this person.

Quite right. That would be a 50% off the ticket price.

So, let's hope Pamela's feeling generous.

Can I then, Roger, Pamela, buy it for 20?

Let's have a look.

-Don't look, but say yes!

-Yes!

Can I? Marvellous! Thank you very much!

Lovely to meet you and do a deal.

And, Roger, thank you for that one.

A cracking deal, eh? Anything else that would suit his meagre budget?

-The trick I think, Roger...

-How much have you got left?

-I've got £41 left.

-Yeah?

-After I've bought this.

Give me £41, you can have that piano stool, which sells for 100.

-I haven't seen the piano stool.

-It's an American one - here.

We're off somewhere else! Right.

-That...

-Oh, yeah?

-..I bought for a lot of money.

-OK.

-But with a lot of other things.

-Is it a twizzly-wizzly?

-It's a twizzly-wizzly.

-Look at that twizzly-wizzly!

Oh, Lordy.

That is marvellous.

Oh, yes.

You had him at twizzly-wizzly, Roger.

I've brought back several of these, because I brought a container,

a 40-foot container of antiques back from America. Normally...

Oh!

-That's all right, it does that!

-Sorry about that, Roger!

Careful, David, eh?

I thought I was spinning it in the correct direction.

It's all right, that's what it does.

-This is probably not far off American Civil War.

-No, it's good.

-1865-ish.

-Yeah.

-1880, maybe.

Sometimes they're a mixture of things.

Don't you find that amazing, when you handle an object...

that you know was either in existence

during the American Civil War,

or used by people who were there during the Civil War.

-And how much is it?

-£41.

-Roger THAT.

-OK.

And that's all my money gone.

David has now bought a late 19th-century piano stool for £41,

an Art Nouveau copper dish for £20...

A brave move spending all his money on day one.

Nighty-night!

David may well be all spent up,

but our pair are racing to Wallassey,

where Anita still has £120 to spend.

Anita's meeting Tina at the aptly-named Tina's Treasures.

Fingers crossed she finds some.

And without further ado, she's off.

Just like a kid in a toy shop.

I like hats. I really like hats.

And toys too, apparently.

Ah!

THEY LAUGH

What a lovely, smiley doll.

This doll, she's so sweet.

Hi! You're bringing a smile to my face.

Tina, could you tell me a wee bit about this doll here?

It's a...Norah Wellings, Islander.

Yes, she made this range around the 1930s.

Originally, I think it may have had feet,

but because I haven't found one quite the same...

But it's just beautiful features, isn't it? Really sweet.

Norah Wellings was a highly esteemed soft doll maker.

She designed all of her dolls herself.

Her motto was, "Quality, not quantity,"

which obviously worked, as they're still very collectable today.

The doll's priced at £55.

Time for some serious haggling.

What I would do, I'd probably put say...

15 to 20 on it.

How about 25?

Is it possible to...

To say 20 on her?

-I'll do 20 on her.

-Will we do 20?

-That'll give you a chance, then.

-That'll give me a chance.

-Look, she's smiling!

-She is!

-You've got a new mummy!

-And she's going to have a new home!

-Tina, thank you very much.

-You're most welcome.

David, meanwhile,

is journeying across the Mersey.

Well, under it, actually.

-ENGINE PURRS

-Ohh!

Even the Moggy Minor sounds throaty going through this tunnel.

HE CHUCKLES

Much of Liverpool's economic growth

came from the Mersey and its maritime trade.

# So ferry cross the Mersey

# Cos this land's... #

Sadly, and less well-known, is the fact that the cornerstone

of this wealth was derived from its transatlantic slave trade.

But one unsung hero fought for equality and justice.

Edward Rushton was a poet and revolutionary.

After losing his sight in his late teens,

Rushton introduced facilities for the blind,

and played an important role in the abolition of slavery,

even taking on the President of the United States.

So, Alex, who exactly was Edward Rushton?

Well, Edward Rushton was the man who dared to take on George Washington.

-This is him here?

-This is a portrait by Moses Horton.

He was a boy who was at sea at the age of ten.

His father apprenticed him to a slaving company,

and Liverpool, in the 1770s,

was the capital of the slave trade.

During this time, Edward witnessed first-hand

the cruelty the slaves were forced to endure.

He made a good friend in an African -

a boy called Kwamina, who he taught to read.

Kwamina and he were in a boat that capsized,

and Kwamina actually saved his life.

But in doing so, he lost his own.

Greatly moved by his friend's sacrifice,

Rushton devoted his life to championing all oppression,

in particular the abolitionist cause.

During one particular journey, he discovered many slaves were locked

below deck due to a contagious eye infection that led to blindness.

Appalled by their suffering, he insisted on taking them food.

As a grim consequence, he too succumbed to infection,

and lost his own sight.

As a result of this, he came home to Liverpool

a blind man, impoverished.

At what age?

At what age? At only just 19.

Despite his disability, and with little assistance,

Rushton took on various jobs, including editor of a paper.

He continued to campaign against slavery through his poetry,

and more famously,

a letter he sent to the first President of the United States.

-In 1796, he writes a letter to George Washington...

-Right.

..lambasting him for being a personal owner of slaves

and for failing to free the enslaved people

when he beat the English and set up the American state.

Well, of course - he'd just fought the War of Independence, hadn't he?

Giving freedom to all Americans,

apart from, quite obviously, the slaves. Huge contradiction.

How does he go about this letter?

This is what he says -

"Shame, shame that man should be deemed the property of man.

"Or that the name of Washington should be found

"among the list of such proprietors."

Does George Washington respond to this?

George Washington sent the letter back, apparently,

with no word of reply.

Not to be deterred, Rushton published the letter,

both in the UK and the States.

It went on to play an important part in the abolitionist campaigns,

particularly in the US.

You know, I think the irony is marvellous,

because the insult was sent back, but he takes the opportunity

to use that letter and reignites the abolition movement.

The abolition of slavery

was not the only movement Rushton was involved in.

A passionate and outspoken revolutionary,

he couldn't help but rail against the injustices he encountered.

And there was none more close to home

than the plight of the visually impaired.

Now, Rushton, blind in the late 18th century,

that would have made life pretty difficult.

At this time,

there were no facilities in the UK to help the blind.

Knowing just how difficult it was

to support oneself with this impairment,

Rushton campaigned to build a ground-breaking school.

This was to open in January 1791.

And the idea was that the people who would attend the school

would be trained to be self-supporting.

Was this the first school of its type in Liverpool?

It was, it was the first school of its type in the country.

-My gosh.

-And it's still going.

King George IV was later to become a patron of the school,

and the number of students steadily grew.

This school had 45 students within two...three years.

And, by the end of the century, they were having to build,

because they had 80 people on the waiting list.

Rushton may have been forgotten for 200 years,

but he was remembered in the blind school, and that is his legacy.

Rushton dedicated his life to battling oppression

whenever he encountered it, and remained politically active

until his death in 1814.

His school still exists today,

a testament to its little-known founder

and his incredible achievements.

Anita has now hotfooted it to Liverpool,

and is heading into Wayne Colquhoun Antiques.

She's still got £100 left to spend.

-Hello, I'm Anita.

-How are you?

I'm great.

Wayne,

-what about something as simple as a cocktail shaker?

-Oh, yes.

Full of fingerprints.

Uh-huh, yeah.

Yeah, that's...

When that's shined up and it's clean and silver...

All bright, it sort of sums up the age, you know?

-People would sit around and make their Martinis and things.

-Uh-huh.

Bet you do that at home now, yourself.

-Saturday night!

-Saturday night, my cocktails!

Have a little shake and a shimmy.

Is it...? It's empty.

A bit early, Anita.

Ticket price is £20.

Could that be bought...

for a tenner?

Not quite a tenner.

Because it's a good one, that. It's a good, thick plate on that.

-Let's do 15, but I couldn't go much below 15.

-You couldn't go below?

-No.

Could you go to 12?

-Don't if you don't want to.

-Um...

Go on, seeing as it's you. I'll do £12!

I knew I was in for a rough ride!

-Oh, thank you!

-As soon as I saw you!

-Thank you so much!

Bottoms up, chaps.

So, for £12, Anita has bought her final item -

an Art Deco cocktail shaker.

Which, along with her Celtic brooch,

leaping horses knife rests,

diamond and pearl-set pin

and Norah Wellings doll,

cost her a total of £112.

David went all-out

and spent his full £200 on day one,

picking up a 20th-century boot pull and scrape,

some vintage motorcar headlamps,

a mid-19th century writing slope,

a piano stool,

and an Art Nouveau copper dish.

But what do they think of each other's purchases?

Let's start from the top - boring, the stick pin.

I mean, I have seen millions of those things,

and I don't dream about them.

David has a mixed bag of items there.

Some of which I like and some of which I think are...weird.

Only time will tell who has bought best

as our experts travel the final 30 miles to their first auction

at Knutsford Fine Art Auctioneers.

-Here we are.

-Just in here, David.

Get you right to the door, madam.

"Auction today!" Hello!

Our auctioneer is Rachel Houston-Holland.

Let the auction commence.

First up is David's Art Nouveau copper dish.

-Are you nervous? Are you nervous?

-Yes! Aren't you nervous?

-No.

-No! I am.

£20 to start.

-Yes.

-£10 then, if it helps. 10, I have. 10, 12,

15, 18, 20, at £18...

-Come on.

-..selling now at £18.

At £18, selling now at 18.

I want to shout, Anita.

Oh! £2 down.

Yes, but it's a very small loss.

Next are Anita's leaping horse knife rests.

£10. £10 for them, surely.

-£10.

-Come on!

-£10. Come on, £10.

Thank you, madam. £10.

Lady's bid now at £10, and 12, 15,

-15, 18...

-Oh, oh.

-..20.

-22, 25...

-Yes.

-..28,

30. At £28...

-Oh.

-..gentleman's bid now at £28.

Are we all done now? Selling at 28.

Yes!

They may not have been silver,

but Anita's more than doubled her money there.

Well done. Well done, very good start.

Let's see if she can continue to stir things up

with her self-polished Art Deco cocktail shaker.

-£10 for it, £10, I have...

-Oh, they're in, look.

12, 15, 18, 20.

-At £18, on my left, selling now at £18...

-I love it, Anita.

Are we all done? Selling, £18.

-Oh, check it. Well done, well done.

-£18.

Another profit for Anita. Cheers to that.

You're on fire, missus. You're on fire.

Back with David and his tongue twister of a boot pull and scrape.

£20. £20, thank you, sir.

Someone knows what he's doing there.

20, 22, 25, 28.

-A long way to go.

-£25, seated.

-Are we all done, surely, at £25?

-No!

Anita!

That's another loss for David, I'm afraid.

Ah, ah...

ANITA LAUGHS

Fingers crossed his walnut writing slope will put him back in the game.

-And I must start the bidding now, at £30 commission...

-Yes, yes.

-Come on.

Commission bid now, 32, 35, £38...

Come on, come on.

In the room, and 40, 42, 45, 48, 50.

-50 anywhere else?

-Come on.

£48, on my left. Selling. 50, fresh bidder. 55,

-60...

-Yes.

-Good.

-Come on.

No, at...£55, on my left, selling now, are we all done?

-Oh!

-60, back in. 65...

-He's got taste, this fella.

-..gentleman's bid at 60.

-Marvellous.

-Yes.

Marvellous, indeed.

David followed his heart, and with that one, it paid off.

-Are you happy now?

-I'm delighted.

-Ah.

-I'm delighted.

-That's good, that's good.

-Back on an even keel now, aren't I?

-You are.

-So that's good.

-Excellent.

Now it is David's late 19th-century piano stool.

A twizzly-wizzly, if memory serves.

£40, surely, to start. Come on, £40.

20?

You all want it now, for £20.

You, sir, right at the back at 20. 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35.

35 anywhere else?

-35, thank you, 38.

-Come on.

-40.

-Come on, come on.

-42, 45.

-Come on.

No? It's at £42. A gentleman, fresh bidder, 45, 48, 50.

55, 60.

65, 70.

-At £65...

-Ooh!

-..on my left now, nice lot...

-It is nice.

-£65.

-Good.

-Good, well, good.

-Well done, David.

-So...

After a shaky start, that's a second good profit for David.

-24 profit.

-Now, are you happy?

-I'm happy. I've been happy all day.

ANITA LAUGHS

OK, Mr Happy.

THEY LAUGH

Back to Anita now, as her Norah Wellings doll is up next.

£30.

20 then, if it helps.

£20 at the back, and 22 works, come on, it seems cheap, at £20...

-Oh, that...

-Oh...

-..22, 25, 28, 30.

-No, it's at £28.

-Oh.

-On my left now at £28, are we all done?

-Surely, at 28.

-DAVID LAUGHS

Anita has secured a profit on every item so far.

David's final and most expensive item,

the gas-powered car lamps, were a bit of a gamble.

£20 I have, at £20.

Standing now, are we all done? 22, 25.

At 28, 30.

-At £30, in the room now at £30.

-Come on.

-32?

32, 35. 38.

At £35, standing now, are we all done?

-Come on, guys.

-At £35. 35.

Light the match, Anita.

Say goodbye.

-To tell you the truth, I'm surprised they went that far!

-Oh, charming(!)

THEY LAUGH

Oh, bad luck, David.

But let's see if Anita's pin will keep up her run of profits.

I've got commission interest.

-Yes, commission bid!

-I'll start the bids at...

-£28, to start.

-Ooh.

-£28 to start...

-28.

-..30,

32, 35, at £35 on my left now, at 35.

-Come on, come on!

-Selling now at £35, are we all done?

Selling at 35...

-35.

-Mmm!

Nearly made it.

-Nearly made it.

-Mmm, nearly.

Anita's first loss of the day, but it's a small one.

That was a big diamond. Well, it was a little diamond.

-No, but you bigged it up, that was good.

-I bigged it up.

THEY LAUGH

It's their final item of the day, Anita's Robert Allison brooch.

Last one.

-£20. £20...

-No...

-..come on, 10 then?

£10. 10, I have, 12, 15.

18, 20.

At £18 at the back of the room now,

at £18. Are we all done?

-Mm...

-Selling now at £18...

C2...

-The two jewellery pieces brought me down there.

-Yeah. Interesting.

That's disappointing. Anita normally does well with jewellery.

-This is a very complicated sum.

-That's why I'm leaving it to you.

-What are you going to do?

-Have a cup of tea.

-I'm going to come with you.

-Oh, come on then.

-Good idea. Ha!

And the numbers are in.

Our two competitors started this road trip with £200 each.

After paying auction costs, David made a loss of £33.54,

leaving him with £166.46 to carry forward.

Anita made a smaller loss of just £7.86,

and emerges victorious,

with £192.14 for the next adventure.

Onward, Macduff!

McHarper! THEY LAUGH

Onward indeed.

It's a new day and a new leg.

Our duo are starting off in the Yorkshire village of Barmby Moor

before heading west for an auction in Harrogate.

And first up for David is Bar Farm Antiques,

which occupies several old farm buildings, funnily enough.

In spite of the size of the place,

David spots something straight off the bat.

That is a really, really wild thing. What on earth was it?

Well, I'm guessing we are talking about police station, circa 1955.

I'm the police sergeant, you're the criminal,

you're on that side, I've nabbed you.

You're in big trouble, and I want your fingerprints.

And I think this is basically a fingerprint...

I want to call it a machine.

David likes it, so let's meet dealer Greg from New Orleans.

-Are you looking for a price?

-Yes.

Er... 45.

-45.

-I think that's pretty good price for a piece of furniture.

DAVID SIGHS

It couldn't be 20?

No, it can't be 20.

You can't do a little better than that?

Why don't we do what all the best dealers in the world have done

for a million years.

Compromise, meet in the middle.

And where was the middle starting?

-25.

-GREG CHUCKLES

-That'll do.

-Good man. Thank you very much.

-That's all right.

A great deal, David.

Meanwhile, Anita's off to the beautiful walled city of York.

She has just over £192 to spend, so hopefully,

Becky at the Antiques Centre York will be able to help out.

-I quite like these wee silly condiments up here.

-Yeah?

-Do you want to have a look?

-Yeah.

They're a heck of a good fun. I think they're probably Continental.

But good fun.

Oh, I'm quite tempted.

Ticket price is £10.

Ooh, look. There's more.

More condiments.

This time...

..cuddling pigs.

That one's got a school tie on. THEY CHUCKLE

They have a collective price of £26.

I wonder if you could ask if these could be bought for...

..15?

-You can always ask.

-I can always ask.

-Uh-huh.

That's quite a discount Anita's wanting,

and after a quick phone call to the owners...

-How did we get on?

-He can do two for 18.

-Ah, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

-They're fun, aren't they?

-They are fun, yeah.

If you say so!

Now, what's David up to?

Tell you something, this is quite unusual, isn't it?

I just... It's a neat thing.

I like post office things, plus it is old and during the war and...

it's nice. And the way it's just worn.

George VI, he was on the throne from 1937 to our current Queen.

Greg got this sign from a local post office.

Items like this can be hugely collectable.

"Can" being the operative word.

-I would have a go at 30 or 40.

-OK.

-Is that anywhere near for you?

-It might be all right. 40 is all right.

-OK.

-40 is all right.

I'll have a go at 40.

-OK, I want you to make some money.

-Thank you very much. Good show.

Well, that was easy. At £40, that's another good deal.

And Anita has also made an interesting find.

Here we have a sort of 1950s, a kind of kid on agate,

-it's all kid on, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Otherwise known as costume jewellery, Anita. Ticket price £18.

-If I can get it for a tenner, that would be great.

-Yeah, I'll ask.

-Do you want to try?

-Yeah.

Do your best for me, darling.

Anita is all about the cheeky offers today.

But will Becky come through for her again?

-Yeah, we can do that.

-Can you?!

THEY LAUGH

Come here.

You have been very good.

Yeah, a tenner is good indeed.

Frugal Anita has now bought two items for just £28.

David, meanwhile, is still exploring.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with sofas like this.

He's found a 1920s drop-end settee.

Please, sit down.

Let me demonstrate how this sofa works.

Greg, please step into my office.

-Right, get yourself comfortable.

-I'm all right.

-How are the springs feeling?

-Mm-hm. Pretty good.

-Are you sure?

-Perfect.

-Because they often stick in places...

-No, it's perfect.

..you don't want. No, they are sticking in places you don't want.

They are definitely sticking...

Not surprising, in those tight trousers, David.

There we go.

-Ah, I can lay down.

-You can be recumbent.

-So it converts into a little chaise.

-Aah!

So in the business, it's referred to as a 1920s drop-arm...

-Don't fall asleep, cos I'm not that boring!

-OK.

These settees can be picked up cheaply, as they can cost

over £1,000 to restore and cover.

How much is it?

-£20.

-No, yeah...

I want to say, "For goodness' sake buy it for 20 quid,

"it's ridiculous, cost you 5,000, 7,000 to...

-£10!

-£5.

Five?!

Five?!

The wheels are worth five!

£5. Good man!

-Greg, it's a delight doing business with you.

-All right.

David's spent a total of £70 on three items.

Pretty good for a morning's shopping!

Anita, meanwhile, is on her way to Murton,

a small village on the outskirts of York.

She's visiting the Yorkshire Museum of Farming

and meeting curator Louise to learn about the Women's Land Army,

an institution that was established during the First World War.

At this time, the majority of men were on the battlefields,

and it was estimated that Britain would run out of food

within three weeks.

In response, women were rallied to help out in the fields

to build food supplies. Bless 'em!

Who were the land girls?

They were inspirational women, really,

again, out of the kitchens and back onto the land,

showing that they were just as capable as the men

of doing these jobs.

Many of the girls came from the city, and with no real training,

were flung straight in at the deep end -

ploughing fields, clearing ditches, milking cows,

all the things a man would have traditionally done.

-I imagine it might have been a bit of a shock to the system.

-Yeah.

To get involved in very hard manual labour.

Yeah, I imagine it would have been.

You do see examples as well about a woman being killed by a horse,

cos she was thrown off the horse,

so, yes, it was very hard work at the time.

-And could be dangerous.

-Yeah, it could be very dangerous.

At the end of the First World War,

women were encouraged to return to more ladylike occupations.

That doesn't seem awful fair, does it?

-They'd been given a taste of freedom.

-Girls, you've done well.

Off you go back home to the kitchen!

Their contribution to the war effort went a long way

to help the women's suffrage movement.

By the time the Land Army was re-established

for the Second World War,

women had been afforded the right to vote for over a decade.

How many women worked on the land? How many land girls did we have?

In the Second World War, by the end of it,

there was about 80,000 of them.

Dorothy Taylor and Iris Newbold are two of these exceptional women.

They belonged to the East Riding Women's Land Army,

and now, aged 87 and 90,

are two of only three that are still alive today.

-What was your favourite job?

-Haymaking.

I loved haymaking, the old way.

We used to load up the wagon, and then sit on top of the hay wagon

and roll home with the horse and wagon.

Wonderful days, I loved hay time.

And long, hot summers.

And mine was going on the milk round,

and you'd meet some of the lovely people on the way.

A lot of evacuated people were there,

and it was just friendly all the way.

Dorothy came from a mining community, and Iris was a city girl.

Neither had farmed before.

It must've been a very important time for you

when you look back on it.

Well, we were girls when we went in, and we were grown-up girls

-when we came out.

-It made me a different person.

Three and a half years made a difference to you altogether.

More confident, yes.

In spite of the long hours and exhausting work,

the girls still found the energy for a bit of fun.

Tell me, when all the work was done,

-were you able to go out and play?

-Yes, yes.

If you were near to a town - I was two and a half miles away -

so you had to walk into town after you'd finished work.

And if you were going to a dance or the cinema,

then you had to walk back again.

Girls, what did it feel like after the war, when the war was over?

You'd worked hard, you knew that you'd made your contribution

-to the war effort...

-Flat.

-..and then you were sent back into the kitchen.

-Yes, flat.

-Very flat.

-Yes, it was.

I went into horticulture, so I could just find my feet,

and get over the shock of changing again to city life.

And I went into Marks & Spencer's!

THEY LAUGH

What a change that was!

Whilst these remarkable ladies

might not have been on the actual front line,

the jobs they carried out were vital in keeping Britain fed.

Their ability to take on work originally done by men

also played an important role

in developing women's future economic and political rights.

Now, what's David up to?

Also in York, he's popping into Red House Antiques,

where dealer Michael is on hand to help him spend his remaining £96.

Go, Dave.

What about that ginger jar there? Can I have a quick look at that?

Of course you can, yeah.

It's been adapted to a table lamp,

and the one downside to it

is, obviously, that it's been drilled.

-It's been drilled, has it?

-HE WINCES

Ouch! Ouch!

-Gosh, it's a nice pot, isn't it?

-It's without its lid, obviously.

Yeah, without its lid.

Ginger jars were originally used to transport caramelised ginger,

and for storage, and they became popular ornaments

when the ginger was eaten up.

So it's definitely Chinese.

These symbols here are Buddhist, aren't they?

But it's very good quality for a ginger jar.

Michael's ringing the owner to see

if there's any movement on the ticket price.

£55 is the very best.

Well, at £55, Michael, I've just got to say yes.

Thank you very much indeed, That is brilliant.

That great deal marks David's last purchase of the day.

Time for a well-earned kip, methinks.

Night-night!

Next morning, and they're up and at 'em

as they for the historic market town of Pickering.

Anita has £164.14 in her pocket.

So what treasures await you, Anita?

Owner Caroline is on hand.

I notice you had some Mauchline ware there.

-Could I have a wee look at it?

-Yeah.

-These have just come in, have these ones.

-Right, OK.

I'm very fond of Mauchline ware.

It was made in a little village in Ayrshire called Mauchline,

-which was associated with Robert Burns.

-Oh, right, yes.

He lived in that area.

Anita's spotted a collection of Machline treen,

comprising a wool winder,

pocket watch holder, needle box and money box.

They have a collective ticket price of £62.

Considering the fact that we do have damage,

I would like to be paying in the region of around about £20 for them.

I couldn't go that low, no.

Could you come to 25?

-Go on, then.

-Would you do 25? That's lovely.

Thank you very much, Caroline.

Swift business!

Oh, there's more!

This is like Italian glass. It's like Murano glass.

That's the word. I couldn't remember!

Yes, it's like Murano glass,

but there's nothing to indicate on the base.

Murano glass has been made on the Venetian island of Murano

for centuries, and is very collectable.

Whilst this particular vase may not be Murano,

it is Italian, with a price of £48.

Would you do 20 on that?

-Yeah.

-Let's go for that one.

-That one?

-Yeah, £20, that's great.

That's lovely.

Anita has now spent a total of £45 in this shop.

David, meanwhile, has travelled east

to the picturesque village of Thornton Le Dale.

He's got one last shop to spend his remaining £41 in,

and 's meeting manager and dealer Jan.

Hi, Jan!

What about...

-This is a different, quirky item.

-Is it a watering can?

-No, it's not.

What is it?

It's from a railway, and they used it for flares in emergencies.

These lamps would light the way in heavy fog or signal failure.

This one has a ticket price of £30.

And it's not the only piece of railway interest.

-OK, so this is a gear lever of some description...

-Right.

..which comes from sort of the tender, engine box.

-Actually, is it very heavy?

-It is very heavy, yes.

-It's made of cast iron.

-Let's have a look at it. Oh, gosh, yeah!

And when you say a tender box, it actually would be on the train?

-On the train itself.

-I love that, absolutely love that.

Its price is £35, but can Jan do a deal

on the lever and the flare lamp?

What's your offer, David?

-Do you want all my money?

-I want all your money.

-You've got it, baby.

-OK.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Technically, he's still got 46p,

but that discount means David is now the proud owner

of two pieces of railway interest.

Anita is travelling nearly 30 miles to Thirsk.

She's visiting Three Tuns Antiques and Curios

with just under £120 left to spend.

Ah, something shiny has caught her eye.

Surprise, surprise(!)

-Could I take this outside to have a wee look at it?

-Yes.

You're not going to do a runner, are you?

I hope not!

Judging by the glint in Anita's eye, she's up to something, though.

Don't go back, Anita.

I wanted to see this in the light.

It's a lidded vessel

which would have been used to hold the host during Mass.

Now, it has a price of £10 on it,

but what I thought when I handled it was, "Is this silver?

Its official name is a ciborium

and it also has markings, which are Continental and complicated.

This might be the Holy Grail!

Now, that really would be something, wouldn't it?

-So, £10 on that.

-Yes.

OK. That's great.

With that possibly silver vessel, both our experts are bought up.

Anita spent just £83 on her five lots,

purchasing two sets of condiments, a 1950s brooch,

a collection of Mauchline treen boxes, a 1960s Italian glass vase

and a white metal cyborium with gilt interior.

David spent a total of £166 on his five lots

and picked up a train lever and flare lamp...

..the police fingerprinting table...

his 1940s letterbox...

the Chinese ginger jar...

and the 1920s drop-end sofa.

So, what do they think of each other's items?

I mean, the condiment sets, oh, my gosh,

they are diabolical beyond belief!

They have no age whatsoever

and need to be chucked in the nearest bin possible.

What he's done with the flare lamp and that other bit of old iron

is he has bought definitely the weird!

Anita and David are travelling south again to an auction

in the historic spa town of Harrogate.

Wahey! Here we are.

Second auction, David. Let the battle commence!

Oh, my kind of woman. Come on!

Today's auction is being held at Harrogate Auction Centre

and the auctioneer is George Allen.

Let's get comfy, David.

Almost thrones, Anita, thrones.

And speaking of regal, it's Anita's king and queen condiments

-and cuddling pigs first.

-Well, good luck.

-Thank you, darling.

Can we see five anywhere on that one? £2?

The flags are up now.

-They all want them!

-Four bid, six bid, eight bid.

Ten, is that, number nine? It is ten bid. 12 bid.

14, lovely attractive lady on the front. 14 bid.

14 bid, is that 16, number nine?

14 the bid. 14 bid.

15 bid! 16 bid.

You're out, sir. 16 bid, any advance on 16? Any more?

18, she's back in.

20. 22. 22 bid, any more?

All done? Don't miss out on these. 22 bid.

The room's on fire!

-Are you all done at £22?

-Ahhh!

Not a king's ransom, but still a profit.

That was pressured, wasn't it?

From two! I thought they were going to sell for two.

So did I, my wee heart was beating!

Next up are David's train lever and flare lamp.

-50. 40.

-Go on.

-30. 20.

This is for the two items. Five bid, five the bid. Any advance on five?

Ten bid, here we go. 15 bid.

20, 25, 30, 35 bid, 40 bid.

£40 the bid, 45, 50. £50 bid. Any more?

55 bid, 60 bid. 65 bid.

65, 70 bid.

Any advance? 75 bid.

75. 80 bid. 85 bid. Any more?

-When is it going to stop?

-Go on! Never!

-90 bid. 95 bid.

95, round it up, make it to double figures. 100 bid.

-That's more like it, yeah.

-All done at £100?

-Ohhhh!

-Brilliant!

-Thank you, Anita.

An incredible result - from such a slow start,

David's more than doubled his money.

It's so exciting!

-I was digging my nails into your hand.

-I noticed!

Now it's Anita's 1950s brooch.

Four bid, £4 bid. £6, £8 bid.

Eight the bid. And ten. Ten bid, 12 bid, 14.

-And you're off!

-14 bid. Any advance on 14?

Come on, buy it for your lady. 14 bid, any more? Another one?

14, 15, he's back in. 15, 16.

16 bid, any more? All done at £16?

-You're going to miss out on this one.

-Go on!

All done at 16...

-Yes!

-Well done, well done.

She's very excited!

And so she should be!

She got it at a great price. Still, it's a small profit for Anita.

Now it's David's most expensive item - his Chinese ginger jar.

I am 50 bid, straight in at 50. 60 on the telephone. £60 bid.

70 on the book, £70 bid.

80 bid. 90 with me. 95 bid.

-100 bid on the book.

-Come on!

Any advance on 100? I'm into triple figures. Any more?

All done at £100...

-Ohhhhh, that's a good one!

-Well done, darling.

-It's all right.

-Listen, let me give you a wee kiss.

-Thank you.

-That is great.

Wow! That's another great profit for David.

He went big with his buys and, so far, it seems to be paying off.

David's in the lead

so Anita needs a big profit on her Mauchline treen

-to stay in the game.

-Ten bid.

£10 bid, any advance on 10?

Any more? All done? 15?

-One piece is worth more than that. 20 bid. £20 the bid.

-Go on!

£20 bid. 25 bid. The lady in blue is back in at 25.

30 bid.

£30 the bid, I'll take 2.50 if it will help anybody.

£30 the bid, any more? All done?

32.50 bid, are you all done at 32.50?

Another profit for Anita - what a brilliant crowd here today!

I love his 50ps! It makes all the difference.

-He gets every single penny!

-He doesn't half, he doesn't half.

Well, every penny counts.

Let's see if Anita's next item can bring in a few more.

-It may not be Murano, but it still is an Italian vase.

-Ten to start me.

Ten bid. Any advance? 15. 20.

-It's all over, it's all over!

-25. 35 bid.

40 bid. 45. 50 bid.

-Any advance? 55 bid. 60.

-Are you bidding?

-I'm just getting excited!

-Any advance? 65 bid. 65. £70 the bid.

75 bid. 80 bid. 85 bid.

85 the bid, any advance on 85?

An exciting lot, there. 90 bid.

-Ohhhh!

-£90. 95 bid. £100 bid.

We've hit the magic mark. 100 bid.

-105 bid.

-Yes!

-105 the bid. Any more?

All done?

110. 110, the lady is back in at 110.

All done at 110?

-Ohhhh!

-Number nine.

Oh, what an auctioneer!

That's an incredible profit for Anita.

She's quadrupled her money, putting her firmly back in the game.

Now, let's see if David's 1940s letterbox gets the same reception.

40. 50. £50 bid. Any advance on 50?

60. 70. £70 bid. 80. 90.

100 with me. £100 bid.

Come on! Cling on to me.

-Good luck!

-130 bid.

130 bid. Any advance on 130? I'm out.

In the room at the very back there at £130 the bid.

It's there to go at 130...

-Yes!

-Get in there!

Well done, George.

Well done, David! Another massive profit. Quite the auction today!

David got his 1920s sofa for a steal, but will it fare today?

Ten anywhere?

Ten bid. £10 bid, 20 bid. 30 bid.

40 bid. £40, 50 bid. 60 bid.

-You're in profit.

-Come on!

-60, we're getting there.

£60 the bid, 70 bid. 70 bid. Lovely piece.

80 bid. £80 the bid.

-90. Magic figure, £90 the bid, any more?

-Come on, get another hundred.

-100.

-Yes!

-100.

110. 110, it's selling itself. 110 the bid.

Any more? All done at £110?

David...

..that's 200% profit.

200? It's more than that. It's about four million.

We're both rubbish at maths!

Apparently so. It's actually just over 2,000% profit.

Next, It's Anita's incredible find - her cyborium.

Anita still believes it's silver

but has been unable to identify its marks

-so it's being sold as white metal.

-£20 bid. 20 bid.

£20 bid. It's not where we start, it's where we finish. 30 bid.

£30 the bid. 35. 40 bid.

45. 45. 50 bid.

50 bid, any advance on 50?

55. 55, you won't get another one.

-55, 60 bid. 65 bid.

-Come on!

Any advance on 65? It's worth a lot more.

65. 70 bid. 75 bid.

Any more? All done? Finished at £75.

A stroke of luck or divine intervention?

Either way, that's a fantastic profit.

Time for David's final and most unusual item,

his police fingerprinting table.

Can we see 20? Ten bid.

£10 bid, any advance on ten? You'll never get another one.

-You'd never WANT another one!

-£20 the bid. Any advance on 20?

-Any more? 30. £30.

-Come on! Come on!

The bid is at the back of the room.

£30, any more? All done?

Finished at £30, only bid?

That's all right!

-Well done, that's all right.

-It's still profit.

-That's all right.

It's still profit.

It's small, but it's still a profit.

What an incredible auction with no losses!

Now, that makes a change, doesn't it?

Anita started this leg with £192.14.

After auction costs, she made a profit of £126.51,

leaving her with £318.65 to spend next time.

David, however, emerges victorious this week.

He started off with £166.46.

After auction costs, he's made a whopping profit of £219.40

so takes forward £385.86 to the following leg.

-Go on, you.

-You're such a sweetie!

-In you go!

-Right, are you in?

-Yep.

What an amazing day it's been! So, cheerio, chaps!