Episode 2 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

-That's cracking.

-With £200 each...

-Wonderful.

-..a classic car,

and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

-That's exactly what I'm talking about.

-I'm all over a shiver.

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

-No-brainer.

-Going, going, gone.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

-So, will it be the high road to glory...

-Push!

..or the slow road to disaster?

How awfully, awfully nice.

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah.

We're two auctions down and back on the road

with our two antiques aficionados

Anita Manning and Raj Bisram.

So you didn't sleep, darling?

To be honest, when you're £3.59 down,

it's hard to sleep.

So far, Raj has resisted the temptation to play dirty.

I wonder if I could maybe put Anita in these.

Ha! And Anita has negotiated hard so far.

Could you come down even a wee bit more?

Our auctioneering duo started their road trip with £200 each,

and it's been nail-biting stuff ever since.

Raj now has £428.24 to spend

but Anita managed to swipe the lead with a tidy £431.48,

so there is less than £4 in it.

It's so close now, I'm not sure what to do,

whether to go all out for it

-or play...

-Play it cool.

-Play it cool.

-You, my friend, have to make your own mind up about that.

-I know.

I'm a risk taker.

-I know you are.

-THEY LAUGH

-That's what I'm counting on, Raj.

-RAJ LAUGHS

Us, too.

After kicking off from Wisbech in Cambridgeshire,

they took in the sights of Norfolk,

and are continuing through Essex and Suffolk.

They'll then motor south to Kent, Surrey, and East Sussex,

before heading north to Bolton in Lancashire for their final auction.

Golly gosh.

They're whisking around in their trusty Triumph Spitfire

and this leg takes them from Halstead in Essex

to an auction in Rayleigh, also in Essex.

Certainly looks like a big place.

Oh, there's going to be a lot of choice here.

-ANITA LAUGHS

-Well, wish me luck.

-Have fun, Raj.

-I will.

And remember - be dangerous.

I will be.

Have a good day.

Burning oil. Huh.

Halstead Antiques is situated in a former corn mill, hence the size,

and holds about 25,000 items over two floors.

Just a few things to choose from in here, then...

This is a nice, decorative paddle.

A lot of people put these on their wall.

I'm always drawn to anything boating as well.

I quite like this, this is quite nice.

Got another one here, 18.

Well, then, what are you thinking?

They'd make quite a nice lot.

With ticket prices of £29 and £18,

Raj wants to see if he can get a deal for the two from owner, James.

-£25? 20, 25?

-Yes.

20? Can we shake hands?

-25.

-20?

-25 sounded a lot better to me.

I'll tell you what, what about splitting it down the middle?

-£22.50?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

You'll take that? Brilliant. We have a deal!

-Thank you very much, Raj.

-Thank you, James.

I know there's a saying that goes something like,

"Up..." What is it?

"Up the creek without a paddle"?

Up the creek without a paddle.

Well, I've got two paddles, I should be OK.

Here's hoping.

So that's £22.50 for the early 20th-century paddles.

Meanwhile, Anita has made her way west

to the village of Gosfield, home to Gosfield Antiques Village.

Ten years ago,

this former working farm was transformed into a shopping mecca.

Looks like Anita's idea of heaven.

This room has 169 cabinets, to be precise.

So hang on...

Look at that - she's on to something already.

Better get in owner Glen. Glen!

Found something?

I quite like this little ornament here,

the little antelope.

It's not a precious metal, it's not silver.

I think that's quite sweet,

and I love the malachite base.

I love those lovely, natural stones.

It looks as if it's just the malachite,

they've given it a knock and taken a chunk off of it,

so it is a wee, sort of, artisan piece.

It's got a ticket price of £38.

But something else has also caught Anita's eye.

This little silver snuff box there, it's £22.

It doesn't seem a lot of money.

It looks very pretty with the enamelling showing an exotic bird.

I'm looking for a hallmark here.

I can see a rather roughly stippled

"925."

It's as if it's been done by an amateur with a screwdriver.

There is some discolouration there,

so they've tested it.

I think it probably is silver.

The snuff box and the ornament, which I think is a ring holder,

would total £50, so Anita's hoping to strike a deal.

If I bought both of them,

I would be thinking in the region of...

..£25, £30.

-I think we could manage £30.

-You could manage 30, go for 30?

Let's do it, then.

Thank you very much, Glen.

That's £30 for the stylised ring holder and silver snuff box.

Good-oh.

Back with Raj in Halstead now.

He's found himself another option.

I really like this William Russell Flint.

He was a Scottish artist, an illustrator as well.

He had a great life.

He just painted beautiful women, and mostly naked.

I mean, this is quite unusual, because they've got clothes on.

Obviously, his originals are really what you want,

but this is a nice signed print.

I would be interested around the £50 mark region.

Like much of Russell Flint's work,

his watercolour brush technique is superb,

which is why his originals are coveted by collectors.

The ticket price is £115 and Raj wants it for 50,

so he's putting in a call to the off-site dealer.

Stand by.

Hello, Andrea, hello there.

Thank you so much indeed.

That's really kind.

Lovely, thank you very much indeed, Andrea.

Great! Fantastic.

She's agreed to that.

That's £50 for the 1950s William Russell Flint print.

Raj has one more item he'd like to have a go at.

This is a little bit different - it's turned into a bench,

this "Danger Electricity" sign.

I would want to pay £30 for it.

It would make a great garden seat.

It's priced at £85, so what's the best James can do?

50?

I'm prepared to split the difference and I'll pay 40 for it...

HE EXHALES

..which is slightly more than I wanted.

He might be pushing it.

-Yes.

-Yes?

-Yes.

We have a deal. Thank you very much, James.

Good man. Let's hope it sparks some interest at auction.

So that's £40 for the "Danger Electricity" bench,

£50 for the William Russell Flint print

and £22.50 for the pair of paddles, totalling £112.50.

While Raj has been spending, Anita's headed south to Braintree.

The town is responsible

for producing some of the finest textiles in British history,

favoured by the Royal family for over a century.

To tell Anita more is textile historian and author Mary Schoeser.

Mary, it's lovely to be here.

It's lovely to have you here, Anita.

I love textiles

and I can see all of these wonderful cloths round about me.

By the end of the 19th century,

Essex had become a hub for silk production.

Benjamin Warner, an entrepreneur with a background in textiles,

took over this Braintree mill in 1895.

At the time, it was one of Britain's largest mills for hand-woven silk.

The contents of these drawers reveal

over 100 years of ever-changing fashion and style,

showing the fabric of British history.

That's a lovely line.

These early silks are so exquisite

and they must have been so expensive to make.

Who were the people who were wearing these things?

Well, they were the wealthiest of all people

because silk is the most expensive fibre.

And so, of course, many of the clients were aristocrats

and members of the royalty.

Warners have dressed and furnished royal households for generations.

Samples of these priceless cloths make up just part of this collection

of 100,000 items.

Mary, isn't that the most magnificent piece of fabric?

That gold is glowing, it's so wonderful.

Well, it is very special indeed.

We know that the pattern was used at Queen Victoria's coronation

and this is cloth of gold,

woven for the coronation of Edward VII

and it is gold thread woven into the cloth.

That is amazing.

In 1911, Warners were called on again to weave their magic

for the coronation of King Edward's son and daughter-in-law,

who were to become King George V and Queen Mary.

This is one of two hand-woven, hand-brocaded cloths made in 1911

for Queen Mary's coronation trousseau.

There was a close relationship between Princess May,

as she was called, prior to being crowned.

Her wedding cloth, most famously, was woven by Warners.

I think of Princess May as the first People's Princess.

She was the first, as far as I know,

to actually come inside a factory and stand next to a worker

with his coat off, you know,

and witness real work.

That must have been a huge thing at that time,

-because royalty just didn't pop down to their local factory!

-No, no.

Princess Mary was a big supporter of British industry,

promoting the high-quality designs of English hand-woven silk,

a tradition that has continued through the Royal family to today.

This one is very special.

It's a hand-woven velvet.

Oh, so beautiful.

I can almost taste that.

What would this have been used for?

Well, this was used for the chairs of estate at the coronation

of George V and Queen Mary.

It is based on a 17th-century Genovese velvet design,

but this was one of the cloths that...

Warners, really, by this time,

were the only hand weavers who could produce it.

Very, very special. Very special.

-That is not just a piece of fabric, that is a work of art.

-It is.

It is. It's a piece of history.

The archive holds 25,000 swatches,

recording which weavers made them and when.

Even though the mill shut in 1971,

some of Warners' classic designs are back in production today.

And this is taken from the original from the 1930s.

Oh, that's fab.

And I thought you would love that.

-I think I'll try it on.

-I think you should.

-Shall I?

-I think you should.

-Oh, there we go.

-What do you think?

It really is perfect.

Warners' success not only lives on through this magnificent archive,

but their designs are still being used by high-end companies

across the world, showing that this great British business

will not be forgotten.

Raj, meanwhile, has got weaving his way north across the border

into Suffolk, to the magnificent medieval market town of Clare,

and to Market Hill Antiques, headed up by Robin.

-Hello, there.

-Good afternoon.

-Robin, isn't it?

-That's correct.

-I'm Raj.

-OK, Raj.

You've got some lovely little things I can see already.

My eyes are starting to sparkle.

-Have a good look.

-I will do.

Raj still has over £300 in his wallet.

So get it dusted off.

The buttons - they're interesting.

I've got 175 on them.

That is probably a bit much for auction.

They've got ridged design on, which dates them to circa 1900.

They are silver. They've been tested.

But they're in the original retailers' box,

which is West & Sons of Dublin.

Not only are these a nice set of Art Nouveau silver buttons,

they're Irish, and they're in their original box.

There's got to be a profit in these.

I would pay you £50 for those.

You would pay that for them?

-They're yours then, Sir.

-Brilliant.

-We have a deal.

-Thank you.

A generous discount at £50 for the set of Art Nouveau buttons.

On that note, it's time to button up and call it a night.

So, nighty-night.

Good morning, antiquers!

And what a beautiful day it is.

Today's shopping spree kicks off in the town of Otford,

where the chance to shop side by side awaits

and that usually means trouble.

Well, we've both got money,

-let's go shopping.

-RAJ CHUCKLES

And helping Anita and Raj today are Barry and Alan.

Here we are.

Hello, hello.

-Hi.

-Morning.

-How are you?

-How are you, all right?

I'm Raj, nice meet you.

There's stock from over 30 different dealers packed in here,

so Raj heads upstairs,

while Anita, who has just over £400 to splash about,

tours the ground floor.

After a quick whizz around, though,

she's spotted a potential gem in the window.

People say that brown furniture is not popular just now.

But small pieces of furniture are still popular.

And this is a lovely, wee, functional thing

that you can keep your favourite books in.

Victorian, mahogany,

and it has this rather nice carved detail here.

I like that, and I'm going to have a go at it.

So, Barry's putting it to one side while the search continues.

Anything else, old girl?

Less of the old, no?

There's some lovely 20th-century items in here.

Some lovely Whitefriars here, some Daum glass,

and a piece of Troika.

Troika pottery was only made for a short period and this wheel vase,

so-called as it's round,

looks to have been made by Louise Jinks,

who worked at Troika between 1976 and 1981.

I like it very, very much. I love the modernist design.

I love the fact that it was made by an artist.

It's priced at £145, and another option

to go with her miniature mahogany bookcase, perhaps.

Let's see what Barry can do.

I think that's a nice wee thing.

-It's priced at £38, Barry.

-OK.

-But there's a wee damage here.

A little bit of the moulding missing.

-Right.

-I was wondering if there was a possibility

of getting it nearer £20?

-Oh, my goodness!

-Is that too big a discount?

I would've thought it probably is.

So, Barry's going to let Anita talk to the dealer herself.

I've fancied that nice wee, um, kind of miniature bookcase.

I was wanting to pay round about £20 for it,

but, um, Barry was saying that was a wee bit too much.

25 would be absolutely wonderful.

Thank you, Jackie.

Right. Bye-bye.

-25, Barry.

-Lovely!

If you don't ask, you don't get and Anita's not done yet.

Barry's on the phone to dealer Andrew,

to find out about the Troika vase.

Hello, Andrew.

I fancied the little wheel vase.

Now, you've got 145 on it.

SHE LAUGHS

I love you, too.

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

Aw, thank you so much. That's absolutely fabulous.

OK, bye-bye.

So, 90 for that. He's come down for us.

That's terrific.

So, that's £115 all in, including the mahogany bookcase.

Gosh!

-See you next time. Bye-bye!

-Thank you, bye-bye.

While Anita heads off, Raj still has over £265 weighing him down.

Hello...

I really like the look of this...

That's a lovely piece of glass.

Yeah, it's lovely.

It's absolutely lovely.

These kind of items sell really, really well

and there are a lot of collectors for them.

This is in really good condition.

Rene Lalique originally worked in jewellery but is now synonymous

worldwide with exquisite glass design,

which he began to do in the late-19th century.

This shell bowl dates from the 1930s.

Any idea what you think we could possibly get it for?

Er...

I've got 275.

It's on 10%.

I'd happily pay 150 for it.

I don't think he would take that.

But Alan's going to get the dealer on the phone for Raj

to see what he can do.

Hello, Andrew?

Uh-huh. I mean, for me, it's going to be about 150, 160.

Yes, I'm going to take a chance. Yes, I like it.

I like it, yeah. I will definitely take it for 165, yes.

Sounds like a deal. That's £165 for the Lalique shell bowl.

Well done.

And brave, too.

In the meantime, Anita's crossed the border into Surrey,

to the village of Godstone.

Anita's here to try her luck at Godstone Emporium, run by Jacqui.

-Ooh!

-Hi, girls!

-Hi!

-I'm Anita.

-Lovely to meet you.

Oh, it's great to be here, it's great to be here.

-This looks lovely.

-There's lots of treasures here to be found.

That's what we like to hear. So, what will Anita hunt out first?

-Scotch Corner!

-BAGPIPES ON SOUNDTRACK

I wonder if they knew I was coming.

There is a selection here.

And I think, today, I would like to buy some agate jewellery.

We have the wonderful autumn colours here.

But I like this one, as well.

This is mounted in silver.

Let's have a look at the hallmark.

That's a Glasgow hallmark. I've got to buy that.

This central stone is called a Cairngorm.

And it has the colour and hues

of the peaty streams, or burns, of Scotland.

Around the outside, we have these citrines.

And the silver mount is engraved with leaves and flowers.

And it's quite a beautiful thing.

So, if I pick out another two of them...

..I might be able to get a deal with the dealer.

So, it's back to Jacqui, to see what she can do.

Jacqui...

-Hello.

-I've found three little brooches.

Well, let's have a look at the prices.

58. 38.

And 55.

151.

The brooches belong to dealer Maria, who happens to be here today.

Could you come anywhere near £100 for the three of them?

-Not that low, no.

-Not that low? What's the best you can do, Maria?

-120.

-Is that the very, very, very best you can do on it?

-Yeah.

OK, let's go for that.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks very much.

She may be over 400 miles from home,

but Anita's bought three Scottish brooches for £120.

-OK, that's lovely. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

And with that, shopping's done.

Let's have a gander at their purchases.

Along with the three brooches, Anita found an enamel snuffbox,

a stylised antelope ring stand,

a miniature mahogany bookcase, and a Troika wheel vase,

all for £265.

Raj splashed £327.50 on two wooden paddles,

a William Russell Flint print, a "Danger Electricity" bench,

a set of Art Nouveau buttons, and a Lalique shell bowl.

Thoughts, anyone?

The Troika wheel vase. This is a really lovely item.

There are a lot of collectors of Troika.

It's going up in value all the time.

I love that Coquilles Lalique bowl. That was an item of quality.

Should make a profit.

After hitting the road from Halstead, Essex,

and two successful shopping days,

Anita and Raj are now on the approach to their third auction

back in Essex again - in Rayleigh.

Our experts' last stop of this leg

is at family-run Stacey's Auctioneers.

Here we are, Raj.

Well, here we go. I'm looking forward to this one.

You never know.

Paul Stacey is in charge of the rostrum today.

Star items for me -

the Lalique bowl, I think, will do very well,

because it's an early piece of Lalique.

Made during the '40s, so I think that'll do well.

The silver brooches, they're hallmarked, Scottish.

I think they're going to do quite well, they're in good condition.

Hang on to your hats, it's time to see what the Essex auction-goers

and phone and internet bidders think.

-RAJ LAUGHS

-Well, here we are.

-Yeah!

First up is Anita's enamel snuffbox.

Shall we say about £10 to start? Got to be worth that, surely?

10 is bid. 12 now, 14. Advance on 14, if you want it.

-And 16 I've got.

-In profit, in profit.

At £16 now. Any advances? 18. Thank you. 20.

22. 25 on the internet now.

-SHE GASPS, DROWNS HIM OUT

-Yes!

-You're out in the room.

An internet bid at £25, then,

-£25.

-Yes!

-Brilliant.

Brilliant. She starts as she'd like to go on, doubling her money.

-That's a very, very good start. Well done.

-Thank you, darling.

THEY LAUGH

Over to Raj now, with his two paddles.

Shall we say £10 to start?

-10 I've got, thank you, sir. 12 now is bid.

-Oh, no!

-Against you. 14. 16.

-These will probably go for about 100 quid!

£18, 20 now with you. 22. 25. 28 now we have.

Gentleman standing at 28 and we have now internet action.

-Oh, no!

-30.

There we go. 32 now. Back in the room.

35, £40 now, all on the internet. There we are.

Are we all done? I'm about to sell at £40, then.

GAVEL BANGS

And a decent profit to start for Raj.

I should start to get worried now.

We're back with Anita now, for the antelope ring stand thingamajig.

£20 to start, surely. £20 we've got, straight in. Thank you, sir.

20 is bid. 22. 25. 28.

-30.

-Yes!

-32, 35. 38.

At 38 now, 42 is bid online.

-You're out in the room.

-I'm in trouble.

-At 42, then.

An online bid at £42, then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yes!

-Brilliant. Well done.

Anita's made another healthy profit.

-Are you panicking?

-I am!

-Are you worried? Are you worried?

-Nah. Not me, not me, no.

-SHE LAUGHS

Well, we'll see if he should be

as it's Raj's turn now with the Art Nouveau buttons.

Shall we say about £30 to start, surely?

-30 I've got. 32. 35. 38. 40.

-Come on!

-Come on, come on!

45. 48. 50, 5. 60, 5.

-70,

-5. Oh, profit!

-80.

-Profit!

-85. 90...

-Yes!

-In a fresh place at the far back of the room now.

-Yeah.

Are you still with me? 95. Thank you.

-Yes!

-Come on!

-100, round it up.

-110, if you like?

-Yes!

-No more.

-Yes!

£110 is now bid.

For the last time, the hammer's up, I'm selling at £110, then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yes.

-Yes!

-Aw, gimme a kiss!

Well played, sir. Raj has more than doubled his money.

My heart was beating, boom-boom, boom-boom! I should be worried!

He is catching up, but it's Anita's Troika vase next.

Commission bid at 55, advance on that if you want it.

-Oh, no!

-At 55. £60. 65. 70 in the room now with you, sir.

Commissions are out. Are we all done?

-For the last time, the hammer's up.

-Oh, no!

-I'm selling at £70.

GAVEL BANGS That's a blow for Anita. What a job.

-Aw!

-A little loss.

-Just a wee loss.

We're back with Raj now for the William Russell Flint print.

£60 anywhere?

-£60 I've got, on the telephone.

-Oh, no!

-65 online against you.

-ANITA LAUGHS

-£70.

75. 80. 85.

-90 now. On the telephone at £90. Any advance now?

-Bit more. Bit more.

-I'm about to sell at £90, then.

-GAVEL BANGS

Another great profit for Raj.

Next, it's Anita's priciest purchase,

the three Scottish brooches.

40 anywhere, nice brooches at 40, surely?

-40 I've got, thank you.

-Oh, yes!

40 is bid on the telephone. 42 online, against you.

45. 48.

50 on the telephone now.

-55, back online.

-Yes, come on!

60 on the telephone, thank you.

65.

70.

Back on the telephone.

75 online.

£80 now, still on the telephone, 85.

90 now, still on the telephone.

95.

-No.

-Aww.

-At 95 is bid.

At £95, then.

Ouch! That's a second loss for Anita.

Sell them in Scotland, girl.

That could have been a lot worse, darling.

Yeah!

Don't hold back.

Raj's "Danger Electricity" bench is up next.

£30 anywhere?

£20?

Ah, there we are, some internet activity!

-£20 is offered.

-Thank God for that!

-At £22.

25 now.

It's all online. 28. Here we go.

At 30, 32.

Last opportunity. Last opportunity at 32, then.

Unfortunately, no-one was on Raj's wavelength with that one.

My heart BLEEDS for you.

Said with feeling, as well!

It's now Anita's final lot, the miniature mahogany bookcase.

Commission bids.

-Commission bids!

-Cleared at £50.

-Straight in, there you go!

-Come on!

55 is the bid.

Any advances now?

£60. 65.

-70.

-Yes, yes!

At 70, on the telephone, this bid.

A telephone bid at £70, then.

-Yes!

-£70.

-There you go.

Almost tripled her money. Go, girl!

Is that 300% profit?

Not quite, but not far off. It all comes down to Raj's final lot.

It's his gamble buy, will it pay off?

Quite a bit of interest in this, ladies and gentlemen.

-Good luck, darling.

-I must start the bidding here with me at £100, then.

Let's advance on 100.

-That's not right.

-At £100, 120.

All on the internet at the moment.

160 now.

170 is a commission bid.

Against you, 180.

-190 now, still with me.

-Come on, more!

200. 220 is bid.

230 now.

240, 250.

260 now is bid.

260!

At £260 is the bid, then.

Last opportunity now.

I'm about to sell at £260, then.

-That was wonderful!

-260!

-Congratulations.

An amazing profit for Raj.

-WHAT an auction!

-I need a cup of tea.

-Come on, let's go.

Let's do the maths. Anita began this leg with £431.48.

After auction costs, she is down £17.36,

leaving her with £414.12.

Raj set off with £428.24

and, post costs,

he is up by a decent £108.74,

making him the midweek winner with £536.98.

So, congratulations, old bean.

So, with full pockets, we're back on the road with our auctioneers.

This leg's ball starts rolling from Deal in Kent

and lands them at auction in Battle, in East Sussex.

The auction is very near the coast,

so anything connected to the sea...

..would be a good idea.

And Battle, of course, is the site of the Battle of Hastings.

-Is it really?

-So, anything that's historical...

So, forget about the wee brooches?

Forget the wee brooches, forget the Troika vases...

-SHE LAUGHS

-Let's get a suit of armour...

-Yes!

-..and go to battle.

Yes!

But before battle commences, Raj's first stop

is the picture-perfect seaside town of Deal in Kent,

home to a spectacular seafront and some great shopping.

Well, Raj, isn't that bonny?

Oh, that... That is beautiful.

Beautiful, I love the sea.

And remember, spend a couple of bob.

I will.

-Bye!

-Bye.

Holding the fort at family-run Full House Emporium today

is owner Mick Davies.

-Hello, there.

-Hello, there.

-I'm Raj.

-I'm Mick.

-Nice to meet you, Mick.

-Nice to meet you, too.

A lovely, sunny day. Lots of bargains for me?

-We hope so.

-I hope so, too.

With an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage and curios,

Raj shouldn't have too much trouble.

But Mick has something he thinks may be of interest to Raj.

Shotgun cleaning kit.

I mean, we know it's not in its original box,

but it's quite nice with all these cleaning rods, isn't it?

Various sizes, as well.

I presume some are for 14, some are for 12 bores...

We've got various paraphernalia...

Pull throughs, brushes,

powder.

You've got ten rods there.

And how much could the...?

-Well, I got it, I think, for 45.

-Yeah.

I could do that, really, for 20.

15 and we have a deal.

-Yeah. Fine.

-Brilliant. Thank you very much indeed.

My first purchase.

And Raj has spotted a potential second.

The Anglepoise lamp. They're quite collectable now.

People convert them. Obviously, this one's working,

but it's got the original... The old light fitting, as well.

I quite like those.

There's no ticket price, so what's it going to be?

50.

30.

40.

-35.

-38.

-37.

-Ruthless!

We have a deal. £37.

-There we go.

-LAUGHING:

-Thank you!

Cor, he's driven a hard bargain

but there's no stopping Raj this morning.

Nice silver-plated punchbowl.

Relatively new one.

-It's got the look, though.

-It certainly has got the look.

I mean, that's actually got some weight to it, that one.

The ladle has.

It sports a ticket price of £65.

I should think this is a 20th-century one.

It's in good condition, what would be the very, very best on it?

-25. It's been there for a while.

-We've got a deal.

-OK.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Along with the punchbowl,

he's shelling out £15 for the shotgun cleaning kit

and 37 for the Anglepoise lamp.

£77 all in.

Careful, now.

Meanwhile, Anita has made her way north to Sandwich.

Still in Kent.

She's here for her first shop of the day, which is run by Mandy.

Hi, Mandy!

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Hi! I'm Anita.

-I'm Mandy.

-It's lovely to meet you.

Anita's armed with local boy Raj's shopping tips for auction.

Raj said that items which have to do with the sea

might be good in our next auction

and we have here a pair of port and starboard lamps -

they are older ones.

The ones which will get the best money will be copper ones.

But they are probably 18th century, early 19th century.

There is quite a bit of damage on them.

And the price is...over £100.

Better see what Mandy can do.

Could you come anywhere near £80?

Yes, I'll think about that, Anita.

While Mandy thinks, Anita has something else in mind.

There was another thing that I looked at

and it was this... Oriental piece here.

-They have been making these deities since the beginning of time.

-Yes.

And the older ones are really good.

It's the beginning of the 20th century,

not the beginning of the... 7th century.

-ANITA LAUGHS

-Yes.

It's priced at £85.

Could that be bought for around 40?

I'm thinking more 55.

-55?

-Yes.

-Could you come to 45?

-50.

-50?

-Yeah. That's the lowest I can go on that.

-50.

-I'll have a wee think about that.

-OK, then.

-I'm tempted.

-Yeah.

-I'm tempted.

-MANDY LAUGHS

It's a gamble, as Anita's not an Asian specialist,

but the market for Eastern antiques is buoyant

and depending on the size and age, deities can attract large sums.

It all depends on whether it catches the right eyes at the auction.

Now, that's more like Anita - jewellery.

I rather like garnets.

People call them the poor man's rubies,

but I think they're nice.

I mean, they are a gemstone. Any idea how old these are, Mandy?

-'80s, maybe.

-'80s, uh-huh.

-'70s, '80s.

-Yeah.

-Because the clasp is quite nice, it's not just a hook.

-No.

Yeah, it's a very nice clasp.

That's a five-strand garnet necklace and priced at £18.

-Could they be bought for ten?

-The lowest I'd go is 12.

If I... If I paid 12 for these,

could you come in another wee bit on the Buddha?

No, not on the Buddha, no.

62?

Yes. 62.

Can you make it a round 60?

-ANITA LAUGHS

-OK, then.

-Is that all right?

-£60, yes.

-I don't want you to be unhappy about it.

-No, that's fine.

OK, Mandy. That's absolutely terrific.

-You're welcome.

-Thank you very, very much.

Good luck at auction.

That's £60 for the bronze deity and the five-strand garnet necklace.

Anita's decided against the ship's lights,

but she's happy with her lots.

Raj, meanwhile,

has headed into the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

and to the village of Barham.

Next stop, Stablegate Antiques.

-Hi, there.

-Hi, there.

-I'm Raj.

-I'm Christian.

-Nice to meet you, Christian.

-Nice to meet you.

Based in a 17th-century farmhouse,

these showrooms specialise in Georgian and Victorian furniture

and quality antiques.

Christian, can you point me in the direction

of something that you think isn't too expensive,

that there's going to be a profit in it?

Erm, swords are always good.

Swords are...

-This isn't really a sword, this is a fencing sabre.

-Yes.

Well, it comes with the hat.

-It's a nice old one, isn't it?

-It is.

-1930s, is it?

-Yep.

Made by Wilkinson.

-So it's a good maker.

-Mm-hm.

-It is a bit different.

-It is.

The ticket price is £175,

but what's the best Christian can offer?

Uh, about...80.

I think that's too strong for me.

I'd be happy to pay £50.

55 and we can shake hands.

For a fiver, I'm definitely going to shake your hands.

-Good man.

-£55...

-Good man.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

A very generous discount,

at £55 for the fencing mask and foil,

and it's time to call it a day.

So, nighty-night.

It's another day and our pair are continuing through rural Kent

and heading for their next stop in the market town of Faversham,

where Anita is hitting the shops with just over £355 left.

-Lovely wee town, Raj.

-It is, isn't it?

And this is my big shopping day!

-Thank you.

-Spend all your money!

-I'll do my very best, Raj.

-Good.

-Bye.

-I'll see you later.

On hand at Squires Antiques is owner Ann.

-Hello, I'm Anita.

-Hello, Anita.

-So nice to meet you.

-It's lovely to meet you, too.

It's straight upstairs for Anita to see what takes her fancy.

And at the drop of a hat, she's found something.

I find terrestrial globes irresistible.

They are a little snapshot of how the world was

at the time that they were made.

This is a political globe made in 1978.

Now, in 1978, the Berlin Wall was still there.

And if we turn round to Africa,

we can see down here Southern Rhodesia has not become Zimbabwe.

It's in good condition.

There are no tears...

It's priced...

..at £55.

One to keep in mind, but there's plenty more to choose from.

This is a little Victorian crib.

It's made of some sort of cast iron here

and the baby lies in a string basket.

We have some very nice little detail and we have porcelain wheels.

So, this is a little period piece.

It's the perfect thing for displaying dogs, or teddies

if you are a collector,

and there are plenty of those about the salerooms.

The cradle has a ticket price of £85.

Ann, it's this crib...

I quite like that.

Could that be bought for...

in the region...40, £45?

-Would 45...

-45.

-..be any good?

£45. That's lovely. Thank you so much, Ann.

-You're welcome.

-And while she's feeling on top of the world,

how about that globe?

Ann, I quite fancy the terrestrial globe here.

Now, it's not an old one.

The most valuable maps and globes are those very, very early ones.

I would like to be buying it probably around about...

20...

£25 - is that at all possible?

Well, I will do 25.

-25.

-If you would like it.

-Oh, that's great.

Thank you. Thank you so much for that.

That's £70 for both the 1978 political globe

and the Victorian cradle.

Now, there's just a slight issue of getting it to auction.

RATTLING

Back with Raj now, who's making the most of the nice weather.

A wonderful sunny day, the shades are on, Anita won't see me coming.

Yeah, however will she recognise you?

Raj is heading north-west to the historical dockyard, Chatham.

It's now home to a 19th-century naval ship that not only protected

the oceans and interests of the British Empire,

but also played a vital role in turning thousands of young men

into British naval officers.

To find out more, Raj is meeting Preservation and Education Director

of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust Richard Holdsworth.

Hi, there.

-Hi. Nice to meet you.

-I'm Raj.

I'm Richard. Welcome to the Historical Dockyard at Chatham.

What a beautiful day and what an amazing ship.

Built in 1878 and powered by both steam and sail,

HMS Gannet was a small but mighty ship.

She's seen many incarnations but has now been restored to her original

19th-century glory.

She had a crew of about 145.

145 people?

They had to be able to man the masts and set the sails, and warships

are always crew-heavy because of the need to man the guns.

And although she is a small ship, she packed a mighty punch.

By the time she was decommissioned from war service in 1895,

HMS Gannet had spent 17 years patrolling the Pacific,

Mediterranean and Red seas.

In 1913, the ship was brought back into service,

this time as a dormitory for a naval training school,

and renamed TS Mercury.

In the early 20th century,

the Royal and Merchant navies were crying out for thousands of boys

to complete basic sea training,

encouraging them to enlist - which most of them did -

despite the conditions they endured.

This is the 1920s, '30s.

Being forced to get up early in the early hours of the morning,

abandoned ship, swim to the shore, and things,

were all part of life on board Mercury.

5,000 boys were stationed here

over its 54-year service as a dormitory.

Training was paid for by the boys' parents, who wanted their sons

to have a Navy career.

There were up to 160 boys

aged between 12 and 15 on board at any one time.

Retired Merchant Navy captain David Parsons spent three years aboard

in the 1960s.

So, having cleaned the ship in the morning, we went ashore,

had a shower and everything,

breakfast, then we had normal daily lessons -

as in any school - but the lessons were punctuated with navigation

and seamanship. The afternoons were usually dedicated to sports,

homework ashore in the evenings,

and then back on board to spend yet another night on the hull.

That, of course, is corrugated iron.

That was all there was between us and the outside elements

and the heating never really worked.

So it was bitterly cold.

It was character-building.

The majority of the boys would sleep on the top deck and the rest below,

with only 18 inches of room each.

Wow!

-Luxury.

-We had hammocks in lines like this.

Looks like it was... pretty tough going.

They were, actually, incredibly comfortable.

And you could get a really good night's sleep in one of these.

And Raj is about to find out how comfortable it really was.

I'm going to have to take my jacket off for this. Oh, boy. OK.

So, here we go.

I'm going to go for it. So, you reckon, hang on to a hook and...

And then throw yourself on?

That's it. You got it. You got it.

Wa-hey!

-Well done.

-How about that?

-I'm impressed.

-Oh! If only Anita could see me now.

TS Mercury closed as a training ship in 1968.

She may have travelled the world,

taking part in many important naval assignments,

but her longest and most crucial role was as the training base

for thousands of young men who went on to serve Great Britain

in the Royal and Merchant navies.

Meanwhile, Anita has made her way to the Isle of Sheppey,

a nine-mile-long island off the north Kent coast.

The town of Sheerness lies on its northern side and Anita's next shop,

Grandad's Attic. The man in charge is a very young-looking grandad!

Hello. I'm Anita.

-I'm Barry.

-Great to meet you.

-And you.

Barry's shop stocks vintage collectables, antiques,

and all things weird and wonderful.

Many of our antiques and collectables shops are now

stocking items from the 1950s.

But what about kids in the 1950s

and the early '60s?

There were no video games, there was no social media, what did they do?

They played with this sort of toy.

Barry, tell me about this.

It's a magnetic football game, Anita,

from the 1950s, 1960s.

You'd have two magnets with corresponding colours to the teams.

-These go underneath the table onto the players.

-Wow!

And you move your corresponding players.

Wow! Can we have a game?

Yeah. Let's have a quick game.

But first, Anita has to get match ready.

So, it's Manchester United against Chelsea.

Let's go!

THEY LAUGH

I think that's a corner.

I think that's your corner. Yeah, good.

ANITA LAUGHS

They're stuck together!

Is that a penalty for Manchester United?

-I think it is.

-Oh!

Oh!

Barry, I've got to buy this.

I've got to buy it. How many pence can it be bought for?

Pence? Well, it's got...

£15 on the ticket.

Ten?

Could you make it...

-..£8?

-Seeing as you beat me, Anita, yeah, OK.

A goal for Anita at £8 for the 1960s magnetic football game.

Come on, boys, you're my winning team.

Back with Raj now, who's made his way to the village of Teynham -

home to Wildwinds Antiques,

headed up today by Gwyneth and Richard.

-Hello, there.

-Hello.

-And you are?

-Richard.

-And this lovely lady?

-Is Gwyneth.

-Hi!

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

-I'm looking for something that's a little bit

different, a little bit special.

Can you point me in the right direction?

-You better start in this direction.

-Thank you.

Raj has got over £400 in his pocket and a 3,000 square foot showroom

in which to spend it. Wow.

Well, this is really heavy, Raj.

And it is original.

It's something that's different, and that's what I like about it.

-Here you go.

-Now, it's got 142 on it.

Right. I presume it's a railway sign.

Yeah. It's the distance from Derby.

But how do you know it's from Derby?

Because the owner, who was a serious railway enthusiast,

gave me that information.

It could be 142 miles from anywhere.

Couldn't it? Really?

There's a £260 ticket price.

This is a gamble, and I like gambles.

I'm going to get my tissue out now.

You get your tissue out. OK.

I will give you £80 for it.

Because it's you, Raj.

-A deal?

-A deal.

-Fantastic.

I hope you make a good profit on it.

That's a whopping £180 off the railway mileage sign.

Now, he's just got to get it out of the shop.

Could be trolleyed, this. Huh!

And that's shopping finished. Now, time to check out their wares.

Along with the railway sign,

Raj paid out £212 on a shotgun cleaning kit...

an Anglepoise lamp...

a silver-plated punchbowl and ladle...

and a 1930s fencing mask and foil.

Anita spent £138 on a garnet necklace...

a Victorian cradle...

a 1978 political globe...

a 1960s magnetic football game...

and an Eastern bronze deity.

Gosh. Opinions, please!

The Anglepoise lamp at 37 was a good buy.

The cool cats will absolutely love that lot.

The Victorian cot.

These once were very saleable but they seem to have gone off the boil.

Interesting thoughts. Anita and Raj began this trip

from Deal in Kent and, after two days searching for gems,

they've now crossed the border into East Sussex

for their fourth auction in Battle.

Which one of your items today do you think will do the best?

I'd like to think that the Indian deity would make the most money.

But it may not.

It could make £15.

It could make £200.

Well, we'll not have to wait long,

as their final calling point of this leg is at Burstow & Hewett

auctioneers, who've been in business since 1790.

Are you ready for Battle?

-Very good.

-And is Battle ready for us?

Let's go!

Mark Ellin is the auctioneer today.

Thoughts, please, sir...

The fencing epee and mask - it's interesting,

but I don't think it has much value.

The bronze deity - this was illustrated on the website

and seemed to have had a lot of enquiries from all over for this

and I think it'll be a moment of excitement. It'll stand out today.

It sounds as if there are commission bids on the book.

With no internet bidding here,

it's between these and the auction-goers of East Sussex.

First up is Raj's fencing foil and mask.

20? Anyone like it for 20? In the doorway.

£20, I'm bid. At 20.

25 at the front.

30 in the doorway.

-35.

-Come on.

-40?

45, again?

50. At 50.

Yours in the doorway still.

It's going, then. All done at £50, then?

Selling at 50.

Ooh!

Still time to make it up, Raj.

All its qualities were MASKED.

I know. Absolutely.

Oh, where does she get those lines?

And now, Anita's turn with the cradle.

30 bid. Here in the centre.

£30, I'm bid. At 30.

Any advance on 30?

Bidding's in the centre of the room. No more bids, then, it's going.

On the first bid, here at £30. All done?

Gosh. What bad luck, Anita.

-That's worth more than 30 quid.

-Yeah.

But you can get a bargain at auction.

Let's hope Raj's shotgun cleaning kit isn't a bargain, too!

25? 25.

-Thank you.

-25! Straight in there.

It's a profit. I've got to be pleased.

30 in the doorway. 35 at the top of the room?

No. Thank you. Yours at 35.

The bidding's over here. It's going. All done at £35, then...

-Well done.

-Small profit.

He's doubled his money.

A profit is a profit is a profit.

Absolutely.

Can Anita do the same with her garnet necklace?

30 bid, here in the front. £30 only. 35 in the doorway.

35, 40. Down here.

45 here? 50. 55.

£60 here. 65 again. 65 here now.

-65!

-At £70.

75.

No. Thank you. Yours at 75.

In the centre of the room. It's going here now, for the last time.

Selling at £75, then.

Incredible! A magnificent profit for Anita.

-I'm happy with that.

-£65!

-In fact, I'm delirious.

-I would be, too.

Next, Raj's railway mileage sign.

It's his biggest spend and riskiest item.

£50?

Thank you. 55 in the doorway.

55 bid. 60 again.

At 60. Again in the doorway?

65. 70 again.

We've got a couple of railway enthusiasts.

75. At 80.

At 85. 90. At 95.

£100 bid.

Thank you. He's out. 100 in the centre.

All done at £100, then?

It's a profit and every penny counts.

-You took a chance and it paid off.

-Well, it made a small profit.

I suppose I've got to be grateful for small profits. OK.

Indeed. Next up is Anita's 1960s magnetic football game.

Ten in the front.

-£10...

-You're in profit.

-No?

Two bidders at £10. Here at ten, then.

Any more bids? It's going here in the front row at £10.

Ten. Thank you very much.

It's great fun.

It is great fun.

And Anita's made another - albeit small - profit.

I think I'll make a few pence profit,

even though I am paying commission.

It gave me all that fun, so it was a great buy.

Back to Raj now with the silver-plated punchbowl and ladle.

-£30, I'm bid.

-Straight in, well done.

-35?

At £35, then.

It's going at £35. 40 in the front now.

At 40. Selling at £40 on the front, then...

A good solid profit for Raj.

-Well done, darling.

-Small profits.

Next, can Anita's globe rock anyone's world?

30 to start. £30 bid for this. 35 in the doorway.

-I'm in profit, darling.

-40. 45. 50?

55? 60?

65 here now. 70. At 70.

Commission bid, then. It's going. For the last time at £70, then.

-70.

-Yes!

Great profit for Anita - more than doubling her money.

You must be pleased with that. That is a great result.

It deserved that.

Now, to Raj's final item - the original Anglepoise lamp.

I'm starting this. I've 60 bid to start.

-Yes!

-65 in the door.

-Yes!

-70. 75? 80?

85? 90?

-100, with me.

-100!

-110 with you.

120 behind you.

130. 140. 150.

At 150. No. Yours at 150. Selling now for £150, then...

-BOTH: Yes!

-Brilliant.

Wow! Look at that!

Raj has quadrupled his money.

Well done, Raj.

That was not bad at all. I'm pleased with that. I'm pleased with that.

Thank goodness for that!

Now, Anita's final lot - the Eastern bronze deity.

Auctioneer Mark said there'd been some excitement over it.

-I'm on the edge of my seat.

-Here we go.

-Hold my hand.

-Here it is, showing here.

Now, lots of interest in this.

And I have a number of absentee bids on this.

And I'm starting this at £1,000.

Oh, my gosh!

1,000, I have.

1,000 bid. 1,100 in front.

1,200 there. 1,300 bid.

-1,400 here.

-Wow!

The old instinct kicked in.

-Fantastic!

-1,800.

1,900. 2,000.

2,100. 2,200.

This is flying!

2,700.

2,800.

And that's a Road Trip record-breaker!

-Ooh, la-la!

-3,100.

3,200.

Thank you. Here at 3,200.

At 3,200. 3,300 in the doorway.

Where is it going to stop?

3,400. 3,400 here.

-I think you're right out of the game now.

-I'm out...

I'm on a different planet.

3,500 again in the doorway.

-3,600 bid.

-It just shows you, if you get a real feeling about something.

3,800.

It's going, then. For the last time at 3,800.

Wow.

Yes!

-Ha-ha, ha-ha!

-And I think that deserves a round of applause.

-Brilliant.

-You can say that again!

That is an incredible result.

The biggest Road Trip profit ever!

-Fantastic.

-3,800 squidgeroonies!

The day belongs to you.

And what an extraordinary day it's been.

Things like that CAN happen.

So get out into your antiques shops and keep searching.

Well said, Anita.

Raj set off with £536.98,

and after a mixed auction, post costs, he's made £95.50,

leaving him with £632.48 -

which normally is brilliant.

But Anita began this leg with £414.12.

After an unbelievable day and auction fees,

she's made an incredible £3,129.70 profit - ha! -

giving her £3,543.82 to spend next time.

I'm gobsmacked.

I think I'm a wee bit ahead of you now.

I think you might just be a little bit ahead of me.

A wee bit.

Let me please open the door for you.

-Ah, thank you. You're wonderful.

-Champagne tonight, I believe.

Champagne!

-Onwards and upwards.

-How much further up can you go?!

Cheerio!

Next time on Antiques Road Trip...

How will Anita spend all that lolly?

This is a James Bond car.

I wonder if I could afford it.

And how does Raj plan to catch up?

Ha!

Can you believe it?