Episode 26 Antiques Road Trip


Episode 26

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The nations favourite antiques experts, £200 each and one big challenge.

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Testing. Testing.

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Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK?

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I love women that do deals!

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The aim is trade up and hope each antique turns a profit.

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There can only be one winner.

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I shouldn't have got too excited.

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So will it be the highway to success or the b road to bankruptcy?

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-Don't faint, hold him, hold him.

-Where's the chair?

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This is the Antiques Road Trip.

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Starting the road trip this week David Harper and Anita Manning.

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Their classic car of choice, a 1971 Mark IV Triumph Spitfire.

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I might need to just slam the brakes on every now and then, Anita, just to test them.

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Well, warn me.

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David Harper is the reigning champion.

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A devil of an antiques dealer, he's champing at the bit to start afresh and give it his all.

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-80 quid?

-80 quid? That is robbery.

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-Robbery?

-Call the police I think.

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Anita Manning wasn't so fortunate, she came fourth last series.

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But as Scotland's first female auctioneer, she knows her stuff and is one to watch.

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Throw me out the shop, throw me out the shop.

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That is shocking, young lady.

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Both experts begin with £200. At the end of each leg of their journey,

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they'll face one another at auction as they fight to make a profit.

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I'm happy, I'm happy.

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This week's Road Trip, an eventful escapade east to west

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across England's breathtaking south coast.

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From Dover to Bideford in North Devon.

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Today's leg begins in Dover,

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ending up for their very first auction in Heathfield, East Sussex.

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But before getting down to business,

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David and Anita are taking in one Britain's most iconic views.

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-Come on, madam.

-OK, darling.

-Whoa.

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Wow, Look at that. Isn't that marvellous the White Cliffs of Dover.

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I've never been to the White Cliffs of Dover.

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-You must have been on the ferry at some point?

-I've never been stood underneath them.

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-Business, David. 200 quid we are buying in the south of England, have you bought here before?

-On occasions.

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-Right. It could be dear.

-It could be, because it is a bit touristy.

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I'm desperate to get stuck into some antique dealing.

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David's from North Yorkshire, while Anita's based in Glasgow.

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So being this far south is well out their comfort Zone.

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Down here, dealers are notoriously tough.

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Well, have a lovely time.

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OK. This is very interesting. And don't buy anything good!

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Ho-ho! Yes.

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-David's dropping Anita off in Dover as she's keen to do a bit of sight seeing.

-Cheerio.

-Bye-bye.

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But David's not hanging about, he's motoring straight to his first shop.

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It's a brisk eight mile journey north up the coast

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to a little town called Deal,

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where David will of course be looking to net a cracking deal.

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-Hi there.

-Oh, hello there please to meet you I am Carol Yvonne.

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Carol Yvonne that's a long one!

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Something attracts David's interest super smartish.

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Hallmarked, Birmingham Z, what's that 1924?

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-They are nicely weighted. They are a pair aren't they?

-Yes, they are a pair.

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Now they are very Art Nouveau, really, in shape,

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although they are just trickling into the Art Deco period.

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Art Nouveau or 'New Art' has been described as the first 20th century modern style.

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It was the first design movement to stop looking backwards in history for ideas,

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instead taking inspiration from the world around it.

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Sinuous, elongated curvy lines, like the ones we see on these vases were a signature look.

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Their price tag is £98.

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-Is this husband.

-Yes.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hello, nice to meet you too.

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Pair of trumpet vases what would the best trade be?

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The absolute death is £40.

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Forty quid trade.

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Well they don't seem dear, do they?

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-Carol I will have those.

-You will?

-I will. Thank you very much indeed. They are wonderful.

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In Dover, Anita's indulging in some history.

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This unassuming building holds one of Britain's key archaeological sites, which is 1,800 years old.

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It's filled with ancient antiques, and on this road trip, that's not to be missed.

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Ah, Brian, hello.

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Anita, hello good to meet you.

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Curator or the Roman House, Brian Philip, will show Anita the fruits of a painstaking excavation.

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This began in 1971 after the site was first discovered

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under the proposed location for a multi storey car park.

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I can see a painted room here, isn't that wonderful?

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Yes, you are looking down on the series of rooms of a major Roman hotel for official visitors.

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It is going to be the emperor when he visits, crosses the channel, he is going to stay here.

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Built in 200AD, this hotel was for the Roman top brass as they travelled to and from the continent.

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The archaeological dig discovered six rooms where the inside walls had been covered

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in brightly coloured paintings. It's their partial survival that makes this house remarkable.

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They're the best preserved almost anywhere outside Rome or Pompeii.

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I can still see these lovely rust or iron reds and I can see the shape

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of the panels, almost window frame shape of these panels.

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Why so much of these paintings survive is down to the fate of the hotel.

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Plans for a Roman Fort in AD 270 led to it being partly demolished

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and buried in the new structure's foundations.

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Because of this elaborate decoration, it would have been a luxurious place to stay?

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They were expecting Mediterranean standards here

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in the quality of the building, the paintings and of the entertainment.

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Well, I can just imagine myself in that luxury, perhaps invited along as a dancing girl.

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You never know, Anita. Emperor Septimius Severus might have given you the thumbs up.

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The archaeological teams also recreated the look of the house from their finds.

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Tell me, do these motifs have any special significance?

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They can all be related back to the god Bacchus, the Roman god of wine.

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There is a bacchic wand, there are grape vines, the pair of fronds here

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and the motifs tend to be replicated around the room.

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There was another exciting discovery, an elaborate central heating system called a hypocaust.

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Can you tell me how the central heating system would work?

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It's a fairly simply firing technique, you just need a small fire placed in each of these arches.

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It needs topping up every hour,

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and the hot air is drawn in underneath the floors and then up inside the walls

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to heat the whole building.

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And keep everything nice and toasty.

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Back in Deal, David's still very much on an art nouveau tangent.

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This time, candlesticks.

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Very flamboyant and very stylish,

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but you can tell quite quickly that they are very new, but it doesn't really matter at £22.

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They are an interior designers dream.

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Original Art Nouveau candlesticks had pride of place in a well to do Victorian or Edwardian household.

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Often as part of a dining table centrepiece.

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Candles, oil and gas lamps were the only lighting available for most homes

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until the arrival of electricity at the end of the first world war.

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-They are quite modern aren't they?

-Yes, they are they are reproduction.

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-They are absolute brand spankers?

-Yes, they are.

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-Did you buy them as new ones?

-Yes.

-They might make a little cheeky lot in a saleroom.

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They might do all right. They couldn't be a fiver, could they?

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-I can do them for that.

-Do them for a fiver?

-Yeah, OK.

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Go on then, another one. Thank you very much. Brilliant.

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Might as well go home now I have done everything I have needed to do.

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Meanwhile, someone else has arrived in Deal, all ready to start shopping.

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I am not going to let myself get carried away, at least I will try not to let myself get carried away.

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So be very careful, this is my first shop, first go at it, be careful, Anita.

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That's my advice to myself.

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Anita's chosen shop is a little left field.

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Sam, oh, I love your shop.

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Owner Sam Jacques is a vintage clothing specialist.

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But he does have with a few antique gems thrown in here and there.

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-I will say one thing.

-Yeah?

-Top hats go for a lot of money.

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You look great.

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# We're a couple of swells

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# Make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh. #

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When the first top hat was born in Britain in 1797, it caused a near riot.

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Passers by panicked, women fainted and children screamed.

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Despite this, it became the most sophisticated hat in fashion.

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This top hat is French, which is rather apt as they invented the design.

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I forgot to tell you, it's got its hat box as well.

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-Oh, right.

-It's a mess but it has got the hat box.

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Could I see the hat box down?

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This box is as tatty as tatty. My French accent won't be very good.

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But the shop was in the Place du Theatre.

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I mean, I think that makes it fun with that.

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Eight pounds?

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-Eh.

-Sam, throw me out the shop, throw me out the shop.

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-That is shocking, young lady.

-I know, throw me out.

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I can't do it for eight, you know, it is very old and it is Victorian, and it is beautiful.

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What about having the top hat and the bowler as well, the bowler box.

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Let me see them down. He is trying to make a deal.

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This box is lovely. And this bowler is in good condition.

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The Bowler hat was an English invention.

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It was first created in 1850 for a Sir William Cooke, as a hard hat for his game wardens.

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But eventually it became the head gear of every professional British gent.

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For the bowler and the top hat, Sam wants £35.

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If you could come to £20, and £20 cash and I've got that and I've got a wee chance.

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So between us we would not be doing too badly.

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What do you think? 20 quid?

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-20 quid?

-20 quid.

-22 and you have got a deal.

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Let's go halfway, 21 is a lucky number.

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-21.

-That's wonderful.

-Brilliant.

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As the day draws to an end, it's time for David and Anita to meet up and head forth.

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Still not letting me see what you have bought?

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No, but I am going to have a peep in your bag when you are in the bar.

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It's time for us to head to Margate.

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I am looking forward to it.

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If the sun is shining we'll have a pokey hat.

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-A pokey hat what's a pokey hat?

-An ice cream cone.

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-On we go!

-Rest well, you two.

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There's still an awful lot of shopping to be done tomorrow.

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A new day of buying beckons for our antiques aficionados.

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I love these coast roads for driving classic cars, you can't beat them, they are all twisty and windy.

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Out of their original pot of £200 each, both experts have bought two lots.

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Anita has spent £21 while David has spent £45.

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Our duo are going their separate ways to make the best of the shops.

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David is motoring 22 miles along the coast to Herne Bay.

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His chosen stop off point has a rich past.

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It was an extremely popular seaside resort in the late Victorian era

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with regular steam boats running here from London.

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But no time for sightseeing, there's booty to be bought.

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This place is massive, it's right up my street, really my...

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HE TAPS PIANO

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..cup of tea.

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Flat!

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David's chosen an emporium that used to be a cinema and is filled with collectables, toys and furniture.

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And there's one thing that strikes a chord with David instantly.

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Good style. It's a bit on the grimy side so it's a good auction piece,

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it is the kind of thing that would looks like it's just come out of a house sale

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and dealers and private buyers love to find things that have just come out of a private house,

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but maybe haven't been on the market for very long.

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A clock like this is known as a four glass mantle clock.

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The mechanism needs winding once a week

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and it should strike the hours and half hours. That's if it works, of course.

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KNOCKING

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Painful!

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Not good.

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Not great. But it would get better with a little bit of treatment

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so again, it is a good auction piece made from brass enamel columns

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pretending to be an 18th century piece but it isn't, it is more likely 1920s-1950s.

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Priced at £75 it is not an expensive clock by any means.

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Anita's quest will begin in Margate.

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A short fifteen mile trip around the coast from Deal.

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A busy seaside resort for 250 years, Margate had Londoners flocking here

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in the 1700s, as sea bathing was seen as the best cure for tuberculosis.

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But no seaside antics for Anita, she needs to bag some antiques.

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I was looking for an Aladdin's Cave and I think I have found it.

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Yep, there's plenty to see, both upstairs and down, with antiques galore.

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I am going to go and find the owner of the shop

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because I want him to open a couple of cabinets

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and I think I should focus on the small things.

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Shop owner Ronnie Scott - not the club owner - is the chap to see if Anita wants a deal.

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But beware! He's very tough.

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-He's lovely - what's his name? Henry?

-Yes.

-He's quite nice.

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-What do you think? I think he is probably Spanish.

-And not terribly old, Ron.

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-Not a million years old.

-Maybe not 20 years old?

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I think maybe a bit older than that - maybe '50s or '60s.

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-40 or 50 years.

-Yeah, uh-huh.

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This leather horse is more likely to be English.

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And I remember them as a child, around the pony club camp days.

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You practice saddling up. He's yours for £30.

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-Right, can we keep him out and have a wee think about him?

-Certainly.

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Meanwhile, David's looking at a tilt-top table.

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Charlie Hanson picked up one of these up in the first week of the competition,

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and made a £30 profit on it, but they're very different.

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For those of you who don't remember, tilt-top tables are useful

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as they can be stowed away pretty swiftly.

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And if you look on the inside you can see where for 200 years,

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that top has been sitting on that base and that base has marked the top.

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Had it been in absolutely original worn and beautifully patinated condition,

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that's £200, £300, £400 worth of table.

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Ten years ago it would have been double that.

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But this one has been over-restored and it is...

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Ridiculous! £20 - absolutely a bargain of a lifetime.

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I'll put that on my list.

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Something with a spot of sparkle has caught Anita's eye.

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Tea service, comprising a teapot, a sugar and a cream.

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These aren't terribly popular,

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but this has got a wee sort of Arts and Crafts look about it which I quite like.

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Pewter is a mix of tin, copper and lead.

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This tea service is a pale imitation of designs

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created for London's famous department store Liberty & Co,

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founded in the late 19th century.

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Pewter Arts and Crafts items are extremely sought-after,

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if they have the Liberty name.

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Unfortunately this one from the 1930s is mass-produced and priced at £35.

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-Can I buy this for £10?

-You haven't got a chance in hell, I'm afraid.

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-Have I not got a chance in hell?

-No. I'm really sorry, I don't want you to think I'm being rude to you here.

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I'll give you the best trade price - £25 cash and carry.

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Not just for this - that is for all three pieces. £25, it's peanuts.

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It's too dear for me at that.

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Well, I'm afraid you'll have to leave it, then.

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Oh, dear, this isn't going well. Time to try a diversionary tactic.

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Let's look at the horse.

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I'll do a deal - the tea set and the horse, £45.

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Bargain, can't go wrong.

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15 on each. 30 quid?

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Not possible. £40 quid, and I'll shake your hand.

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Absolutely the last word.

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£40? £35. Put your hand there -

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£35. Go on, do it for us!

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-£40 is the best I can do.

-£35.

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I'll toss you for 35 or 40.

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Heads 40, tails 35.

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So it's heads 40, tails 35.

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Uh-huh.

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Heads 40!

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Get your money out, girl.

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-OK, we'll take a chance anyway.

-Good show.

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-I'll tell you something - it has been great fun.

-Good good.

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In Herne Bay, David's list of potential purchases is getting longer.

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A pair of rather nice chandelier light fittings here

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priced at 80 - a few loose bits of brass here and there.

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Date-wise, it is not ancient -

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I would probably think it is mid 20th century. But it doesn't really matter with lights.

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These things new cost an absolute fortune, FORTUNE! Can be hundreds of pounds.

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This is a different being altogether.

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That's very grand, very kind of French-looking.

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Looking at the fittings it is probably 1950s,

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the glass is fabulously etched.

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Ah, now there is a massive problem - big break in the side.

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SIGHS

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That new would be five, six or seven hundred pounds potentially.

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It is very good quality. But that break could just kill the job.

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Now private buyers would probably be put off.

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A trade buyer like me or an interior designer could live with it.

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For the money, even if that is eighty quid on it's own, that is a bargain.

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So they are very, very good potentials.

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Time for David, methinks, to get a price on his chiming clock,

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Georgian tilt table and the two glass hanging lanterns.

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Chris Ifield is the man in charge, so here's hoping he's in a generous mood.

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Enamel clock, £75 quid on it - what is the trade on that?

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If you're looking at buying a few things I'd do a deal with you but for the moment £70.

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Oh, he is too hard, this one, isn't he?

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Well, I will try you with a few more bits. What about that table there?

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Yet again the price is for nothing, £20.

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I'll maybe knock a fiver off that and knock a fiver off that. 15, 70. What's that, £85, innit?

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-45, was it?

-No, no. No chance.

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-Are you sure?

-No, 85 is where we are at the moment unless you find something else.

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The more you buy the more I'll bring it down.

0:20:330:20:35

-I am going to have to buy the whole shop to get any sort of discount.

-If you can, it would really help us.

0:20:350:20:39

-These two here, Chris, 80 for the pair, is it?

-Right.

0:20:390:20:43

Along with the table and the clock, Chris is looking for £165.

0:20:430:20:48

-I'm going to be miles away. We're going to be miles away.

-That's all right, it don't hurt.

0:20:480:20:52

-You can offer.

-£80?

0:20:520:20:55

-£80, that is like robbery.

-Robbery?

0:20:550:20:59

I will call the police, I think!

0:20:590:21:01

I think, we come to £165, something like... I could come out to 140.

0:21:010:21:06

I can't do it, Chris.

0:21:060:21:08

What I'll do is £120 for the whole lot.

0:21:080:21:10

-And that is it. I am finished.

-Really, are you dead at that?

-£120, that is it for the whole lot.

0:21:100:21:15

That is absolute bargain for you, that is.

0:21:150:21:18

How about 100 or 120 on a spin of a coin, how is that?

0:21:180:21:24

Go on, then.

0:21:240:21:25

Careful, David, tossing a coin didn't work out so well for Anita.

0:21:250:21:29

-All right. Do you want to call?

-Tails never fails.

0:21:290:21:33

Heads.

0:21:330:21:34

Sorry mate, but it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you very much indeed.

0:21:340:21:38

That's all right - no worries.

0:21:380:21:39

So that's £40 for the clock, £10 for the table and £25 each for the lanterns. Wow!

0:21:390:21:46

Whilst it's game, set and match in the shopping stakes for David,

0:21:460:21:51

Anita wants to take advantage of another buying session.

0:21:510:21:55

She's heading 17 miles west to the city of Canterbury.

0:21:550:21:59

It's most renowned for Geoffrey Chaucer's medieval Canterbury Tales.

0:21:590:22:06

But the only tale on the horizon here today is

0:22:060:22:08

about a glamorous lady from Glasgow and her quest for quality antiques.

0:22:080:22:15

What a beautiful, charming shop.

0:22:150:22:20

I can't wait to have a look round.

0:22:200:22:22

-Is it OK if I have a look round?

-Please do.

0:22:220:22:24

-Will I leave my bunnet here?

-We'll sell that for you.

0:22:240:22:28

Keith and Veronica Reeves's boutique is home to quite an upmarket range of jasperware,

0:22:280:22:35

porcelain, jewellery, silver and collectables, all of which may be a little rich for Anita's diet.

0:22:350:22:41

I can't afford the quality you have, quite frankly.

0:22:420:22:45

They are very beautiful things which I can't afford.

0:22:450:22:48

But maybe you can help me here - something that looks the part but maybe isn't quite?

0:22:480:22:54

-That's me!

-Oh, no!

-I look the part but I am not quite.

0:22:540:22:58

What could fit Anita's bill is a selection of Alfred Meakin dinnerware.

0:22:580:23:04

On your Alfred Meakin, you have £60 on that.

0:23:040:23:09

Alfred Meakin was a Stoke-on-Trent pottery company

0:23:100:23:14

producing pretty ironstone china and graniteware from the 1870s.

0:23:140:23:20

It even designed the china used on the Flying Scotsman train.

0:23:200:23:25

This 24-piece set is from the 1950s and is Art Deco in style.

0:23:250:23:30

But £60 isn't what Anita wants to pay, so she's about to get cheeky.

0:23:300:23:34

-Don't faint - hold him, hold him!

-Where is the chair?

0:23:340:23:38

Where's the chair? I would be looking to buy that in the region of £25.

0:23:380:23:44

-I know that's not dear.

-Yeah, go on.

-Thank you very much.

0:23:440:23:49

I am very pleased with that.

0:23:490:23:51

It is very nice. Lots of it. And I think I have got it at a price where fingers crossed I will make a profit.

0:23:510:23:58

David's back on the road. He's taking a little educational detour.

0:23:590:24:04

He's on a 17-mile trip from Herne Bay to Broadstairs.

0:24:040:24:09

David is visiting the Dickens House which commemorates Charles Dickens' association with Broadstairs.

0:24:090:24:17

Although some of his stories dealt with the gritty realism of life

0:24:170:24:20

in Victorian London, he adored the seaside beauty of this pretty town.

0:24:200:24:25

A large part of his legacy was written not far from this museum.

0:24:250:24:30

Curator Lee Ault has agreed to show him some of the novelist's prized possessions.

0:24:300:24:37

Now we have got pictures and we have got portraits all over the walls,

0:24:370:24:40

Lee, haven't we, obviously all relating to Dickens.

0:24:400:24:43

Well, these are some of the fill-in prints that were put in the bound first editions of the books

0:24:430:24:48

and they are by Hablot Knight Browne, or Phiz.

0:24:480:24:51

-Phiz! Yes, very famous.

-Yes, very famous. One of Dickens' favourite illustrators, I think.

0:24:510:24:57

The house originally belonged to Mary Pearson Strong, who Dickens would often take tea with.

0:24:570:25:03

He also based one of his most colourful characters on her, from David Copperfield.

0:25:030:25:09

This is the famous parlour which we know Dickens sat in

0:25:100:25:14

with Mary Pearson Strong, the lady that lived here

0:25:140:25:16

who he immortalised as Betsey Trotwood.

0:25:160:25:19

She used to get up mid-sentence and go outside and hit the donkey boys.

0:25:190:25:23

Which of course he witnessed and included.

0:25:230:25:25

-He said, you know, he just found it hilarious.

-Well, wouldn't you just?

0:25:250:25:30

Dickens lived and wrote in a house overlooking the shore for many years.

0:25:310:25:36

Summer holidays with the family were a favourite.

0:25:360:25:38

He even described the town as "our watering place".

0:25:380:25:42

Not surprisingly, many of his personal letters were from Broadstairs.

0:25:420:25:47

He used to write on average about 12-14 letters a day.

0:25:480:25:54

-Did he really? Who to?

-Friends, acquaintances...

0:25:540:25:57

Some of these are to his friend Beard,

0:25:570:26:00

but you will notice that the signatures on some of them vary,

0:26:000:26:04

some of them just have the plain CD.

0:26:040:26:06

Now, would that make a difference? Would that mean he was just an acquaintance of yours

0:26:060:26:11

or a very good friend, would that determine how he signed?

0:26:110:26:14

-CD was just a good friend.

-OK.

0:26:140:26:16

Lee has a special treat in store for furniture-lover David -

0:26:170:26:22

Charles Dickens' very own much-loved sideboard.

0:26:220:26:25

I love the handles, don't you just think?

0:26:250:26:27

Oh, they are wonderful handles.

0:26:270:26:30

He bought this and several other pieces of furniture, so the story goes,

0:26:300:26:33

just a few weeks before he married Catherine Hogarth.

0:26:330:26:36

And I just love the way he didn't take Catherine with him to choose the furniture.

0:26:360:26:40

Fantastic! I like the sound of him.

0:26:400:26:42

Dickens died in 1870, aged 58.

0:26:420:26:46

Although married to Catherine Hogarth, who bore him ten children,

0:26:460:26:50

his will of £93,000 - over four million in today's money -

0:26:500:26:55

was to be the subject of controversy.

0:26:550:26:57

Where did all the money go to?

0:26:570:26:59

Well, having spent 15 years keeping his mistress quiet

0:26:590:27:04

and never saying a word about Ellen Ternan,

0:27:040:27:06

the first person mentioned in the will is Ellen.

0:27:060:27:09

-The mistress.

-The mistress, who he leaves £1,000 to.

0:27:090:27:13

A lot of money. So it must have been a bit of a shock then,

0:27:130:27:16

at the reading of the will, when the mistress gets herself a grand.

0:27:160:27:20

Well, Catherine knew about the mistress,

0:27:200:27:23

because Dickens, not long after he had met Catherine,

0:27:230:27:26

had purchased a bracelet from Asprey's the jewellers.

0:27:260:27:30

-Very posh.

-Very posh.

0:27:300:27:32

And it was accidentally sent to Catherine.

0:27:320:27:36

Excellent! What a dreadful mistake.

0:27:360:27:40

Despite Dickens' turbulent love life,

0:27:410:27:44

novels such as Nicholas Nickleby, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations

0:27:440:27:49

are still as relevant as they were 140 years ago.

0:27:490:27:54

An incredible accolade for any writer.

0:27:540:27:57

There have been highs and lows for both our experts

0:27:590:28:02

as they've cashed in their bargaining chips in a hodge-podge of shops on the south coast.

0:28:020:28:08

-Heads.

-It's been an absolute pleasure.

0:28:080:28:10

Now it's show and tell time in Canterbury.

0:28:100:28:14

Are you ready? Can I reveal first?

0:28:140:28:16

-On you go.

-OK. My first purchase. Ready?

0:28:160:28:20

It's David's trumpet vases.

0:28:200:28:22

They have got a bit of an Art Nouveau flow to them. It's late for Art Nouveau.

0:28:220:28:26

-They are in good condition.

-Yes, a few little things here and there.

0:28:260:28:30

Yeah, that's smashing. These look interesting.

0:28:300:28:33

Now these, I know that you are going to know that they are not period.

0:28:330:28:37

They are not...of their time.

0:28:370:28:39

The style is absolutely gorgeous, bang on 1900.

0:28:390:28:45

-Tell me how much!

-Right, OK.

0:28:450:28:46

You want to get down to the dirty business. All right, OK.

0:28:460:28:50

The pair of trumpet vases in silver, £40.

0:28:500:28:55

Right. That's good.

0:28:550:28:57

And the pair of Art Nouveau style, absolutely a steal - a fiver.

0:28:570:29:01

-That's all right.

-'Next, the bowler and top hat combo.'

0:29:010:29:06

-Try it on.

-My head's much too big, I'm afraid.

0:29:060:29:09

-We're a couple of swells.

-We are a couple of something's, I am quite sure.

0:29:090:29:16

I bought them both for £21.

0:29:160:29:19

-It's not too bad.

-There we go.

-So you have bought a piece of furniture.

0:29:190:29:23

It's a Georgian table. Now, I valued that at a tenner.

0:29:230:29:29

-A tenner!

-Come on, Anita, that's got to make a profit.

0:29:290:29:32

You can't get much cheaper than that.

0:29:320:29:35

He is not Victorian but I think he is maybe 30, 40, 50 years old.

0:29:350:29:40

-His name is Henry.

-Really? That will help him!

0:29:400:29:44

And I am hoping he is Champion the wonder horse.

0:29:440:29:46

'David's not so sure, Anita.'

0:29:460:29:49

-I bought a tea set.

-Right.

0:29:490:29:51

And I know they are not popular but, coming form Glasgow,

0:29:510:29:56

I like the arts and crafts period and I ended up paying £40 for the two of them.

0:29:560:30:02

-Again, I am going to struggle.

-Now then, get ready for this little baby.

0:30:020:30:08

Oh, that's what I would call a big cracker.

0:30:080:30:11

It's a big lump of decoration, isn't it?

0:30:110:30:14

It's lovely but how much did you pay for it?

0:30:140:30:16

I paid for that...

0:30:160:30:17

You are not going to tell me another £10?

0:30:190:30:22

No. No. Four times - £40.

0:30:220:30:23

£40? That is an absolute bargain.

0:30:230:30:26

-Do you think so?

-'Now, Anita's Alfred Meakin ware for £25.'

0:30:260:30:31

I think that that's going to look absolutely lovely on a dinner table.

0:30:310:30:35

-I love that handle. That is screaming art deco.

-The handle's good.

0:30:350:30:40

-A couple of crackers.

-Oh, yes, those are good.

0:30:400:30:43

They are probably mid to late 20th century. They are going to have 20, 30, 40 years on them.

0:30:430:30:48

They have got the look.

0:30:480:30:49

And they have got the price, Anita.

0:30:490:30:52

Oh, no. How much?

0:30:520:30:55

-£25 each.

-Uh-huh! That's OK.

0:30:550:30:58

Well done. I'm not speaking to you.

0:30:580:31:01

Well, it's been a lovely experience, our first trip out.

0:31:010:31:04

-Great characters and a wonderful part of the world.

-It's been fun.

0:31:040:31:09

'That was all a bit sugary sweet.

0:31:090:31:12

'I bet there's more to it than meets the eye.'

0:31:120:31:15

After having a look at Anita's items, I think they are all kind of staple antique dealing stock.

0:31:150:31:19

The Meakin ware, there is nothing wrong with it, but these things don't sell so much these days.

0:31:190:31:24

I think David has made some wonderful buys.

0:31:240:31:28

I mean, that clock for £40 - how did he do that?

0:31:280:31:32

The thing I really disliked was that awful, terrible, leather horse. But bizarrely,

0:31:320:31:40

that is probably the only thing that she has a chance of making some good

0:31:400:31:43

money on because bonkers people sometimes buy bonkers items.

0:31:430:31:48

And that thing is just utterly, totally bonkers.

0:31:480:31:51

I think he has done very, very well.

0:31:510:31:54

My goodness!

0:31:540:31:57

So far, our dynamic duo have romped through the eastern corner of England's south coast.

0:31:570:32:04

It's the final leg of the journey

0:32:040:32:07

as David and Anita head for the auction showdown in Heathfield.

0:32:070:32:11

This is where Anita and David will first face each other at auction.

0:32:110:32:16

Heathfield is a handsome market town.

0:32:200:32:22

In Victorian times, there was a cottage industry of chicken fattening

0:32:220:32:28

to make them plumptious for the pot.

0:32:280:32:31

Today, the town is most famous for its annual agricultural show.

0:32:310:32:36

But for our two experts, the focus is antiques and profits.

0:32:360:32:40

-Here we go, David!

-Come on, you.

0:32:400:32:42

Watson's Auctioneers, in business since 1874, hold a weekly general sale.

0:32:450:32:50

There's a bit of everything but country furniture and collectables do well here.

0:32:500:32:56

Peter Hobden has 30 years experience as an auctioneer,

0:32:560:33:00

and there's one thing that really tickles his fancy.

0:33:000:33:03

David's clock is a very nice clock and we get a lot of people here who

0:33:030:33:08

buy clocks and are interested in clocks and I think it will sell very well. Probably £80 to £120.

0:33:080:33:13

David has splashed a considerable £145 on six lots.

0:33:150:33:20

The trumpet vases, the art nouveau reproduction candlesticks,

0:33:200:33:24

the Georgian tilt-top table, the fancy clock, and the two glass lanterns.

0:33:240:33:29

-Thank you very much.

-Cheers, mate, that's brilliant.

0:33:290:33:32

While Anita has gone "a wee bit canny," spending just £86 on five lots.

0:33:320:33:38

The top hat, the bowler, the Liberty-style pewter tea service,

0:33:380:33:44

-Henry the wonder horse, and the Alfred Meakin dinnerware.

-That's wonderful.

0:33:440:33:49

But as ever with an auction, it's completely unpredictable.

0:33:490:33:52

So eyes to the front. Time to begin.

0:33:520:33:55

-You are up first.

-Wish me luck, darling.

0:33:550:33:58

I don't. I mean, I do. Did I say that loud?

0:33:580:34:00

Making its mark first, Anita's top hat.

0:34:000:34:04

At £10, I am bid 10, 12, 14, 16,

0:34:050:34:10

18, 20, 22, 25, 25, 28.

0:34:100:34:13

-Oh, yes!

-£28, £30.

-Hey!

0:34:130:34:17

At £28...

0:34:170:34:20

Yes! I am happy. I am happy.

0:34:200:34:24

A cracking first lot, and an excellent start for Anita.

0:34:240:34:30

That's a very good start.

0:34:300:34:31

-That's a great start.

-It is.

0:34:310:34:33

Now for David's trumpet vases.

0:34:330:34:37

£40, 30, £30, 20 bid, thank you.

0:34:370:34:41

£20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, at 32, 35 on the book, 38, 40, 42.

0:34:410:34:49

-He's got bids on the book.

-Good.

0:34:490:34:51

48, 50, at £50...

0:34:510:34:55

Small profit.

0:34:550:34:57

OK. They've wiped their face.

0:34:570:35:00

Indeed they have, giving David a touch of profit before commission.

0:35:000:35:05

Well, they could have been my big disaster.

0:35:050:35:07

Enter Anita's bowler hat,

0:35:070:35:09

but does it have enough oomph to impress the crowd?

0:35:090:35:14

It's a nice bowler hat, there.

0:35:140:35:16

-Lovely!

-I like the box, I must say.

0:35:160:35:19

30 for this lot?

0:35:190:35:21

30, 20, 10... I've got only 10, 10,

0:35:210:35:25

-12, 14,

-Come on!

0:35:250:35:27

-16, 18, £18, 20, 22, at £22...

-Yes!

0:35:270:35:33

25, 25, 28, at £28 this time,

0:35:330:35:37

in the very centre, at £28...

0:35:370:35:42

Yes! I am happy.

0:35:420:35:47

So you should be, Anita,

0:35:470:35:48

I think the pretty box helped BOWL them over. Sorry!

0:35:480:35:53

I'm a mad hatter!

0:35:530:35:54

No.

0:35:540:35:56

Moving on, David's art nouveau style candlesticks.

0:35:560:36:00

Good-looking candlesticks, what do you say to those?

0:36:000:36:02

£30, 30, £20, somebody start me at 10 for them?

0:36:020:36:08

£10 I have got, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20,

0:36:080:36:12

-22, 25, 28, £28, 30, 32...

-Come on.

0:36:120:36:19

£30. In the hat, then, at £30...

0:36:190:36:20

That was a good buy.

0:36:200:36:23

Fantastic.

0:36:230:36:24

A stunning profit for a reproduction,

0:36:240:36:27

perhaps thanks to the persuasive auctioneer.

0:36:270:36:30

-I like him, don't you?

-Oh, yes. Well done, darling.

0:36:300:36:34

Thank you.

0:36:340:36:35

On display now, Anita's arts and crafts-style tea set.

0:36:350:36:40

-A pewter tea service.

-Come on.

-What do you say for that one?

0:36:400:36:44

30, £30, 20, anybody start me at 10, then? £10.

0:36:440:36:50

Oh, come on! Please, please...

0:36:500:36:53

£14, 16, 18, 20, £20. At £20...

0:36:530:37:01

-Oh, well, level pegging.

-There abouts.

0:37:010:37:03

Unfortunately, that will turn a small loss after commission.

0:37:030:37:08

I shouldn't have got too excited.

0:37:080:37:11

Next up, the simpler of David's glass lanterns.

0:37:110:37:16

And what do we say for that one?

0:37:160:37:18

Go on. Get in there.

0:37:180:37:20

20 I am bid. £20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35, 38, 40, 42,

0:37:200:37:28

at £42, lady's bid at £42. £45?

0:37:280:37:33

Last time at £42.

0:37:330:37:36

-Ouch.

-Are you happy enough?

-No.

0:37:360:37:38

-No, you are not happy with that one?

-I am not happy.

0:37:380:37:41

Oh, don't be like that.

0:37:410:37:43

It's still a profit and that's the name of the game.

0:37:430:37:47

-Not bad.

-It's all right.

0:37:470:37:49

Now for the elaborate brass and etched glass lantern.

0:37:490:37:53

A statement piece which could go either way.

0:37:530:37:56

-And what do we say for that one?

-£100.

0:37:560:38:01

£50, 30, 20 I am bid, £20,

0:38:010:38:04

22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35, 38...

0:38:040:38:09

Keep it going.

0:38:090:38:11

45, at £45, 48, 50, 55, 60, 65,

0:38:110:38:16

70, 75, 80, £80, at £80, 85, 90...

0:38:160:38:22

-Come on.

-At £90, going to sell it, at £90...

0:38:220:38:27

Not bad.

0:38:300:38:32

Well done, David, well done.

0:38:320:38:35

That's a strong £65 profit before commission,

0:38:350:38:38

putting David way out in front.

0:38:380:38:41

Not bad, You are my good luck charm, I think.

0:38:410:38:44

I hope not!

0:38:440:38:45

Absolutely, Anita.

0:38:470:38:50

Here's hoping Henry can gallop homewards with a profit.

0:38:500:38:53

-Right, this could be the one for you.

-This is it. This is it.

0:38:530:38:56

And what do we say for this one? £40?

0:38:560:38:59

40, 30, £30, 20 I am bid, £20,

0:38:590:39:03

at £20, 22, 25, 28, £28, 30 now,

0:39:030:39:08

30, at £30, at 30, take two?

0:39:080:39:14

-Not too bad. Not too bad.

-I think you have done all right.

0:39:150:39:18

It's still a £10 profit, always better than a loss.

0:39:180:39:23

So you are not down, Anita, you are not losing money currently.

0:39:230:39:28

Furniture is popular at this saleroom,

0:39:280:39:31

but does David's Georgian tilt-top table have the oomph to clean up?

0:39:310:39:35

-80, 50.

-Get in there 50.

0:39:350:39:37

-£30, 30 I am bid, £30.

-Oh, come on.

0:39:370:39:41

You have done well. It doesn't deserve that.

0:39:410:39:43

32, 35, 38, 40, 42, 45, 48, 50, at £50, 55...

0:39:430:39:51

-Still cheap.

-60 on the book. At £60...

0:39:510:39:53

-That's excellent.

-Going to sell it on the book.

0:39:530:39:57

Selling away at £60...

0:39:570:39:59

That's excellent.

0:39:590:40:02

You're a good sport, Anita,

0:40:020:40:03

considering that's another strong profit for your enemy David.

0:40:030:40:08

£50 before commission, not bad.

0:40:080:40:10

I am very pleased that you have made all these profits because I

0:40:100:40:15

think that it might lead you into a false sense of security.

0:40:150:40:20

That's more like it. You tell him, Anita.

0:40:200:40:23

Here's hoping your art deco dinnerware

0:40:230:40:26

can increase your takings.

0:40:260:40:27

-Hold it up. Hold it up.

-Lovely pattern.

-Beautiful, beautiful.

0:40:290:40:34

£20 bid, at 20, 22, 25, at £25, at £25, lady's bid on the right...

0:40:340:40:42

-He is trying.

-He is. He is trying.

0:40:420:40:44

-£25...

-Oh.

0:40:440:40:48

OK. A little bit of commission off there. So a tiny loss.

0:40:480:40:52

Despite its pretty lines, it just didn't have what it takes.

0:40:520:40:56

-Never mind.

-But you are still into profit overall. Just.

0:40:560:41:00

-Just.

-You have done all right.

0:41:000:41:01

It is our first sale, we are kind of finding our feet.

0:41:010:41:04

-I know.

-That's easy for you to say, you're romping ahead.

0:41:040:41:08

The final lot is David's clock,

0:41:110:41:13

it's an interesting piece, but will it coin in the bids?

0:41:130:41:16

-Good luck, David.

-Thank you, you are very kind.

0:41:160:41:19

There we are, nice pretty clock there, what do we say for this one?

0:41:190:41:22

-£150.

-Go on.

-£100.

0:41:220:41:24

-Go on.

-£100, 50 I am bid, £50 bid,

0:41:240:41:28

-bid only at 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 110, 120.

-Come on, come on.

0:41:280:41:36

120, 130 now, last time at £130...

0:41:360:41:42

-£130. That is still good profit.

-I am delighted. I am delighted.

0:41:440:41:49

And no wonder, with £90 profit.

0:41:490:41:52

Well done, David.

0:41:520:41:53

-That's not bad.

-A profit, Anita.

0:41:560:41:59

Out of her original purse of £200, after paying commission, Anita has

0:41:590:42:05

made a profit of £21.92,

0:42:050:42:08

giving her a total of £221.92 to shop with from tomorrow.

0:42:080:42:14

But first past the post is David.

0:42:160:42:18

Out of his £200, after paying the auction costs,

0:42:180:42:22

he's made an amazing £186.16 profit.

0:42:220:42:27

Giving him a bumper £386.16

0:42:270:42:31

to start the proceedings on the next leg of the journey.

0:42:310:42:35

OK, David, are you pleased with today's auction?

0:42:350:42:38

I am. I am happy.

0:42:380:42:40

I am very happy. But it is one of many a long old journey.

0:42:400:42:44

-Are we ready to roll?

-I think we are ready to roll.

0:42:450:42:48

These seats are boiling. It's roasting my bum.

0:42:480:42:51

Too much information. Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

0:42:510:42:55

our experts both fall fowl of the tough southern dealers.

0:42:550:42:59

How about 80 quid all in?

0:42:590:43:01

No. Can't be done.

0:43:010:43:02

He said, "I think we should end this conversation now."

0:43:020:43:06

And they both find time for a bit of R&R.

0:43:060:43:09

-Come on, let's be having you.

-Too cold!

0:43:090:43:12

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