Episode 24 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts. £200 each, one big challenge.

Well, Duck, do I buy you, or don't I?

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

Sold.

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

but it's not as easy as it looks and dreams of glory can end in tatters.

-HONKING

-So will it be the fast lane to success,

or the slow road to bankruptcy?

That's the sweat over.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

This week on the Road Trip,

it's England versus Scotland in a 1970s VW,

as auctioneers James Lewis and Anita Manning slug it out

in the auction rooms of Britain.

We've had three auctions.

Yesterday's was a bit up and down and totally unexpected.

-You know, after yesterday, it's a mad world.

-Indeed.

It's been one of those weeks, actually.

And it's seen Anita employing a very frugal approach.

-Positively Scottish.

-I was wondering if you could give me it for a pound?

Even so, she's taken a right hammering...

GAVEL BANGS

THEY GROAN

A bit it disappointed at that.

..because, as she's quick to point out...

-James is a formidable opponent.

-Yes, it's true.

Even though our wonder boy is making some rather strange choices...

I think to offer £200 for that lot, I'd be slightly bonkers.

..he's absolutely cleaning up at auction.

-90...

-GAVEL BANGS

Thank you so much!

-GAVEL BANGS That's a good price.

-Brilliant!

To date, James has managed to transform his original £200 stake

into, by hook or by crook, a fabulous £516.02.

As for Anita, despite being as canny as canny can be,

she still remains in second place with just £334.32.

So James, it's a beautiful morning and we're now in Suffolk.

A county that I have never been to, ever.

Our journey this week is taking us

from Pateley Bridge in Yorkshire

and heading south, via East Anglia,

and on to the West Country,

reaching its conclusion in Cirencester.

But right now, we're en route to Needham Market in Suffolk

and we'll end this leg with an auction in Bedford.

Back in its day, Needham Market thrived, thanks to wool.

But the plague of 1663 put something of a spanner in the works,

as the town was ultimately chained off

and two thirds of the population perished. Oh, dear.

Still, on a much happier note, it's also the hometown

of actress June Brown, also known as Dot Cotton off of EastEnders.

OK, darling. I'm going on to the next town. Have fun in there.

-I will.

-And remember, James,

-spend, spend, spend.

-Not a chance!

-You spend if you want to. Not me.

-THEY LAUGH

So, as Anita struggles to see over the dashboard,

James is already looking for a profit.

-Hi.

-Hi, how are you?

-I'm James, nice to see you.

-Ellie.

-Hi, Ellie. Hi.

And here, in the Station Yard Emporium,

there's something for everyone, even the perfect telephone for your very own Playboy Mansion.

Wow! I've never seen anything

quite so revolting in all my life!

Well, that's nice. What James does like, though...

That's a nice little thing.

Good, practical, useful box.

Bridge written across the front.

Little angles on it, even got the original playing cards

and a drop-down front.

But the great news is that bridge is as fashionable today as it was then.

Meanwhile, Anita's hurtling towards

the historic market town of Framlingham

or, as the locals like to call it, Fram.

This neck of the woods is also where, in 1553,

Mary Tudor took refuge and gathered supporters

in order to campaign for her rightful place on England's throne.

And speaking of campaigns,

Anita's is to finally outbuy and outfox that old rogue James Lewis.

Hi, I'm Anita.

Which brings her to Witchball Antiques,

a shop she is already just a little bit in love with.

It is literally the kind of shop you dream about.

So, determined not to waste a single second,

Anita's enlisting Jill's help in finding purchase number one.

-What a clutter.

-Wait a minute, I've got these.

-Those, there's two prints, there.

-Oh, right.

The National, Grand National.

Nice choice, though these John Beer prints of the 1903 Grand National

are priced at £145 the pair!

-Jill, we're in horsey country.

-Yes, definitely. That's for sure.

We're going to an auction in Bedford, which is not too far,

surely there must be interest in horses there?

-Absolutely.

-I do like them.

You do. Do you ride?

I had a wee burst of horseriding in my sort of 30s, when I realised

I was a big grown-up girl and I could get some lessons.

And I was so enthusiastic that I became sort of not bad quite quickly.

-Did you?

-And I did some jumping as well, which was great.

But what I really wanted was to gallop across the plains, you know?

THEY LAUGH

On a golden palomino.

So it's just one of these things you sort of pick up

and then let go again, but I love looking at horses.

In that case, go on, make Jill an offer.

I dare you.

They're a wee bit dear for me.

Is there anything that we can do on price?

I'll get down to 60, but I can't do any better.

That is actually what I paid for them.

That's what you paid for them. You can't come any lower than that.

I don't want to take a loss.

To tell you the truth, I can't resist them, so it's a deal. Thank you.

Well done, Anita.

Back in Needham Market, James has found something else he likes.

To start with, we've got the city, Worcester, 1902.

Obviously, it tells you exactly what it is.

It's a plate made for the coronation of Edward,

Queen Victoria's son.

But you often get these in Staffordshire pottery

and they're fairly cheaply made most of the time,

but this one is a porcelain.

Turn it over and it has the Royal Worcester mark.

Turn it back and it has the same price tag as the bridge box.

My favourite price of £22.50.

I'll ask what their best is on that.

And I'll see if I can do a deal on that.

See how we go.

The woman to talk to is our Ellie.

What would be, what could you do that for?

Are they very flexible at the front, there?

Well, it would normally be 20.

-18?

-18, OK.

The same for that one, I think.

-35 for the two.

-35.

-That would probably be the best on them.

-OK.

The only thing that's worrying me about that is the fact it's lost a tray inside.

It should have a little tray in there.

If they could be 30, I would take them.

-Yeah.

-OK. 30 on those, that's a definite yes, then.

That was easy, wasn't it?

How is Anita getting on?

This is a little miniature microscope.

I like miniature things and they are very appealing to the buyers.

I think we are going to enter a collectors' sale, so this

is the type of thing which might be of interest to the buyers there.

It's made of brass, polished brass.

And I think that it's probably...

Yes. I can see something at the bottom of it, a couple of earwigs.

So it's in working order.

It would have perhaps been used in maybe the turn of the century,

beginning of the 20th century.

I quite like that.

I'm going to ask the price of it and see if I can get a deal on it.

As for the ticket price, £45.

I'd like to be buying it in the region of...15-20.

Is it possible anywhere near that?

I think it would probably have to be about £30. I don't think I can do any better than that.

I don't know if I'd be able to make a profit on that.

OK, I'll continue looking. There was another thing I was looking at.

The clock. The brass clock.

Hmm... Not bad, and by the look of it,

I think we're talking the Arts and Crafts period here.

I like the shape, I like the embossed flowers here. And it's ticking away.

-Your husband's sorted that out.

-It does go.

Would I be able to buy that for about 20?

-Can I just...? Maybe 25, but I'd have...

-To ask the boss?

-Yes!

I thought you were the boss!

The thing is, the many clocks in this shop belong to Jill's husband, who repairs them for a living.

The final say on this goes to him.

-Anita.

-How did you get on?

-I can do £30 on that for you.

But the other piece, the little microscope, he can do 20.

-He can do 20?

-Yes. So does that help?

Ah-ha. It helps...

-What it's given me now is a dilemma, which one do I like the most?

-I see. Which one to buy?

If I take two of them, can you knock another wee bit off?

-How about 45 for the two?

-45, will we go for it? It's a deal! Thank you so much.

Extremely chuffed with the morning's shopping,

Anita's next stop is what's considered to be

the birthplace of thoroughbred horse racing.

Where else but Newmarket?

After all, they've been racing here as far back as 1622

and currently, the town is home to more than 50 trainers,

not to mention 3,000 racehorses,

making it the logical location of the National Horseracing Museum.

Alan, how lovely to meet you.

I'm so excited to be in this museum because I am a girl who loves horses.

-Excellent. We've got some wonderful things to show you.

-Lead on.

Amongst the many exhibits, there's everything from a skeleton of Hyperion,

considered by some the greatest thoroughbred racer of the 20th century...

He was a small horse, only 15 hands.

But he had a tremendous engine and a wonderful stride.

..to the silks of some of the world's most acclaimed jockeys,

such as local boy Francis Buckle, also known as the Pocket Hercules,

who first raced in 1783 weighing just 3 stone 13 pounds.

Gosh! And then there's the legendary Frankie Dettori

who, in 1996, achieved the miraculous feat of winning seven races on a single day at Ascot.

I was there that day and as each race went on,

it became more incredible - he can't surely win the next race!

It came to the seventh race and he was on this not very fancied horse.

But he managed to summon up something and put this horse on the line to win.

If only I'd had money on it! When it comes to racing legends,

no-one quite compares to renowned tipster Prince Monolulu

who, in the 1920s,

charmed the punters with his catchphrase - "I've got an 'orse".

He claimed to be a chief from a tribe in Abyssinia,

but what we now know is he was actually

born in the Dutch West Indies and he dressed up in colourful jackets like this.

He used to stand in the centre of the track and he used to wave his arms and cry,

"I've got an 'orse", and hand out these little slips of paper.

These were his tips? And people would pay for them?

They would pay modestly for them, I guess.

I suppose that's what makes the world of horseracing so fascinating,

because you have so many elements.

You have these wonderful creatures at the peak of perfection,

you have the jockeys, you have the tipsters,

the gambling involved in it, and the thrill of the race itself.

Speaking of which, Anita, you're in for a right royal treat.

Next on our tour, the horse simulator, which jockey Lester Piggott once trained on.

Say hello to Legless... Nice horsey!

..who you're going to be riding!

So saddle up, girl, and get your leg over.

Go for it, Legless!

# Like the swiftest arrow whizzing from a bow

# Like a mighty cannonball he seems to fly... #

Oh, yes! Oh, wait a minute...

What sort of a programme is this?!

Doesn't seem to be all that comfortable, that position!

# Champion the wonder horse! #

And on that climactic note, which Anita didn't quite hit,

it's time to ride off into the sunset.

Day two, and our experts are once again hitting the back roads

and high streets of Suffolk, though seriously, can't they go any faster?

We have lost time and time again, haven't we?

James, we have both decided that the best thing to do is to spend little money.

-I know!

-What have we done? We've gone out and spent money we shouldn't have!

So far on this leg, James is off to the slowest of starts.

Despite a full day of shopping, he's spent just £30 on two auction lots.

Anita, on the other hand, has been throwing caution to the wind.

She's splashed out £105 on three auction lots.

Our first stop today, the village of Grundisburgh,

which has stood on this very spot for at least 1,000 years.

Mind you, we're just here for the darts. And when I say darts,

I mean the private collection of Patrick Dee

who, for the last 16 years, has indulged a lifelong passion for the game, and even built his own museum,

otherwise known as the shed in the back of his garden, stuffed with his arrows.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this collection of Patrick's.

It's not something he's inherited or that's been built up over generations,

it's just something that he's loved and he's passionate about.

That's often the best mark of a collector.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-Good to see you. Good to see you. Oh, the tie!

Look at that! Oh, my word!

Patrick's choice in neckwear is just the tip of the iceberg.

His collection boasts every piece of memorabilia imaginable,

taking our expert into a world he knows almost nothing about.

Bull's-eye!

Oh, my... Oh, wow!

That is incredible!

I've never seen anything like it.

So tell me, what are your star lots? What have you got?

Well, the older ones, these are from the 1930s.

Made with a turkey feather.

They're not very heavy, are they?

No. They're ever so light.

Like that one there, the French dart.

-That's got the lead weight in the middle.

-That's far more sensible.

Yeah, to give it a bit of weight.

The origins of darts are subject to considerable debate.

Some believe it began as a pub game where crossbows were fired at the end of a beer barrel.

Others believe everything, from the Ancient Greeks through to the Tudors.

-Tell me about the boards.

-The oldest one is a Plasticine one.

-Plasticine?

-Yes.

What they used to do, when you played on it,

and when you used it a bit, cos the Plasticine used to be with the wooden darts

because if you used tungsten, you'll splatter it.

-They used to have a roller and they'd roll it out again.

-Really? Like the divots in a polo match!

The game gained popularity during the 1920s,

thanks to a standardised dartboard.

But what really changed the landscape

was the introduction of a national competition in 1947.

When I was growing up,

the names I remember - Eric Bristow, John Lowe...

-John Lowe, yeah.

-Jocky Wilson.

-Yeah.

Bobby George.

Speaking of Bobby George, also known as the King of Bling, one of his famous capes is right here.

Though today, Patrick can go one better.

I've got a special guest for you to meet!

-Where is he?

-Bobby George.

-All right, James?

-Really good!

-How are you?

-Lovely-jubbly!

-Have you got a collection like this?

I've got a few bits and pieces, but not like this. This is way over the top!

I'm not being... I don't think anyone's got anything like this.

It's unbelievable.

Mind you, it turns out Bobby is a bit of a history buff.

-These were called a French dart. This comes from a crossbow.

-Right.

The bowmen of England, the long bowmen, in-between battles,

-used to have a game of darts, but use arrows. That's where the word arrows comes from.

-OK.

They used to cut them down to 14 inches and throw them at wooden targets.

But when they fought the French, the bolts off the crossbow were shorter.

So they used these. And that's why it's called a French dart.

And lesson number two, James, how to actually throw one.

When you throw the dart, put your arm straight out.

Look at the dartboard, look at the treble. Arm straight out.

Bit lower. Come on, James. Oh, look at that!

Oh! I'm getting there! Look at that!

You see? I've got the skill.

Believe that and you'll believe anything!

As for Anita, she isn't wasting any time.

Currently, she's en route to the city of Cambridge,

home to one of Britain's most famous universities.

It was established in the 13th century, after a group of scholars decided

to flee the hostile townspeople of Oxford.

Why? We're not so sure, though thanks to them,

the likes of Francis Bacon, Sir Isaac Newton

and Charles Darwin all received their education right here.

Then, of course, there's the shopping.

-Hi. I'm Anita.

-I'm David. Very nice to meet you.

-It's lovely to be in Cambridge.

While Gabor Cossa Antiques may not be the biggest shop in town,

it's certainly packed to the gunnels.

And what a range, inspiring Anita to forget her love of jewellery

and glass and opt for something outside the box.

This is a lovely little box of dolls' clothing.

On the top, we have a selection of hats from various periods and styles.

Look at this rather elaborate affair here,

which would probably be worn by a dowager duchess.

We have a little hand-sewn nightie. This lovely little lacework here.

Little pink bow. And a pair of Victorian bloomers.

No girl should be without a pair!

I think I'll have a word with David about this little box.

Because after all, a price tag of £45 is just a little high for our Anita.

I have mixed feelings about this sort of thing.

I find dolls' things actually a little creepy.

But on the other hand, I'm quite attracted to it as well,

not that I want to dress up dolls!

But there's something about little things...

-I thought that this would be fun to buy.

-I think it will be 35.

Would it be possible for you to come...

-..to nearer the 25 limit?

-I will take 27, if that's any good?

That's great. 27, I'm delighted with that.

And I think it's great fun, and it's nice really to have something different.

My thoughts exactly, which is probably why James is now headed back to Fram,

into the very shop Anita did so well in yesterday.

-Hello.

-Hello, James.

-Lovely to see you. What a shop!

Though as you make your way around, don't forget the old proverb -

"Lovely to look at, delightful to hold, but if you should break it..."

-Oh! Woops!

-"..consider it sold."

-Cut that!

The only thing to consider is, with so many objects,

how can James possibly decide on just one?

Hmm!

It's, erm...

It's a tribal quiver, which would have been over the shoulder...

That should be tied on.

..with little steel barbed arrows

that are varying according to whatever you're trying to catch.

And do you know what? I'm thinking Amazon Pygmy circa 1895.

Funny old thing. How much is it?

-£20.

-£20?

-Yes.

-Well, that's not going to break the bank.

But will it make a profit, and more importantly,

is James ready to make a decision this soon after lunch?

All right. So £20 for that. That's something to think about.

Righty-oh, then.

Back in Cambridge, Anita's moved on to the local antique centre,

where she's wasting no time in tracking down her next bargain.

-Stephen?

-Yes, Anita.

There are a couple of Scottish items on this desk.

Well, I did say we have a complete mixture of merchandise.

Although it's made in Birmingham, I thought it was quite apt,

where we have this lovely thistle,

with the amethyst glass stone atop.

And in case you haven't guessed,

it's a Charles Horner hatpin holder, early 1900s.

Very stylish, and right next to it,

the item that made Charles Horner a household name, the hatpin.

I say...buy them both.

-I have to have a go at that, don't I?

-Well, I think you should.

The Scottish connection.

Would it be possible to buy that in the region of...in the 20s?

-20, 25... Would it be possible?

-Certainly not 20.

-Not 20.

Because I know what it owes me.

-You've paid...

-I could certainly do it for 25.

-25.

-Which is nearly a 50% reduction.

It's very tempting.

-Are you going to throw that in with it?

-I certainly am not!

My goodness gracious me!

Oh, well. It was worth a try.

What if I said you can have them both for a 50 pound note?

That's got to tempt you.

It's certainly tempting me.

It's certainly tempting me! I've got to take that.

-Well, OK. I'll get them wrapped up.

-It's a deal.

-And good luck with them.

Thank you. I'm very pleased at that.

And so you should be, girl! That's an absolute bargain.

James, on the other hand, loves just about everything he sees.

How about the shells for a group, for the whole lot?

50, OK.

I like that.

It's a good little group.

It's by a very well known factory called Royal Dux,

based in Czechoslovakia.

And the raised pink triangle mark is the earlier mark.

They were well known for doing this...

what's known as a blush ivory glaze,

which is quite matt, and then they would have a dusted gilt.

And in this shop, there's two pieces.

One group of donkeys, very nice, and one goat pulling a cart.

If you wanted the two, I could do them for...55.

-How about that?

-55. OK.

Let's see... There's the quiver for £20,

the shells for 50 and the Royal Dux also 50, or 120 the lot.

What sort of deal could you do for all three?

I could take another £10 off, but that's it.

110.

Deal.

Thank you very much.

Now James is done for the day,

it's time to reunite our experts for a little show and tell.

I'm intrigued by what is under that cloth. Show me your first buy.

OK. Here we go.

Doesn't that look so beautiful, James?

I must say, it's more aesthetically pleasing than your old bag of bones!

Well, you can't get much worse, can you?

Price though - £50?

-£50? That's not bad at all.

-It's not, is it?

-It's not bad.

My first lot is a pair of prints.

These prints are of the Grand National,

which is not Newmarket, but it's another famous course.

I think it's Aintree. So it's a pair of nice horsey prints

and I'm hoping Bedford isn't too far away from Newmarket.

That one's a particularly rare Australian print.

-That's why it's upside down!

-Incredible. How much were they?

-I paid £60 for the two.

-Oh, that's fine. Now, my next...

-What do you think to that?

-It's in lovely condition.

-1902, Worcester, commemorative plate.

-I've never, ever seen one of those.

So I thought it was really unusual.

I don't know whether it's worth £5 or £100.

Well, let's hope it's not the former.

My second item, James, is a little brass clock.

-I love this lovely arch top here.

-It's lancet-shaped. It's great.

It's Arts and Crafts again. It has this little detail of the embossed roses.

-£25, I paid for that.

-That's cheap. Has to be cheap, doesn't it?

-I can see that doubling money.

-Let me see your next item.

-And there we are.

-A nice box, James.

-Number three.

It's got a fold-down front, silver mounted,

from about 1905, inscribed "Bridge" across the centre.

I'm finding that any items associated with bridge are doing well.

-A good tactical choice.

-I like it.

And for what it's worth, I like it a lot!

My next item, James,

is a little lot of dollies' clothes.

I've got little bunnets, Victorian bunnets, little frocks,

and all sorts of little silly things.

-But they did amuse me.

-What did you pay?

-£27.

That is really cheap. They're rare. I think you've done really well.

-That's nice. Royal Dux?

-Mmm.

-Is he in perfect condition?

-He's had an ear off, and glued back.

It's absolutely charming,

and I think that people love donkeys, and... You're buying a lot of animals.

I'll say. And there's still that old goat to come.

-What do you think to that?

-That's nice.

-Tip off the horn.

Other than that, it's in good order.

I like these enormously. I really do like them,

-but I'm not sure about price on these because of the damage.

-I wasn't sure,

-but I paid £50 for the two.

-For the two.

I think at that price, James, you can't go far wrong.

I'm sure you'll make a profit. I don't usually buy scientific instruments,

but I couldn't resist this wee guy.

I think it's a nice little thing. It's probably absolutely useless.

-What did you pay?

-I paid 20.

-That's absolutely fine.

-Is it?

As for today's most unusual lot, feast your eyes, Anita!

There we are. Have to do this to show you.

The quiver is leather and hide, possibly South American.

My gut reaction is they are Pygmy or bushmen type arrows.

I thought it was a really interesting, funky, speculative lot.

-How much? Fiver?

-Ten.

In that case, I'm thinking profit, profit, profit, frankly.

My last lot, we have a little silver hatpin holder.

-Again, we're looking at a lovely piece of art nouveau.

-Very you.

In exactly the same way that that arrow thing is very me,

that is very you!

-What did you pay for this?

-50.

-You've done all right there.

-Yeah.

-I like those.

-I think there's another £80 to £100 there.

Fingers crossed, James.

Well, our experts have impeccable manners, as you would expect.

But what do they really think?

The dolls' clothes really leave me totally cold,

but I do know that there is a great market for them.

And textiles, at the moment, are doing really well.

But dolls aren't. So it's going to be an interesting thing to see

whether the doll buyers are still prepared to pay a lot of money for miniature textiles.

The quiver and arrows... Well, is that not a typical James Lewis item?

For ten quid, it's not going to make all that much difference.

Not something I'd have bought, but there'll be somebody out there that wants them.

Here's hoping!

After beginning this leg in Needham Market,

Anita and James now end with an auction showdown

in the town of Bedford.

During World War II,

Bedfordshire effectively became the spy capital of Britain,

possibly due to its central location,

with everything from code-breaking

to the training of secret agents taking place here.

Though more importantly for us, it's also home to W&H Peacock, our auctioneers du jour.

Are you looking forward to it, James?

What do you think the answer is to that one?

-No!

-We look forward to every auction!

-I dread every auction.

-But the room's full. They're flowing out of the door.

-Wow!

Doing the honours on the podium today is David Fletcher. What does he think of our experts' choices?

The bridge box - now, that is a stylish lot.

There are a lot of bridge players, a lot of bridge players have a bit of dosh,

and I hope they'll be looking to invest in something like that.

If you play the game, you play it in style.

The hatpin is my favourite lot. Charles Horner is a big name.

This is a good example of him at his most stylish.

In the Art Nouveau style, it's great.

James started this leg with an impressive £516.02

and has gone on to spend £140 on five auction lots.

Anita kicked off with £343.32

and has parted with £182, also for five auction lots.

So, without further ado, let the auction begin.

First up, Anita's brass Arts and Crafts mantle clock.

-This is going to do well.

-Let's hope so!

£50, may I say?

30?

Straight up.

40 online.

5.

50. 55.

Calm down. It's not you. You're not up there.

Stop it! Stop it!

In the blue shirt. 65, it's you. 70, the blue shirt. At £70.

I'm selling now at £70.

GAVEL BANGS

-Yes!

-Well done. Well done. That is fantastic.

Yes, indeed. That's a £45 profit, pre-commission.

On to James's Edward VII commemorative plate.

10 for this.

11, 12.

15, sir? No? At £12.

15. 15, there.

15. 18.

20. In the front row.

22. 25. 28.

30. 35. No?

At £35. Back of the room. All done.

GAVEL BANGS

-That's all right.

-I haven't got a clue what that was worth.

-£25.

-35!

Oh, sorry.

Are you pinching a tenner off me?

Nicely played, James. We're off to a cracking start.

And next, it's Anita's miniature microscope in polished brass.

20, I'm bid. Thank you, sir. At £20.

-22. 25. 28.

-Come on.

-30.

-Yes!

-At £30.

-Go on!

-Come on!

We'll go with 35.

At 35. 40.

45. 50.

At £50. You're about to make a young lady very happy.

-THEY LAUGH

-In the middle of the room. At £50.

GAVEL BANGS

Yes!

THEY LAUGH

-Well done, well done.

-Great auctioneer.

Oh, yes, that's your money doubled,

and then some.

But can our fabulous auctioneer sells James's

seashells from the seashore? Let's find out, shall we?

£30. 35.

40, 5. 50. Five, sir? No? At £50.

55. All done.

GAVEL BANGS

-Oh!

-A bit of a disappointment.

Never mind, James.

You'll just have to chalk this one up to experience.

Moving on now to Anita's collection of dolls' clothes.

A specialist lot, to say the least.

But how will it do in a general auction?

20. 22. 25.

28. 30.

35. No? At £35.

Latest bid at 35. All done...

GAVEL BANGS

Oh, well.

No, it's fine, James. It's fine.

Oh, knickers!

So much for textiles.

Next!

Ah, James's silver-mounted bridge box,

the very definition of style.

-30!

-Ooh!

30, 5. 40, 5.

50, 5.

60, 5.

70, 5.

80, 5.

90, 5. 100.

At £100.

110. Oh, gone up now. 120.

At 120. All done at 120...

GAVEL BANGS

-Yes.

-Thank you. Thank you.

Bravo! That's a £100 profit, pre-commission.

Let's hope there's some money left

for Anita's Grand National prints

by First World War artist John Beer.

At 30. 35.

40, 5. 50, 5.

-At £55.

-Come on.

-And £55.

-Aah...

GAVEL BANGS

Oh...

-Well...

-There was nobody even to look at to encourage.

-I know.

It's our first loss of the day, I'm afraid.

And it means James is galloping ahead.

His next item, that cheeky South American quiver.

-I've got £10 on the book.

-Ooh!

-£10. 12. 15.

18. 20. 22.

At £22, 25, 28. 30.

35. 40, 5. 50.

55, fresh bid. No? At 55.

All done then at 55...

GAVEL BANGS

-That's OK, that's OK.

-Absolutely fine.

Though let's not forget, it did make a decent profit.

Looking to regain a little lost ground,

Anita's last great hope

is this charming Charles Horner hat pin and hat pin holder.

Best of luck, old girl!

At 50, 5. 60, 5. 70. At £70.

-Here!

-Here!

-Online, 80. With me at £80.

-Hello!

-Come to you in a minute,

come to you in a minute. £85...

LAUGHTER

Oh, my, this IS exciting!

100.

-110.

-Yes!

-110 on online.

-Here, here.

-I'll take you now. 120.

See, I didn't forget you.

130. 140. 150, may I say? 150.

160.

170? 170.

180. At the back of the room, 180. 190.

-190...

-Go on, round it up. One more.

-One more.

BOTH: Yes!

210. At 210.

I'm working jolly hard on this lot! 210. It's online. All done...

Sure? Have another go.

GAVEL BANGS

-Oh!

-Oh.

-Thank you.

Well done.

Well done. Well done.

-Brilliant.

-Ah, that was good.

-That is a fantastic result.

-I know, but it was so exciting, wasn't it?

And dare I say it? That figure gives Anita the lead in this auction.

But there's one item still to go.

James's slightly damaged Royal Dux.

Mind you, there is no doubting the quality.

They've got everything going for them,

apart from the fact that they're broken.

Now, start me, please, £200.

-Bid, thank you. At 200. 210.

-What?!

At 210. 220. 230. 240. 250.

At £250.

-Good Lord!

-250, all go?

-260, on the telephone.

-Go on!

270.

-280.

-Go on!

-290.

-Go on! Keep going!

300. 320.

350.

LAUGHTER

At 320.

At £320...

GAVEL BANGS

Yeah!

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

Oh, my word!

James Lewis, you old dog. You surprised yourself.

Pre-commission, that's a staggering profit of £270.

When he said 200, I thought he was asking for 200.

When he actually said 200 bid, I thought, oh, what?!

I can't believe that.

That's a great result. Really, really pleased.

Well, what an auction!

Anita started with £334.32 and, after commission,

made a profit of £162.40,

giving her a grand total of £496.72 to spend tomorrow.

GAVEL BANGS

James, meanwhile, began with £516.02,

and after making a massive £339.70,

the lead is once again his, with £855.72 in the coffers.

-Where are we off to now?

-Oxfordshire.

-Let's go.

-Onwards and upwards.

Next on the Antiques Road Trip, Anita gets ruthless.

Will you sell me him for a tenner?

HE LAUGHS

James goes for broke.

-My God, what have I done?!

-HE LAUGHS

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd