Episode 8 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts, with ?200 each...

I love that.

..a classic car, and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Yippee! I can see better with those.

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

There will be worthy winners and valiant losers.

I've had a row.

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

He's just about killed that, hasn't he?

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

It's the final leg of our road trip and experts James Lewis and James Braxton

are hunting high and low for hidden treasures

in their 1983 Beetle convertible in custard yellow.

Chilly today. New day, new dawn. Yes. New dawn, new day. New cold!

It's beginning to rain. We've got no roof.

James Lewis is a seasoned auctioneer and is highly competitive.

He loves a bit of toilet humour, though. That is turtle poo.

And can be a bit of a cheeky monkey.

James Braxton has 20 years of experience in auctioneering

and loves the rough-and-tumble of the competition.

Back off, Lewis. Back off.

And isn't going down without a fight.

Maybe. God bless you.

He's had a difficult run, but managed to turn his fortunes round at the last auction.

From his initial ?200,

old Brackers has now got ?306.16 to spend on today's shopping.

James Lewis has been growing and growing and growing his ?200,

winning every auction so far.

Which means he starts today with a whopping ?1,022.34. Bravo!

Our bold boys will travel from Ampthill in Bedfordshire to Jersey,

and back and on to their final destination in Leamington Spa,

covering almost 1,000 miles.

This trip begins in St Albans before ending up at the auction showdown in Leamington Spa.

22 miles north of central London lies the historic town of St Albans.

Scally Dog's, we're after.

Why would an antique shop name itself Scally Dog?

Unless they're a dog fan. They could be a dog fan, couldn't they?

James Lewis's first shop of the day

is Scally Dog's Emporium, run by Trev Bradbury and his four-legged friend.

Hello. Hello, James, I'm Trev. Nice to see you. And this must be Scally.

This is Scally. It's his shop. Hello, Scully. Aren't you lovely?

Yes, he is. Now, man up, James, and get shopping.

Recognise it? Of course I do. What's the shape like? What do you think?

Brown. Turtle poo, I reckon.

That is a fossilised turtle turd.

There you are, told you so.

Now, put your faecal fixation to one side and get shopping. And wash your hands!

How much is that sovereign case?

It's got to be really cheap with no insides. Really cheap.

Give me a tenner. Let's have a look at it.

From the late 17th century all the way through until about the 1920s and 1930s,

any gentleman of standing would carry a pocket watch.

Sometimes, in the middle of the chain where it sat,

you would have a little case like that for carrying your sovereigns and half sovereigns.

This one is bottom-rung quality.

It's chrome, but the interesting thing about it, it's actually made

as a novelty half-hunter pocketwatch and that's what makes it unusual.

I'll take that with me.

With a price tag of ?10, it's hardly going to break the bank, James!

Come along, you've got the cash, man. Think bigger!

Now I'm starting to get really worried.

This shop is really full of retro things.

There's got to be something, though, somewhere.

He's right, you know. There has to be something in here.

Something extraordinary, something dramatic,

something like a carriage fire extinguisher.

What do you think, James?

I think it's just bonkers.

It's one of the wow pieces in here that people come in to see.

The fire extinguisher would have been a two-man operation

to manoeuvre and control a jet of highly pressurised water.

In spite of its size, James's interest hasn't been dampened. Here we go.

What could you do it for? It would need to be...

What will you offer me for it?

I think that is ?150 at auction.

I was going to say 250. I'll split the difference and let it go for two.

I think that's a ?50 loss. I'm going to make you a cheeky offer.

For the 150, will you throw in the sovereign case and my poo?

I'll throw in the sovereign case. The poo is not mine to sell.

So I'm going to have to stand on... You are going to stand on the poo!

I'll stand on the poo for five pounds.

155. You've got a deal. Thank you very much.

Just down the road, James Braxton has made his way to Fleetville Vintage Emporium.

But the only thing he's picked up so far is a full-blown cold. Poor lamb.

HE SNEEZES

Bless you!

I'll have a really hot curry tonight and that will get rid of my cold.

James asks dealer Dee about a highly collectable headscarf.

It's very nice. The great Paris maker.

Hermes are now very famous for their bags, aren't they? Yes.

And equally famous for their scarves.

Hermes began producing scarves in 1937 by spinning raw silk into yarn before weaving it into fabric.

That way, they produced more durable scarves than anyone else.

It's a lovely scarf. Very smart. What do you want, Dee? Come on.

Make it low.

I think, ?60. ?60.

You wouldn't take 45 for it, would you? I'll take 45. Will you? Yes.

I'll take it. That's really kind of you. Thank you very much indeed.

James Lewis has made his way to the same emporium.

He's found some ratter splendid Moorcroft pottery.

This is the well-known pomegranate pattern

and the thing that characterises Moorcroft is this tube lining.

It's almost decorated in the way you would ice a cake.

You'd fill the icing bag equivalent with slip or pipe clay

and you would outline the decoration first

and then you would almost colour it in.

That is 1930s. It's a good early date.

Another preserve pot.

Silver plated.

And again, very pretty. Walker and Hall mounts.

It's a good seller, but it's not cheap.

There are eight pieces of Moorcroft here with a total value of ?1,200.

I wonder which piece he's going to go for?

Time to negotiate with the dealer, Georgina Konstantinov.

How much do you want for the collection?

What?! The whole lot?!

I would say, for the collection, 1,000.

That's almost his entire budget.

Who's going to go first, James? You or me?

Go on. Seeing as it's you, James, 900?

Seven.

750.

The hand's out. 750. I can't take the pressure! 750, James.

720 and it's shaken.

725.

You've got my hand now!

That is the most money I've ever spent on the Road Trip, ever.

That is a heck of a gamble.

Old Brackers, if he plays a winner, and my Moorcroft dies,

he can win it on the last leg.

Wow!

Wow, indeed.

If it all goes wrong, it could put Brackers back in the game.

From St Albans, our boys are back in the Beetle and driving on to Welwyn,

where James Braxton is quite literally heading for an early bath.

James has come along to meet archaeologist Tony Rook,

the man who uncovered the remains of the Welwyn Roman Baths back in 1960.

Hello. Very nice to meet you. Hello, James.

Tony has dedicated his life to preserving this historic site

at a time when it could all have been lost for ever.

What an amazing space.

Dating back to 240 AD, the baths would have been part

of a much larger complex known as the Dicket Mead Villa.

How on earth did you find this? In earth, really! In earth, yes!

The story started 52 years ago.

We found Roman tiles sticking out of the riverbank.

So that was your clue? Yes.

Then we got permission to dig from the local school.

It was the football field of the school.

We got permission to dig and we were allowed to dig outside the football field

so we dug along the side of the river.

It started like that.

And their excavations unearthed clues on how the Romans bathed.

How would I go about these baths, if I was a Roman?

There was a slave's corridor at that side

and there was a master's corridor here.

So the masters, the bosses, the Romans, would come in here

and there would be a door here.

So imagine this door opening.

In comes the Roman. So this is a warm room and you get acclimatised.

And your slave puts oil on you from a bottle. So you get well oiled.

Then you are slightly sweaty and well-oiled

and then you get scraped clean.

Scraped? Yes.

There is a thing called a strigil,

a bit like a mudguard on a pram or something. It fits very nicely.

It scrapes all the fat off and the oil.

It is a lovely way of getting clean. The Romans didn't have any soap.

Bathing was very much part of their entertainment and life, wasn't it?

Yes. I always say they probably came here every afternoon, all the afternoon.

Really? Yes.

Open to the general public, the baths have been

preserved in a concrete and steel vault - but there's the catch.

They may have been dug up, but they're still 30 feet underground.

Tony spent ten years uncovering the baths

but shortly after the excavation was completed,

the Ministry of Transport announced the route of the new A1M, straight over the top.

The centre line of the motorway goes through here. Approximately. Yes.

And we are about 30 feet underneath the motorway.

Really? Yes. That was pure coincidence, you see.

By that time, I had managed to grab plans and things

from the Ministry or whatever they called themselves in those days

and they realised there was room to put something inside the motorway

and we were right bang in the centre of it.

An emergency plan was put into place to cover the site with a steel vault

which would allow the road to go directly over this Roman treasure.

You talk about somebody having a vision - I had a vision, and this was it.

I had this vision and this is what I've got.

As it was buried, the top went up

and then it came back down again to the design level.

It had to be very carefully loaded, otherwise it would buckle.

It's a great thing you've got preserved here, isn't it?

The villa and baths were deserted at the end of the third century

when the Romans shoved off.

But it wasn't the only thing they left behind.

Are these the items that came from the site or not?

Not all from this site. If you want the whole pot, you go to a cemetery.

Because they buried more or less whole pots with their dead.

Sort of offerings of holy oils and things like that?

We don't really know.

It would be nice if you could say that, wouldn't it?

James is coming up with a rash generalisation!

That is a baby's feeding bottle, we think. Right.

I love the glass with the canes. Millefiori.

That bit of millefiori actually came from this site. Really?

Still very exotic today.

What it must have been like 2,000 years ago is remarkable.

If it wasn't for tenacious Tony's digging and foresight,

this incredible glimpse into our past would now be lost

underneath one of Britain's busiest motorways.

You've really made it come alive. Thank you. It's very kind.

A fabulous life's work, isn't it? Thank you.

And with that, cold-ridden James needs to catch up with James Lewis.

There's no rest here. Those road-trip wheels need to keep moving!

Oh, look! In all this rain, they've managed to make a makeshift roof.

Bless them.

Travelling on from Welwyn, our experts are off

to Hemel Hempstead to continue their shopping.

After World War II, Hemel, as the locals call it,

was developed as a new town designed to house

some of the population displaced by the London Blitz,

although it's been around actually since the eighth century.

James Braxton's first stop of the day is Bushwood Antiques,

where he's not the only one that's a little hoarse!

When it comes to shopping,

especially in such a large space, James uses some very wise logic.

Anything that's got a good layer of dust on

probably hasn't had a lot of public access for a long time.

I'll make a note of the items

that I think might be able to make me a profit.

And I'll buy one or two of them upon price only.

Just down the road,

James Lewis has found Cherry Antiques, run by Scott Cullen.

He's also got a number of items in his sights,

including a pair of Felix the Cat figures at ?10.

Never seen those before. I haven't either.

They came in yesterday, with the little lead figures.

Next on his shopping list is a copper and brass oval snuffbox at seven pounds.

He does love a snuffbox, James.

Will you take a fiver for him? OK, James. OK, I'll take that.

And finally, an Edwardian novelty pin cushion in the shape of an elephant. Five pounds.

Fiver.

Would you do the snuffbox, the elephant and the cats for 15?

OK. You've got a deal. Brilliant. Thank you.

He doesn't hang about, does he? How are you getting on, old Brackers?

I've whittled my options down to these two.

We've got this fabulous bottle vase. It's Cantonese, Chinese.

It has got a slightly shattered

and now repaired with these metal studs neck.

But would make a very nice lamp base for somebody, I would have thought.

And then this. We've got an elongated octagonal plate.

It's a very nice palette. Blue and white.

It is a lovely solid bit of porcelain, this.

A great bit of porcelain.

Time to call in Julie and Tony to see

if there is a deal to be done, especially on that ?220 vase.

Could you do 50 on that? 50? How much did you ask?

Shall we say 100 quid? Can we say a bit lower, Tony?

80. Can we do it for 80? All right, you've got a deal. Thank you, Tony.

I'm not that hard, am I? No. You're really kind. And thank you, Julie.

I don't want to give you a kiss because of my wretched cold.

Excellent. Let's stick with James. He's back in the Beetle,

and has crossed the county border

from Hertfordshire to Aylesbury, in Bucks.

Aylesbury was a major market town in Anglo-Saxon times

and is famous as the burial place for St Osyth

who lost her head in 870. Careless!

Let's hope James doesn't lose his at Antiques at Wendover,

managed by dealer Lizzie Osborne Wyn.

I quite like this. I don't know why. It's not the greatest.

It's just a cheap old box. Paper box.

But it's one of those funny things that at auction people love.

They love scrabbling around. It's quite retro, isn't it?

No gold or silver in there? Have we missed anything?

I very much doubt it. Somebody's gone thoroughly through it.

That's sort of purporting to be a halfpenny, but it's not.

It's just a little lot of costume.

He might have kept his head, but has he lost his mind?

You've got ?35 on that. But would ?20 buy it?

25. 25. How about if we struck in the middle? Can we do 22?

22.50.

22.50. I'm not going to argue with you.

Thank you very much indeed. ?22.50 it is.

On your head be it, James.

Anyway, here's a quick reminder of

how the boys have been dishing out the dosh.

James Braxton started this leg of the road trip

with ?316.16, and has spent ?147.50 on three lots,

leaving him with a balance of ?158.66.

James Lewis started with ?1,022.34,

and bought six lots, costing ?895,

leaving him with a balance of ?127.34.

OK, boys. Dish the dirt.

Are you impressed by one another's antiques?

The vase is lovely. A really nice bit of Chinese porcelain. And so fashionable at the moment.

That could do well, although it's damaged.

The costume jewellery. He's got to do something about that.

I'm not exactly proud of it, but it may be a profit. I'm sure it's a profit.

There is only one way to find out. It's off to auction we go. How exciting!

From Aylesbury, our experts embark on the final 55 miles

to the saleroom in Leamington Spa.

And at last, the sun is shining,

which has helped shift James Braxton's cold.

HE SNEEZES

Shame about his sparring partner though!

I blame you. My gift to you is my flu.

He is such a sharing soul, James. Oh, dear.

Our experts will battle it out for the final time

on this Road Trip at Locke and England's auction house.

This is a Fine Arts Antiques sale.

Emmeline Jarry will be the auctioneer taking to the rostrum.

First up for James Lewis, it's the extinguisher on wheels.

But will it set the auction room on fire?

We'll start the bidding at 110. 120. 130. 140.

At 140 then. Is there 150?

At 140. 150. 160. 170.

170. 180. 190. 200.

It is certainly sparking some internet interest.

240. 260. Yes. 280. 300. 320.

I've got 340. Do you want to go to 350?

340. 350 I'm at. Is there 380? ?350 then. Sold.

Well done. That's a great result. Phenomenal!

There he goes again.

James Lewis blazes into an early lead.

First up for James Braxton,

it's the vintage Hermes scarf in its original box.

Who will start me then at ?15? 15? For ?15? 15.

18 anywhere? 15.

Is there 18? It's not going to make 100, is it? 20. 22.

Who would like to buy a Hermes scarf for ?22?

30. Five. 35 then.

Internet, do you want to come in at 35? 40. Thank you. Five. 50. ?50.

Is there five? Do you want to come in on the internet?

?50. Is there five? ?50.

Wiped its nose, as you would say.

Oh well, five pounds is five pounds.

But it's nowhere near enough to catch James Lewis.

Next up for James Lewis is a queer old lot.

Fossilised turtle poo, a sovereign case, a snuffbox,

an elephant pincushion, two Felix the cat figures

and a partridge in a pear tree.

Well, I've never sold turtle poo before, so this is a first!

Can we try for ?30? Can we try for ?30? Every home should have one.

?30. How about 10? 10. 12.

15. 18. 20.

Is there a two? 22. Five.

Eight. 30.

30. Five. 35 in the room. At 35. 40 anywhere?

40. Five.

50. Five. 55. Go on.

Have we got 60? ?55. Selling at 55.

There we are. It's a small profit but I had a great deal of fun buying it.

It just shows you can sell anything!

It does indeed.

A pile of old doo-doo becomes a ?25 profit for James Lewis.

Brackers will really struggle to catch him now.

I'd be surprised if his box of paste jewellery brings any sparkle

to this saleroom, but don't tell anyone.

What shall we say for that? ?10? 10, thank you.

12 anywhere? 12. At 10.

Is there 12? 12. 15 in the room. 15.

Is there 18? 18. 18. Is there 22?

18 with you. Is there 20? At ?18. Is there 20? At ?18.

There was a bit of bidding there.

Oh, Lordy!

Unless there is a miracle, Brackers' chance of victory has bombed.

Next up for James Lewis, it's the first of his Moorcroft pieces.

The pomegranate baluster vase and circular pin-tray.

?200 for those. ?200. 200. Looking for ?200.

I'll take ?100 to start me then. Is there 100? Looking for ?100.

100, I'm bid. Is there 110? ?100. Is there 110? No way!

110. 120. 120. Is there 130?

I'll have to sell them at ?120. No way!

Selling then.

That is criminal.

That is absolutely criminal.

Oh, dear. His risky gamble has failed.

So could James Braxton actually be in with a winning chance?

That vase is worth 380 quid. Fact.

That's what you thought about your last lot too, James.

I wonder if the Moorcroft leaf and berries vase

and the preserve pot will fare any better?

?200. ?200.

Looking for ?200. I'll take ?100 to start me. 100, thank you. No!

Is there a 110? 110. 120. 130. 140.

150. 160.

170. It's going up. 180.

In the room, 180. 190. 190 then. At 190. Is there 200? 190.

Is there 200? Are we all done in the room at 190? 200. 220?

220, you're all right. 240. ?220.

Oh, Lordy. It's a disaster.

I want to go home.

I don't like this Road Trip any more.

You will sit here and take your medicine.

Cheer up, James. It's more Moorcroft.

Oh, God!

This time, a circular pewter mounted basket and a cylindrical vase.

I'm looking for ?120. I'm looking for 120. I'm looking for 120.

I'm looking for ?120.

I'm looking for 120. What? I'm looking for ?120.

The Liberty basket is worth more than that. It's a matter of opinion.

120, thank you. Is there 130? 130. 140.

140 in the room. Is there 150? 140. 150. 160.

If I didn't know better,

I'd say James Braxton is secretly enjoying this.

And why not?!

190. 200. I don't think you've made too much money on this one.

At 200 in the room. Is there 20? ?200. In the room at 200.

We are all done on the internet then. At ?200.

James, I spy a profit. I know.

Just when poor old Brackers was getting his hopes up,

James Lewis pulls it out of the bag. But will it be enough?

Time now for the last of James Braxton's items,

the cracked Chinese vase.

Here we are. This is it. ?150. 150. Looking for 150. Looking for ?150.

Looking for 150. I'll take ?100 to start me then. Is there 100?

I'm looking for ?100. I'm looking for ?100. 100, I'm bid.

Is there 110?

At 100. Is there 110? Come on, bid. ?100. Is there 110?

I'll sell it at ?100.

At ?100. Are you sure? ?100. Selling at 100.

At ?100.

Oh, dear. It was a shame because it was the last lot.

Oh, well, that's the rough and tumble of auction.

Don't give up hope just yet, Brackers.

It all depends on James Lewis's last item and guess what?

It's more Moorcroft!

It's the leaf and berries match and cigar tray

and the pomegranate pattern pin-dish.

Hold onto your seats!

?100. Looking for ?100. Looking for ?100. ?100. Looking for 100.

Looking for 100. Oh, come on! I'll taken an 80 bid if you like.

Looking for 80. I'll take a 50 then. Looking for 50. 50. Is there a five?

At 50. Is there a five?

At ?50 then. I'll sell it for 50. That is bonkers. 55, thank you. 60.

Five. 70. It's worth so much more than that. At 70. Is there a five?

At ?70.

Well, that's what I call haemorrhaging money.

Oh, dear. The expensive gamble on the job lot of Moorcroft

just didn't pay off, and it might just have cost him the final leg.

It's going to be close, isn't it?

James Braxton started this leg with ?306.16

and after auction costs, he's made a small loss of ?9.74,

giving him a grand total for the trip of ?296.42.

James Lewis, however, began with ?1022.34,

but after costs, made a stinging loss of ?62.70.

While that gives him a humongous ?959.64 overall,

it's James Braxton who wins this leg because he made a smaller loss.

Yippee!

All the profits our experts make go to Children In Need.

I feel physically drained. How was that for you? Emotional. Oh, no.

Slightly by default, I took this last leg! Well done.

Congratulations. Well done. Brilliant.

As a result... You're driving. I'm going to tee off. Great.

So finally a victory for James Braxton.

But it's James Lewis who wins this Road Trip.

So, out with the old...

..and in with the new.

We have a brand-new pair of experts packing their suitcases

for a Road Trip adventure. Anita Manning and Jonathan Pratt.

They're kicking off north of the border in Bonnie Scotland.

Och, aye, the noo.

I do like seeing the rolling hills

and I do like the grass and the smell of the cow poo.

SHE LAUGHS

All that sort of stuff.

Sorry, Jonathan, it's not the country we're starting in,

it's the biggest city in Scotland.

# I belong to Glesca

# Dear old Glesca toon

# But there's something the matter with Glesca

# Cos it's going around and round... #

Anita Manning belongs to Glasgow,

and was the first female auctioneer in Scotland.

And she knows what she likes.

I love Art Nouveau.

And she knows how to make grown men wince.

Could these be bought for five?

?5? Mm-hm.

HE SQUIRMS

This is Jonathan Pratt.

He's also an auctioneer

and also very, very decisive(!)

I don't know what to do!

And he's rather an astute fellow.

I guess stuffed heads is off the menu, though.

Our couple of darling antiques experts

will begin their adventure with ?200 each.

And the chariot of choice is the stylish 1964 MG.

I'm nervous about this. Why?

Just because

I did so badly in the last two!

Forget about that. We're here just to have a nice time.

Oh, dear. Has Jonathan got a bout of the old nerves?

Wonder why they're stopping in the middle of the road, too.

Anita and Jonathan are travelling over 400 miles,

from the city of Glasgow

all the way to Llangefni, on the island of Anglesey.

The first pin on the map is the bustling city of Glasgow,

and they will auction in the Renfrewshire town of Paisley.

We're coming up to George Square...

with the City Chambers here.

Who's this chap here?

That's Robert Peel, there.

I think that chap's Queen Victoria.

THEY LAUGH

Glasgow is renowned

for its strong shipbuilding history

and wondrous architecture.

During the Victorian and Edwardian times, it was known

as "the second city of the British Empire."

Well, Jonathan, your shop's just down there.

You have 200 quid.

Good luck, Johnny.

Thank you. And you. Take care.

See you later.

Let's follow Anita. Her first shop of the day is Vintage Retro,

owned by John.

Anita! Hello, John.

Hello. It's lovely to see you.

And you.

Big kisses at this time of the day?

I suppose she knows everyone round here.

This is a lovely piece.

Absolutely lovely.

It's a little biscuit barrel.

The glass is acid-etched here,

with this Art Nouveau pattern.

It's sitting on this wonderful WMF mount.

I love it to bits.

This biscuit barrel was made by the highly prized

German WMF factory.

WMF, or Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik -

that's easy for me to say(!) -

was a highly prized German factory that became strongly influenced

by Art Nouveau at the turn of the century.

This delightful object has a ticket price

of ?105.

I'd like to be buying it

in the region of ?50.

Oh, gosh!

Is that possible?

That's a lot less than I paid for it, Anita. Is it?

That's a lot less. Well, we don't want you to be...

Losing money? No, no, no.

We can't have that. No, no, no.

We can't have that.

Could you go to 60?

63.

63? Let's do it. It's a deal, John.

Thank you so much.

I hope you do well with it.

What a stylish first buy!

And John's found something else to tantalise Anita.

They're Scandinavian silver coffee spoons.

These are lovely, the design is good.

I like this naturalistic...

handle here.

That's very sweet.

It's very typical of Scandinavian Art Nouveau, isn't it? Yeah.

Are they expensive, John?

25.

25?

And that would include a damn good clean.

SHE LAUGHS

D'you do a cleaning service?

Have you got a pair of Marigolds? A polish.

Could you do them for 20?

Go on.

That's a double deal! Another deal.

That's wonderful.

While Anita's been splashing the cash,

Jonathan's having a stroll to his first shop

in Glasgow town.

Morning. Hello, good morning. How are you. Very good. You?

Jonathan's usually a bit nervy,

but perhaps even more so,

now that we're on Anita's home turf.

It's hardly fair, is it?

On past Road Trips, young Jonathan has gained a reputation

as a ditherer.

Thankfully, owner Marco points him in the right direction.

You say ?55 each? Yep.

Each pair?

They're 55 each,

but I can come and go with you, no problem.

I walked straight past these two because

this shape just doesn't look like...

a typical Georgian chair.

They're terribly unfashionable, these chairs, nowadays.

I'd give you ?30, the pair.

That's the best you can do?

Have a think or what would you say?

I can sell that to you. Can you?! That's no problem.

Ha-ha-ha! I am now the proud owner of a pair of chairs!

You're happy about that?

Blimey! Has Jonathan turned over a new leaf?

There you go. Look at this!

That's one down.

I'm on fire!

Don't get too big for your boots, though, JP.

Anyway,

Marco has another shop a-hop-and-a skip-and-a-jump away.

And he selects a little silver something for Jonathan.

It's quite an interesting piece.

Look.

That's a bit of a weight, isn't it?

So it was a cigar lighter.

That doesn't sit right.

I don't think that's actually belonging to this one.

It's more like somebody put that one on top.

It's circa 1900.

This piece is actually original.

That...goes...

That isn't.

That starts with that.

That's fine for that.

Would something have sat in there?

That, to me,

is a cigar lighter.

It sits there like a little Roman candle,

like a lantern.

You can have it for maybe 85.

?85?

Nothing like plonking it down, Jonathan(!)

How about...

60 for the two?

If you can give me ?70 you can have it.

60 and I'll walk away.

OK, I'll do that for you, 60.

Well done.

Hee-hee-hee.

I can knock off now.

Ha-ha-ha-ha.

What a smarty-pants!

But I quite like the new-look tough-talking Jonathan, don't you?

Young Jonathan is kindly dropping Anita off at Glasgow's

much-loved Grand Central Hotel.

There we go. I'm looking forward to this.

A bit of luxury.

Since its opening in 1883,

this hotel has been a renowned Glasgow landmark.

In 1879,

the main train hub of Glasgow was opened

by Caledonian Railways

and the neighbouring Central Hotel just four years later.

Designed by Scottish architect Robert Rowand Anderson,

he adapted the Queen Anne style, which incorporates

picturesque details,

intricate gables

and multi-panelled windows.

Sadly, to make way for the building of the hotel and railway,

the village of Grahamston had to be cleared.

600 villagers watched as their homes and businesses

were flattened.

In the halcyon days of railway travel,

the poshest hotel in town

was often attached to the railway station,

where the good and the great would stay.

Anita is meeting with authors of a recently-published book

on the history of this glorious hotel,

Bill Hicks and Jill Scott.

This is quite splendid.

Why did Glasgow need a hotel like this?

I suppose it would be the equivalent of the Ritz or the Dorchester

in London.

Did Glasgow need something like this?

Oh, without doubt. The Caledonian Railway Company knew that.

When they made this building, it had

390 bedrooms,

and room for 250 servants.

This city was just so bustling

and vibrant with industry.

This was the nearest hotel to the Broomielaw.

You could sail from the Broomielaw

to Hong Kong, Singapore.

So this was really the hub of commerce,

and when we look at this ballroom,

we can see that it was a place for

great events.

Dinners and dances

and so on.

Yes.

As the hotel grew in splendour and majesty,

it was the number-one location for many a famous face.

Laurel and Hardy,

Charlton Heston,

Bob Hope.

We're talking about Hollywood royalty?

I heard a story

that Roy Rogers stayed here

and Trigger stayed, and Trigger's suite

was more fancy!

I don't know if that's true. That's a myth.

That's the myth. Trigger didn't actually stay in the hotel.

He was stabled outside, but...

he was photographed walking up the main staircase.

The hotel also took part in a historic first

in 1927.

John Logie Baird

had his first pictures transmitted to the hotel.

The transmission was made from London

to a room in the fourth floor.

And that was the very, very first television pictures?

Over a distance, yes.

Why did he choose this hotel?

It was just because of its situation.

If you can imagine that they had a lot of equipment coming up

from London on the train.

They didn't want to lug it about all over Glasgow.

There's the hotel right on the doorstep,

take it off the train, into the hotel,

up to the fourth floor.

Another memorable feature

was the Grand's Malmaison Restaurant,

which attracted those with a discerning palate

for nearly 60 years.

Feeling peckish?

In 1959, one could start off

with marmite soup for 4/-,

move onto spag bol for 5/6,

and round off with a delectable

creme caramel for 3/-.

A grand total of 12/6.

That's 62?p in today's money.

A glass of vino, of course, would be extra.

Sadly, we must leave the glitz and glamour

of the Grand Central Hotel behind

and catch up with Jonathan

who's on a jaunt for more antiques,

and looking stylish.

He's taking the high road to the bonnie banks

of Loch Lomond.

# By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes

# Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond

# Where me and my true love... #

Isn't it lovely? Loch Lomond has much beauty to offer,

and luckily for Jonathan,

an antiques centre, too.

What do you call this, a tam o'shanter?

It's right up Anita's street, probably her head size as well.

Lordy!

Stop monkeying about and get stuck in!

Och, aye.

Mm.

He has a rather bird-like approach when he's searching for treasures,

but owner Brian has uncovered something for Jonathan's inspection.

Gosh, it's heavy.

Is that bronze?

If so, it's been cleaned...

to an inch of its life.

Japanese mark on the bottom, which I can't read.

Can't work it out which way up it's meant to go!

Oh, gosh!

The base is loose in the bottom, it's coming out.

Splitting.

You can see, if you look inside,

you can see daylight.

Can you see through?

Oh, yes, look!

I'll ask the chap anyway.

The price on it is 145.

145.

I only have ?110 left.

I don't think I'd want to even put that on it.

We could call it 90.

Oh, dear. I don't really want to blow all my money on the first day.

Not like that.

Oh, go on, then! Go on, then!

Well, he certainly changes his mind. Good work, Jonathan.

Back together again, our gal and our guy

are continuing their antiques adventure

in Glasgow city.

How are you finding Glasgow?

Have you understood the Glasgow accent?

Huh(?)

SHE LAUGHS

Anita is first to get to her shop.

She's starting her buying spree in Ruthven Mews,

in the heart of Glasgow's West End.

She finds co-owner Derek to get down to business.

The gold one here? Uh-huh.

It has a modernist look about it, which I quite like.

It certainly has.

It's probably, I would say, 1950s/1960s.

It's very hard to sell brooches

generally, these days.

Don't tell her that, Derek!

It's two-tone, as well,

which makes it a little bit interesting.

It has this sort of satin finish.

Is there a possibility of buying that in the region of ?20?

Well...

Can we make it more sort of 28?

28? Mm-hm.

Could you go to 25?

Mm...

Oh, you're a hard lady!

Listen, she hasn't even started yet!

At 25, I think I've got a chance with that.

OK, we'll do a deal at 25. Can we do that? Yes.

That's lovely. Thank you very much. Wish me luck.

Yes, indeed.

Trust Anita. She's got a big penchant for jewellery.

She's spied some Charles Rennie Mackintosh-style earrings, too.

Mackintosh was born in Glasgow

and was a prolific architect and designer

who was a figurehead of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Could these be bought for five?

Six, even.

Six? That would be the lowest I would go for. We'll go for six.

Let's compromise at six. That's fine. That's great.

Anita certainly loves her Art Nouveau.

That's a total of four items bagged.

Let's stick with Anita as she travels 30 miles away

to Kilwinning in North Ayrshire.

From the hustle and bustle of the city to the lush green countryside,

Anita has still got the shopping bug.

Anita finds owner Shane to have a bit of a haggle.

I quite like this wee silver-plated gong.

I like the sort of, it is like a rusted bamboo support.

It is, it is very pretty, it is a very pretty piece.

Showing the Chinese or Oriental influence. And...

GONG SOUNDS

It sounds beautiful. It is working perfectly.

Is that possible to do in the region of 20-25?

I would do it for ?20, Anita. ?20? ?20.

I think that is nice, I like it.

From a ticket price of ?50 down to ?20, well done, Anita.

Now, where is our young lad?

Jonathan is travelling just over 20 miles away

to Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire.

Jonathan is visiting the Stirrup Cup, owned by Greta.

Greta Logan.

He's confessed he's only got ?20 left.

Greta gives him the tour.

Here we are. This is quite fancy.

My poster? Yes. Of the heart and arteries.

It is probably turn-of-the-century,

made for Edinburgh University.

Is there a price on this one? That one could be round about the 20.

Roundabout is 20 or no sale.

There you go, you're not allowed to give me

two pounds out of your own pocket. No, he is not allowed.

Well done, Jonathan, that ?20 purchase means you have

blown every single penny of your ?200. Good boy.

Here's a quick reminder of how much money they've been spending.

Anita Manning started this leg with ?200

and spent ?134 on five auction lots.

While Jonathan Pratt blew every single penny of his ?200 starter pack on four lots.

Let's hear what they think of each other's buys.

Well, Jonathan has been very brave on this first leg.

He's spent all his money, and I like to see that.

It means that, er, I've got a bigger chance of winning!

I like the WMF the most, I'd say.

I can see the style in that and I can see it's Anita's taste.

That's the thing I would say I like the most.

They're all very similar.

Let's hit the road and head to auction.

We've had an exciting first leg, starting in the city of Glasgow

then journeying via Loch Lomond,

Kilwinning, Kilbirnie and finally to the Renfrewshire town of Paisley.

By the 19th century, Paisley had established itself

as the epicentre of the weaving industry,

giving its name to the Paisley pattern and Paisley shawl,

which became very fashionable after a young Victoria

took a liking to the design.

Paisley was also very famous for its Coates Thread Mill.

And talking of threads, Jonathan, you're looking pretty smart today!

I'm glad to see you're getting dressed up to come out with me.

Well, this jacket I bought at auction,

and it was worn by Warren Beatty

in a film called The Only Game In Town.

I don't believe that! Absolutely. That's fabulous.

Nice blue wool sports jacket.

Our very own Road Trip stars arrive at the auction house.

Collins Paterson have been established in the town since 1848.

Don't suppose you could get any closer, Anita, could you?

Brilliant!

Oh, it is a nice jacket, Jonathan.

Well, Jonathan, first auction! Are you excited?

I'm very excited and a little bit nervous. How about you?

Don't be nervous! Come on, I'll hold your hand the whole time.

Thank you.

And taking to the rostrum today is auctioneer Stephen Maxwell.

Today's auction will also be open to bidders on the internet.

First up, it is Anita's gold brooch.

Conflicting commission bids, I will come straight in here

and start at ?45. Well done. ?45 I have for the brooch. Do I have ?48?

48, thank you. ?50. You are out, with me, ?50. 55. ?60? 65?

The gentleman, it is your bid, sir,

we are selling into the room, fair warning at ?65.

Yes! Well done, Anita, that is a great start.

Indeed, she is off the starting block.

I still have four to go, right enough.

Right, it is Jonathan next with the silver lot

of the cigar lighter and ewer.

Deep breaths. Pant.

Why pant?

HE PANTS

What is that going to help me with?

Wee bit of interest again in the two items here,

so I will go straight in and start the bidding at ?60.

That is what I paid.

65 online. ?70. 75.

?80. At 90. 95.

The bid is against you. ?100, the bid is on commission.

We are selling, fair warning, at ?100.

Brilliant. Well done. That's a relief. Are you happy?

I am very, very happy. Excellent.

I am glad you are happy, too, Jonathan.

Oh, that makes you neck and neck with Anita.

Now it is Anita's turn with the Rennie Mackintosh style earrings.

Five pounds, surely? Five pounds? Come on, come on.

That is for the two of them! We will throw in the box, honestly, we will.

Two pounds, come on, two pounds, silver earrings for two pounds.

I can't go much lower, I am bid two pounds by this gentleman -

it is your bid, sir, at two pounds. Going there, one born every minute.

What is your number? 69.

Onwards and upwards, Anita.

Jonathan is in the lead.

Maybe that is all they were worth?

Next it is Anita's Art Nouveau biscuit barrel,

the one she managed to get the big discount on.

The dealer came down quite a bit on the deal.

You had him in a half-nelson, I take it. No, a big smile sometimes works.

?85 to get it started, ?85. At ?85 here, we have 90 online.

95, 95 is against you. ?100.

110. 110 against, at 110, 120 nope. 130.

150, now it is ?150 online, at ?150. Are you bidding, madam? 160.

170 online. The bid is still on at 170.

All in at 170? Fair warning to you, ?170.

Very well done, Anita.

That is a good result.

How am I going to compete against that! That is a good result.

Big smiles really do work, Anita, excellent results.

That puts you ahead.

What was it you were saying about wanting to win?

Jonathan's turn now, with the big-budget buy of the bronze vase.

I need to see it make ?150 for me to feel confident.

Darling, I love you for your courage. Is it called courage?

We have interest again, we will start straight in at ?45.

?45 for the Japanese vase at ?45. 48 online. At ?50, 55.

At 60, and five, at 70. And 80. And five.

The bid is now online at ?85.

85, all done at 85? Selling, fair warning at ?85.

OK. Amazing.

Uh-oh, not the figure Jonathan was hoping for.

It is Anita again with the Danish spoons.

?15? At 15, thank you sir.

I am bid ?15. It is against the net,

with gentleman at ?15, do we have 18?

At ?20. And two, 25, 28, ?30.

With the gentleman in the room, we are selling them,

fair warning at ?30.

There you go. I am happy with that.

Still pushing ahead there, Anita.

Right then, Jonathan,

can you plan operation comeback with the anatomy chart?

Remember, you're behind.

Let's get straight to the heart of the matter - can we get ?20?

?20 there, anatomy chart at 20.

Don't be shy, start me at ten, surely.

I am bid 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, two. Both on the floor.

We are selling them, fair warning. At ?22. Gone.

Oh dear, a disappointing result.

Next it is Anita, with her silver gong and beater.

Starting at ?20?

?20?

20 for the dinner gong, 20 we have online, 22 with the lady,

25, 28, 30.

You are out. 35? Still online at 35.

We are online to 40.

We have ?40 there.

It seems to have settled at 40, I think we are all done.

Selling, fair warning at ?40.

Very good.

It's doubled its money, just about.

Just about - it didn't drum up huge interest, though.

But it still gives her a slight profit.

Jonathan's worn-out dining chairs are the final lot of the day.

What can we say? ?50 for the pair?

?50, thank you. 55 online. At 60.

The bid is in the room at 60, 65? And 70. 75, and 80.

Still with the gentleman in the room. ?80.

Selling, fair warning, at ?80.

And the number is 24. What a result. Fantastic.

Are you happy now, darling? Yes I am. Saved by the wood.

That is more like it! Well done.

Let's go. OK. Let's get some lunch.

But who is today's jubilant winner?

Jonathan started today with ?200, and after paying auction costs made

a small profit of ?35.34, giving him a modest ?235.34 to carry forward.

Anita also began with ?200 and made a respectable profit of ?117.74,

so that makes Anita this leg's winner with a well-earned cash pot

of ?317.74. Well done, girl.

Wasn't that good? That was exciting. Very exciting.

What about your chairs?! I knew I knew something about them.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but there we go.

Well done on that, but I think we're both happy.

We should be, we are both in the money.

We are going in the right direction, we're going in the right direction.

Let's hope that direction leads you to lots and lots

and lots of lovely profits.