Episode 14 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'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.'

-HE LAUGHS

-He's come to have 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!

'Yeah!

'It's the fourth leg of our road trip

'and experts James Lewis and James Braxton

'are once again hitting the highways in their 1983 Beetle convertible

'as they discuss their fortunes so far.'

I think there is a small ocean between us.

-You're on the up, though. You're on the up. Comeback.

-Hot on your heels.

'The comeback kid, James Braxton, has 20 years of experience in auctioneering.

'But as the road trip takes its toll, he's starting to suffer delusions of grandeur.'

I think I might buy this for James, chauffer's peaked cap, for when he's driving me in said yellow Beetle.

He could pop this on. I think he's got a bigger head than me, though.

-HE LAUGHS

-'Maybe it's because he's beating you hands down, James.'

I'll give that to James when I'm driving around the country.

'The cranially-challenged James Lewis is also a seasoned auctioneer with his own business in Derbyshire

'and is highly competitive.

'He's on a roll and is going for bust, quite literally.

'James Braxton has had a difficult run so far and made more losses than gains.

'From his initial £200, he only has £176.30 to play with.

'James Lewis, on the other hand, has been coining it in,

'winning three out of three auctions and growing his initial £200 to £781.74

'to spend on today's road trip. How does he do it?

'The route for the week takes our happy campers from Ampthill in Bedfordshire

'over the channel to Jersey and back,

'to the final destination in Leamington Spa,

'covering almost 1,000 miles. Crikey!

'Today's trip begins in Barham in Kent

'and ends up in auction at Tring, Hertfordshire.

'Barham in the Kent Downs is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

'But in days of yore, travellers in these parts

'were terrorised by the notorious highwayman Black Robin.

'Today you'll just have to make do with James Lewis and James Braxton.'

-So you've got considerably more money than I have.

-Yeah.

-I had a bit of luck.

-Bit of luck.

-'Let's see if it continues.

'The two Jameses are en route to their first shop of the day,

'Stablegate Antiques, but the old Beetle isn't meeting Lord Braxton's very high standards.'

Why can't we have a bloody Bentley like normal people?

'Normal people, James?

'Champagne tastes on a bare income. I'll say no more.'

-Antiques.

-Come on, then.

-'Stablegate Antiques is a family affair based on a farm

'and run by Michael Giuntini and his son, Christian.'

-Hello, guys.

-Good to see you. I'm James.

-Hello. Lovely. James.

-Pleasure to meet you.

-So is it one room or two?

-We've got two rooms.

-This is the main room and then we've got another store...

-Store?

A store that's not quite as elaborate as this one, but...

You want to push him into the elaborate one. He's got quite a lot of money.

'Not that he's better, you know?'

-Swine! Right, let's have a look in here.

-The Aladdin's cave.

'He'd better rub an old lamp and hope for a genie, then. Go for it, James.'

-What could that be?

-£70.

How about a cheeky 50?

Oh, I might have to consult the management about that.

'By management, he means his dad.

'Whilst he does that, why don't you enlighten us on your find, James?'

It's a clock that is in the French style.

This brass and tortoiseshell

is known as Boulle work,

that was invented by a chap called Andre Charles Boulle,

who was cabinetmaker for Louis XIV.

This one has the brass laid into the tortoiseshell.

'I've said it before and I'll say it again,

'it's been illegal to work with tortoiseshell since new laws were introduced in 1947,

'but anything produced before that time can still be traded. There we go.'

And the way it works is that the sheet of brass and the sheet of tortoiseshell are together

and you cut the two pieces out

so you have a positive and a negative of each,

which is called parte and contra parte.

And the brass is inlaid into the tortoiseshell

and the tortoiseshell is inlaid into the brass.

So somewhere there is another clock

exactly the same but the opposite, if you follow.

'Clear as mud, James. Thank you very much.

'And just in case the first clock is too expensive,

'he's found a second one, and this one in lacquered walnut.'

-All right.

-What news?

-It'll be 60, £60 possibly.

-60. How about that one?

-About the same sort of figure, around the £60 mark.

-£60.

What's happened here at the front? Is it just... Is that doable, do you think, that lacquer?

It's a bit of water damage.

-Maybe a little bit of polish on there, maybe.

-Let's just...

-A good bit of spit normally...

-HE LAUGHS

-Spit's always good!

-If in doubt, spit on it!

-HE LAUGHS

'Disgusting! Stop spitting and start buying. He's thinking, though.

'Something's ticking. He's thinking. Yes.

-'No! He's sunk. Don't drop it.'

-I think I'm going to leave that one.

'Well, that was worth the wait, wasn't it?'

That's worth about £40 to me, but I can understand if you don't want to take that.

I'll give you 50 for that, though, if that's any good to you.

-OK, we'll do it for 50.

-50, you've got yourself a deal.

-Thank you very much.

-Brilliant. Thank you. There you go.

-Thank you very much, sir.

-Thank you.

I've got 40 in hand. Is 40 any good for you on the other?

-I think we can do that for 40.

-Could you?

-With the water damage, yeah.

In that case, hang on, I won't put that back in my pocket.

-There's some more.

-Thank you very much!

-All right.

-Cheers.

-Thank you.

-Pleasure doing business.

-And you.

'Meanwhile, James Braxton is slumming it in a barn

'with Christian's dad, Michael.'

What about this fella?

-Well, I wrap myself at night in that just to keep warm.

-JAMES SNEEZES

-'Bless you.'

-Well, it would keep you warm.

-Yes.

-Yes, it's a...

-Is that the moth or the dust playing with me?

I should say it's the dust probably. But nice colours.

'Kilims are produced by nomads for use as carpets, bags and tent curtains,

'with different tribes doing different designs.

'Nice but dusty.'

It's just raw wool, isn't it, totally unbleached.

-You've got a bit of damage there.

-Yeah.

Terrible old damage. But I did notice... Here we are.

-Magic carpet beater.

-Oh, yeah.

-See, look.

You keep a well-stocked garden shed, I must say.

-I used to get hit with that one.

-MICHAEL LAUGHS

No, we don't want to know about your hobbies, Michael.

-'Cheeky!'

-How much is a blanket these days?

-I don't know, something like that, 10...

-Fiver?

-Yeah, £5, £10, I suppose.

-Yeah.

-I think I'd be happy to give you a fiver for this.

-Good.

-I am known for my generosity.

-Yeah, well, I'm sure you are.

-JAMES LAUGHS

-I can get an upgraded carpet for a fiver. Well done!

-Thank you.

'Seems to me it's Michael that's taking a beating.

'A kilim rug for a fiver? Whilst they finish spanking the rug,

'at the bottom of the beautiful Kentish garden, James Lewis is growing impatient.'

-Come on, James.

-What are you doing sitting down?

-I've been buying.

-Have you been buying?

-Yeah.

-You've bought?

-Yeah.

-How many?

-Er, 27 objects.

-You've done well.

-No, I haven't, I've bought two.

-Well done!

-How about you?

-Take a pew.

-I bought one.

-Oh, right.

One little chirpy little bit of textile, really.

-You've bought a carpet, haven't you?

-A magic one.

-I heard you banging it!

-A magic one.

I've been giving it a jolly good spanking.

'Oh, Brackers! You're giving the game away!

'If you don't shush up, it'll be you getting the spanking.'

This rug, how exciting is it?

I don't want... It's not very exciting, don't you worry.

-Don't you worry.

-Tell me about your rug, James.

-Goodbye!

-James! I've got the keys.

-'Does he know something about that rug that he's not letting on?

-'The old fox!'

-James!

-'James Lewis will just have to wait and see.'

-James!

'From Barham, our boys travel 16 miles across country

'to Faversham in the Swale district of Kent.

'This market town grew up around the ancient seaport of Faversham Creek

'and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.

'More about that later on.'

-Good luck.

-Thanks a lot.

-Remember, no smoking.

-'Boom-boom.

'First, James Braxton has some shopping to do

'at Squires Antiques, run by Anne and her son, Connor.'

Ahh! Little Mouseman.

God, that's a well-used breadboard, that, isn't it?

And it's still fabulous. There's the little mouse.

Thompson of Kilburn was a very famous maker in Yorkshire

and he created furniture

and these were more his novelty things, breadboards,

but his signature was putting a mouse on an item

and that's how the name was coined, Mouseman.

And is there some dramatic movement on the price, Connor?

-Oh, I'm sure there can be, yes.

-Really? What would you...

You can have that for 45. There's a good chance you'll...

-Yeah, it's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's a lovely piece, that.

Have you got anything market-fresh? Something you've bought recently

-snuggled away?

-I'm going to let you look at... It's very small.

-Very small.

-A little locket,

believed to be gold, but it's not marked,

but it's a pretty little thing.

It's very pretty, isn't it? How much do you want for that, Anne?

I think if you had it for £35, there might be a profit.

It's sweet and tiny

-and its size is a novelty, isn't it?

-Mm.

Very pretty. Anything else market-fresh?

Erm, well, we've just put this out this morning. This is collectable because it's LNER.

'Oh, yeah, that's the London North Eastern Railway to you and me.

'It's a railwayman's lamp,'

We have Cheshunt.

Do you think that might be the man who owned this?

I suggest it's probably the name of the station.

Ah. Is there a station there?

-Could be, couldn't it?

-It's on a plate that's been put on after the event.

It has, hasn't it?

-I might just see if there's a train station.

-'Don't you just love smart phones?

'New technology to research the old - good move, James.

-'He's our modern man, you know?'

-Cheshunt.

Cheshunt Station, Hertfordshire.

'Which is where the auction is.'

Spooky!

It's funny how the stars align occasionally, isn't it?

Stars align.

-And what did you think on that?

-It could be a similar price to the locket.

-It could be 35, as well. Do you a good discount on that.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Right, could I do the whole lot for £110?

-There isn't much profit left for us, is there?

-No?

But then we've enjoyed having you here, so...

Well, no, no, no, if there isn't, I'm very happy to do....

Shall we split the difference?

-Give me 115, then.

-115, I'm very happy to do that.

-Yes.

That's really kind. Thank you very much indeed, Anne.

'So, that's the rail lantern at £40, the Mouseman cheeseboard at £40

'and the gold locket for £35. Nice work!'

-Thank you very much indeed. And thank you, Connor.

-Thank you.

-Thanks a lot. Bye.

'With time to spare, James is off to find out about the town's explosive past.

'Faversham was once the centre of gunpowder production in the UK

'and also the site of the biggest tragedy the industry's ever known.

'James has come along to meet local historian Arthur Percival.'

-Hello.

-Hello, James, and welcome to Chart Gunpowder Mills.

Thank you very much. I see some fabulous old installations here.

-Yes, it's the oldest gunpowder mill in the world, in fact.

-Really?

It dates from 1759, but there was a mill on this site way back in the 16th century

and Faversham is said to be the cradle of the gunpowder industry.

So why Faversham? Did you have some raw materials here?

We had water power, which you can see down there.

We had woodland around us

and you need a lot of charcoal to make powder.

And we are a port and so we had access by seas,

because every went by water in those days, not by road.

Yeah. So the Elizabethan fleet was kept in gunpowder.

Yes. And we're quite proud of the fact that powder from here

must have gone to Nelson at Trafalgar

and to Wellington at Waterloo,

so it's played its part in national history.

'The water-powered mill turned these huge wheels outside and in

'which blended the three ingredients needed to make the explosive cocktail,

'charcoal, saltpetre and sulphur. But even back then,

'health and safety policies were strict and enforced.

'The biggest fear for any worker would've been a fire in a gunpowder store.'

-As far as possible, everything was wood rather than metal.

-Why's that?

Well, simply because you wanted to avoid sparks.

-Aha! Yes!

-Cos if you had a spark, the game was up.

'Sunday 2nd April 1916 should've been a day of rest for the factory workers,

'but many of the men were called to do overtime

'to meet the wartime demand for explosives.

'But the day was to end in tragedy.

'A number of linen sacks caught fire

'and at 1:20pm there was an almighty explosion.'

EXPLOSION

'Shockwaves were felt across the southeast,

'shattering windows in Southend and sending tremors as far as Norwich, 145 miles away.'

This is what it roughly looked like afterwards.

-That's the aftermath.

-Goodness.

And as you see from the photograph, it's virtually featureless.

-A bit reminiscent of a nuclear explosion.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yes.

'15 tons of TNT and 150 tons of ammonium nitrate had exploded

'at one of the factories just outside Faversham,

'killing 109 men and boys. Gosh.'

And here are the poor workers here.

Yeah, that's the mass grave in Faversham Cemetery.

And again, rather touchingly, the service was inter-denominational,

which in those day, to have Catholics and Protestants and non-conformists all together

was a bit unusual. But in the circumstances, you have no alternative.

'It was a dark day for the town

'and one that will never be forgotten.

'But in spite of the tragedy, it wasn't the end of the explosives industry here.'

-It went on till 1934...

-Right.

..when the whole of the factory closed down,

and it closed not because of any inadequacy in the gear or the workforce,

but simply because ICI, who then owned the business,

saw the war clouds gathering of World War II

and thought Faversham was pretty close to the continent

and they remembered last time the enemy overran Belgium in no time at all

and so they'd better find a safer place for it.

So they moved it up to Ardeer in Scotland, near Stevenston,

and quite a lot of the machinery was taken up there

and quite a few of the staff moved to Stevenston.

'During the restoration of the gunpowder mill,

'the original mechanics were repatriated from Scotland

'and now form a key part of the visitors' centre, which serves as a constant reminder

'of those who lived and died for the industry right here in Faversham. Fascinating.

'Back on the road, though, James Lewis has Beetled into Herne Bay

'for some bracing sea air and hopefully some more antiques.'

I don't know what to expect, really, from the next place.

But even if I only buy one thing,

that will be fine for me.

'Herne Bay is a seaside town on the south coast of the Thames Estuary,

'home to the world's first freestanding clock tower, built in 1837.

'But this is no time to dally, James,

'because you've got shopping to do.

'His last emporium of the day is Interior Interiors,

'run by Roger and Lynne Hampshire. Hello!'

-Hello there.

-Hello!

-Hi. I'm James. Nice to see you.

-This is Lynne, my wife. I'm Roger.

-Nice to meet you.

'Roger and Lynne sell an eclectic mix of furniture and small antiques,

'including some rather quirky items. So what's James got now?'

-This is what you need for piles, a good suppository mould.

-'I'll have to take your word for it.'

-Uh-huh.

-Apparently, the guy that had those in the war was making lipsticks.

-Was he really?

-'Suppository-shaped lipstick, eh?

'You wouldn't need a handbag to carry them around, would you?

'Instead, what about a vintage sewing machine by makers Wheeler and Wilson?'

It's got those bits

and it's got a belt drive on it,

which is very unusual.

-Right.

-And it's very rare.

I'd let you have that for 150 quid.

-Cor.

-That is rare.

-Yeah.

Well, make me a bid. Make me a sporting bid.

I could see that making 50 quid at auction.

'Someone's playing the long game.'

-Keep looking.

-Yep.

-Keep looking.

'So, he does.

'But he ends up right back where he started for another look at the suppository mould.'

20 quid.

I can do you 30 quid for these folders.

'Roger's thrown some other pharmaceutical items into the mix.

'The cork crusher would've been used to mould corks into the right size for medicine bottles

'and the paper folders were for, well, folding medical papers.

'And what about the sewing machine?'

-I can see this sewing machine make 50.

-I could see the sewing machine making 300 or 400

-if you get the right people.

-Could make 100.

-It could make a lot more than that.

'This is turning into a real battle of wills, but who's going to crack first?'

I'm getting fed up with saying things

and you just say no, so you tell me, how much money have you got left?

Right. Oh, I've got loads to spend.

-'Don't brag. But it is true.'

-I'm not short of cash.

Those I rated £8 each, so there's 16.

That I rate at 20 at auction, so I don't want to pay 20 for it, cos there's no profit in it.

So I rate those at about £20, for that group.

I rate that at about 15 to 20 at auction.

So it would need to be a tenner. So that's 30.

And that's all you want to buy, is it?

All right, I'll offer you £100 for the sewing machine and these.

-120 it's got to be.

-I'll give you 105.

-Hm.

-This is where you say, "Split the difference," I think.

-OK, all right, how about 110?

Go on, then, you've worn me down.

'Looked like the other way around to me. Well done, Roger.

'So, that's the three pharmaceutical items for £30,

'but has he got himself stitched up with that sewing machine at £80? We'll have to see.

'Night-night, boys.

-'After a restful night, our boys are raring to go...'

-Wahh!

'..as they hit the highway for a second day of shopping.

'But having slept on it, James Lewis is having regrets about the vintage sewing machine.'

I ended up paying 80 quid for something

that I am now convinced will probably make about 20, 20 or 30.

-It's a shocker.

-That sounds like one of my purchases.

'So far, James Braxton has spent £120 on four lots,

'the kilim rug, the railway lantern,

'the gold book pendant and the Mouseman cheeseboard,

'which leaves him with just £56.30 to spend.

'James Lewis has also bought four lots,

'spending £200 on two Louis XV mantle clocks,

'a Victorian sewing machine and a collection of pharmaceutical items,

'leaving him with £581.74 to spend on the day ahead.

'Travelling on from Herne Bay, James Lewis is heading for Rochester

'on the River Medway to continue his shopping.

'Rochester is best known for its cathedral and castle and an epic siege in 1215.

'But the only person likely to be under siege today

'is Bill Mcskimming of Cottage Style Antiques once James starts bargaining with him.'

-Ah, hello!

-Hello.

-I'm James. Nice to see you.

-I'm Bill. Nice to meet you.

Gosh, what a place!

'Eventually, James is caught in a pile of tribal art.

'Can you guess what it is yet?'

You look at the shape and you think immediately Aboriginal, Australian.

It's called a throwing stick,

and they were like a boomerang but not quite the same.

Not all of them were designed to come back.

This has a much nicer feel to it. It's much heavier.

Sort of a lignum vitae feel, which is the only wood that doesn't float.

But the little bits of decoration there

still feel fairly sharp.

That might just be pre-war, but those two are certainly later.

You don't think that's a shield, do you? Or do you?

-No.

-Cos if you held it, they'd hit your hand and you'd drop it.

-Yeah, there's no way of...

-Or something to knead the dough?

Yeah, it could be, couldn't it? Something like that.

I do like my tribal stuff. How much are they?

They could be 50.

I've got four lots already.

I could put the clocks together.

-I bought a sewing machine. Why did I buy a sewing machine?

-'Here we go again.'

£80 for a sewing machine.

It wasn't a standard Singer type, it was something slightly different, but...

'Get over it. Move on. Feeling well and truly stitched up,

'James's spirits are lifted when he spies a tiny tortoiseshell snuff box.

'And you know what we say about tortoiseshell.'

It's classic George II, sort of 1720, 1740.

That lovely flattened hinge. And the shape is typical.

You often see these with silver piquet decoration in the top, which make a fortune.

But a moulded edge. And, again, the way it just shuts so perfectly.

300 years of shutting and it still works.

That's a lovely little box.

-How much would that be?

-20.

-20.

You say 15 and I'll say OK.

-In that case, 15.

-HE LAUGHS

Yes? You've got a deal.

'And then he goes back to the boomerang.

'Funny - shouldn't it come back to him?'

Would 20 quid be all right for those bits of tribal art?

-Yeah.

-Yeah? In that case, you've got a deal on those.

Well done. Brilliant. Thank you. It's...

I don't think they're greatly old, but you never know.

'Having completed all his shopping, James Lewis is travelling on to Yalding near Maidstone

'to take a well-earned tea break. As you do.

'He's here to meet Sue Blazye

'who's just warmed up one of her many teapots.'

-Hi, how are you?

-Hi!

-Welcome to Teapot Island.

Hi. Thank you very much. My goodness!

-And it really is an island, isn't it?

-Nearly.

-We have to cross the river both ways to get in.

-So why Teapot Island?

We bought it as Riverside Diner, and we collected teapots, so we changed it to Teapot Island.

Come on, let's have a look.

'Sue is absolutely teapotty.

'She bought the tea room in 2002 and has since transformed it

'into a treasure trove of novelty teapots, over 6,000 of them!'

-JAMES LAUGHS

-My goodness!

-Oh, and you sell them, too!

-Oh, yes.

The first one of everything belongs to me and then we sell them.

They're completely mad, aren't they?

-HE LAUGHS I think they're lovely.

-In the nicest sort of way!

'Britain is a nation of tea-brewing eccentrics,

'drinking an estimated 165 million cups of tea every day,

'a heck of a lot of tea, calling for a heck of a lot of teapots.'

-When did it all start?

-It started in 1983

when my grandmother gave me a teapot.

And that's how it started.

-So all these are just in 30 years?

-Yes. But this is not part of the collection.

-The collection is through that door.

-Come on, then.

-Go through the door.

'Originally, teapots were tiny

'and it's said that tea was drunk directly from the spout.

'In the mid-18th century, makers such as Wedgwood and Whieldon

'produced pots shaped like pineapples, cabbages and cauliflowers.

'So the novelty teapot was born.'

Wow.

They are crazy. Crazy designs.

-Fairly modern or...

-Yes. 1950s.

-Oh, OK.

-Not very old ones, just different shapes. We just wanted to collect the different shapes.

-Just ones that you liked.

-Yes. I love them, but now it's become our life.

Really? How many have you got altogether?

Over 6,800 now.

So this is only the first little bit of it.

-That is a life.

-These three are really rare.

By somebody called James Erin.

So we've got the walrus, rhino...

And the rain bird. The rain bird's the most expensive.

-She's the rarest.

-'And cost Sue £1,000.'

-So when was James Erin?

-In the 80s.

-In the 80s, was he?

Most of the novelty ones started, I think, 70s, 80s, 90s.

That was the heyday. And that's what I know more about, the novelty.

-They're more fun in the 80s.

-They are. They're really exciting.

'Over 30 years, Sue reckons she's spent approximately £136,000 on her teapots.

'But once you've got them, where do you put them all?'

Up until 18 months ago, this was my lounge.

And we had an upstairs extension built.

-For the teapots?

-No, for myself.

-For yourself.

-And the teapots have the old lounge.

So this collection is costing you a fortune.

-It's not just the buying of the teapots, it's the extending of the house.

-Mm.

I wouldn't be surprised that if one day

this is in one of the big museums of our country

as an important catalogued collection of teapots of this generation.

'And with that, it's almost time for James to get back in the Beetle.

'But not before Sue dusts down a very special teapot.'

Now, that is what I call a teapot.

And it works! Fantastic! Look at that!

Well, brilliant. Cheers.

'With only enough tea for two,

'James Braxton has made his way to Charing, 20 miles away.

'His final shop of the day is SV Antiques,

-'managed by Nigel Mullarkey.'

-Hello.

-Nigel.

-Good to see you.

-Good to see you again.

You find me at the end of my buying phase.

I've been to Faversham, bought some quite nice things.

Have you got any odds and things?

-Yeah, I think if you look out the side there, we might find something.

-There?

-I think so.

-OK, brilliant.

-That's where your cheaper items are.

-'They'll need to be cheap. He's only got £56.30 to spend.'

Jungle.

-'Oh, that looks cheap.'

-Onyx from the Atlas Mountains.

There's something really comforting about the shape.

'Yeah, if you happen to be a chicken.'

Hasn't quite got enough in there. But if we just pepper them up a bit.

'He's padding out the odd little lot with some old glass bottle stoppers.'

Now, Nigel, how much for that lot? Make it cheap.

-20 quid the lot.

-20 quid the lot. Is anybody going to buy that?

Or am I the stupidest man in antiques?

'Er, no comment.'

-Could you do 15, Nigel?

-I thought I was a bad buyer.

THEY LAUGH

-Go on, let's have a deal.

-15, go on. Let's put it there.

-I think the joke could be on me.

-Or me.

THEY LAUGH

'Ha! With shopping completed, it's time for the two Jameses to weigh up the competition

'as they get to see each other's items.'

-Goodness me!

-There we go.

That looks an extraordinary sewing machine.

-Now, you think that's your howler?

-Yeah, I do.

'Uh-oh. He's not still going on about that, is he?'

I paid 80 quid for it.

Well, for a very basic manual Singer, you pay £25 or £30.

-For just a... Yeah.

-That's lovely. I think that's a nice bit of engineering.

-What's wrong with that?

-I think it is, but I just don't think it's worth anything.

'Methinks he doth protesteth too much.

-'What about that snuff box, then?'

-A nice bit of tortoiseshell.

-Lovely.

It's so plain. The ones that make a lot of money

are the ones with the nail-head decoration.

-Sort of piquet, yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's nice.

-And you can see the sort of Ordnance Survey contours in it.

-Yes!

-So it's fine, isn't it?

-Yeah. And it was 15 quid.

-That's cheap, isn't it?

-Yeah. It should have a one in front of it and more, I would hope.

-Yeah. I think you've shown up my bits already.

-Oh, really?

-Right, are you ready?

-Go on, then.

-Here we go!

-Ooh, what's that?

Here you are. Take that one.

Ooh, I like that.

It's pretty, isn't it? I think it's gold and black enamel.

-How much?

-That was £35.

That could have a one in front, couldn't it?

-Lovely.

-So that's quite sweet. And this is the thing I'm rather pleased with.

It's a sort of guard's, a sort of platform lamp.

And this is how sometimes the stars can all align in one.

-It's Cheshunt. And in fact, it's the station's name.

-Yeah.

-Guess where Cheshunt is.

-No idea.

-'Clueless.'

-Hertfordshire.

-'Geography never was his strong point.'

-And that's the £5 rug.

-£5.

-What is that? Is that a kilim?

-Yeah. It's one of these flat-weave fellas.

'Seems as though James is pretending he doesn't know what it is.'

-We all go off to Tring with our heads held high.

-Yep.

-Bestest.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

'Oh, yeah. So come on, boys, what do you really think?'

I think James has bought really well this time.

I love that little book locket.

It's one of those things that appeals to more than one collecting angle.

I think that is probably the star lot for him.

I don't think James has much to fear with a boxed sewing machine,

belt-driven, which is very unusual.

I think he was just toying with me. The man is toying with me.

'As James Lewis finishes toying with James Braxton,

'there's only one way to find out who will be victorious in today's competition.

'From Charing, our experts embark on the final 100 miles of today's trip

'to the auction in Tring in Hertfordshire.'

-This is it.

-Righty-ho!

Whoa! How about that?

-Perfect!

-Perfick! Well done.

See, I haven't lost my technique of stopping this damn car. I'm hoping for better luck in there.

'Today our experts are going head-to-head at Tring Market Auctions.

'Established in 1832, it's one of the best-known salerooms in the home counties.

'But does auctioneer Stephen Hearn think our experts have bought wisely? Stand by.'

The Victorian Wheeler sewing machine,

that's a very interesting item.

It's a machine now which is quite rare.

As the value of these sewing machines is not that high,

I still think it might get very close to £100.

The kilim red ground rug, that's one of the early 20th century rugs.

It's had a lot of wear.

But there again, there are many buyers who like a rug of that type

which has had some wear to it.

It's going to be restricted in value. Probably around £50 or £60.

'James Braxton started this leg of the road trip with £176.30

'and has spent £135 on five lots,

'leaving him with a cash reserve of £41.30. Tight!

'James Lewis started with £781.74 and bought six lots

'costing £235,

'leaving him with a seriously healthy balance of £546.74.'

-What's your first lot?

-Aboriginal club.

-G'day!

-G'day!

'First up for James Lewis, it's the selection of tribal objects,

'boomerang, club and carved bowl.'

I'd like to see 100 for it. 50 or 40?

Yes, 40 we've got for that one, surely. Yes. And 5.

50. 5. 60. 5. 70.

5. 80. 5. 90.

At £90 on my left, then. At £90. Thank you.

GAVEL BANGS Good job!

-That was quick and easy, wasn't it?

-Tribal art - it's the future.

'Strewth! A bonza start for James Lewis.

'It's the first lot now for James Braxton,

'the gold and enamel book pendant.'

A nice lot. It's worth £70.

Or 50. Or 40.

30. 5. 40. 5.

50. And 5. 60. And 5 now.

Sitting down. £60 if there's no further bids, then.

-It's yours, sir, at £60. Thank you.

-GAVEL BANGS

Not quite what I was hoping for.

-But, but still a profit.

-'Well done, Brackers!

'Time for the first of James Lewis's clocks to go under the hammer.

'The red Boulle work jobbie.'

Here it is, a rather nice clock, that one.

-Nice one.

-It's a nice one.

What about 100 for it? Or 50 for it? Yes, 50 I've got for that one.

Thank you. 5. 60. 5.

70. 5. 80.

Shall we go 90. Yes. And 100?

No more? £90. 5. Just a fiver. It all helps, you know?

95, then, I'm selling it. It's going to sell for £95, then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Thank you.

-It's a working profit.

-Double your money, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Yeah. I thought that might have made a bit more.

'Don't get too excited, will you, James?

'There's nothing wrong with a £45 profit.

'James Lewis's other timepiece now, the walnut jobbie.'

5. 60. 5.

-70.

-Well done.

-5 now. At 70, and 5 it is.

At £70, then, you're out at £70. And 5.

75. 80. 5.

-See?

-At £80.

-It's doing well.

-And I shall sell.

-For £80 then, thank you.

-GAVEL BANGS

-£80.

-Yeah. Another profit, which is good.

That's good! That's good!

'No time to celebrate, though.

'Victory for James Lewis isn't a foregone conclusion.

'Next it's James Braxton's pine bowl

'with the green onyx eggs and the glass stoppers. Groovy.'

There you are. Useful lot to somebody.

Where will we start? £20 for them? Tenner for them?

8 for them. 9 for them. 10 for them.

Madam, you're missing that... 12!

15 anywhere? 15 I'm bid for those.

18 I've got for them!

-Oh, go on!

-Go on!

-20?

No, 18's got them, then. I'll sell them for £18, then.

'A tiny profit, but at least it's not a loss.'

HE LAUGHS

'No wonder he's still smiling.

'James Lewis's Georgian tortoiseshell snuff box is up next.'

-It's smaller than I remember it.

-It is.

-Have I got £70 for it? Or 50?

-I'd give you 70. Oh, no!

Come on! 40, yes.

-40 we're bid, then. 5 now. At £40.

-No!

45. 50. 5. 60. And 5.

And 70. And 5. And 80.

And 5. 90?

-At £85.

-I want it!

-5, is it?

-Too much.

No more, then, at £95. Are you out, madam?

-Sir's got it for £95. Thank you.

-GAVEL BANGS

-A good profit, but...

-£80 profit. That's a great profit.

-Yeah. Yeah.

'A great profit on the snuff box. £80 is not to be sneezed at.

'Next for James Braxton, it's the railwayman's lantern

'from Cheshunt Station, just over 30 miles away from the auction.'

-There you are, local object there. £80 for it.

-80.

Railway piece. Yes, 80 or 50?

40. 5. 50.

5. 60.

-5. 70.

-Well done.

-5. No more?

-OK, then, £75.

-That's all right, isn't it?

-At £75. Thank you!

-Well done.

-Pleased with that.

-Yeah, that's a find.

'James Braxton's fortunes have really taken a turn for the better.

'He'll struggle to win the war, but at this rate, he could still take the battle.

'Next up for James Lewis is the collection of pharmaceutical items,

'including paper folders and suppository mould.

'Now, no jokes about this being a bum deal.'

There you are. You can take that one home and do as you please.

What about £60 for them? £40?

5. £50. 5. £60.

-5. £70. 5. £80.

-Really?

Madam, one more.

No? At £80, then, they're going to be sold.

That's good, isn't it?

-For £80, then.

-Very good. GAVEL BANGS

-Thank you very much.

-It's really good, really good. Well done him.

-And how much did you buy those for?

-30.

'Piles of profit from the suppository mould.

'If that doesn't leave James Lewis smiling, nothing will.

'It's time for James Braxton's next item, the Mouseman breadboard.'

There you are, what about £80 for it? 80? Or 50? Or 40?

40 I'm bid for it. Not a lot of money, you know?

5. 50. 5. 60.

5. 70. 5. 80. 5. 90 now.

85. 90 is it?

90 I'm bid for it! Are you five?

-Sorry, no.

-No? 90 has it, then.

-THEY SNIGGER

I shall sell it. Down it goes. We sell at £90, then.

-£32.

-More than double your money.

-Double your money, gosh.

-Braxton's back!

'Brackers is indeed back with a vengeance.

'This is his best auction so far.

'After all the moaning about the sewing machine,

'let's see if James Lewis was right to be worried.'

We ought to be talking £100 for it, surely.

100 or 50? I thought so. At 50. Yes, 50 I'm bid.

-60 I'm bid. 70. 80.

-Hey?

-One more. 90.

It's got to be £100. 100 I've got, there you go.

100 we're bid. 10 is it? Yes.

And 20. Are you 30? 130.

Consultation. Yes? 140!

There you go, then, at £140.

And 50. You've lost it, then. At £140, then.

-Thank you.

-Well done!

I'm stunned at that.

-I was absolutely convinced that was going to make 30 quid.

-'Get away!

'He seems to have surprised himself with that one, then,

'but he doesn't have the competition stitched up yet.

'Last for James Braxton is his kilim rug.

'It needs to sell for more than £232

if he stands a chance of winning this leg.'

-Nice rug, that one.

-Lovely.

What about £100 for it? 50 for it?

40, surely, then! Yes, it's 40.

Oh, well done! Well done!

We're not there yet, surely. 50 I'm bid. 60. And 5. 70.

5. And 80 from madam.

£80. Never mind the hole.

-Shh!

-Shh!

-5, anyone?

At £80 then, madam.

-I shall sell it, then, for £80.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Well done. Very pleased with that.

-Well done, James. Brilliant!

'That really is a magic carpet,

'giving Brackers a ridiculous 1,500 percent profit!

'Not enough to win today's auction, though, but it's a victory of sorts.

'It's the first time on this road trip that he hasn't made a loss!

'James Braxton started the show with £176.30,

'and after auction costs, he's made a profit of £129.86,

'Sending him through to the next round with £306.16.

'However, James Lewis started with £781.74,

'and after auction costs, he's made a profit of £240.60,

'taking his total to an almighty £1022.34

'and his fourth victory in a row.'

-Ah, pleased with that.

-Well done, you.

-Very pleased with that.

-Yeah, that's good.

You take the leg, but I am definitely showing better performance.

-Healthy profits.

-Healthy profits.

-Come on. Good.

'So, with just one final leg to go, can James Braxton save face by winning the last auction?

'Or will it be a total whitewash for James Lewis?

'Next time on the Antiques Road Trip...'

That is the oldest poo you will ever see.

'..James Lewis is up to his old tricks again.'

That is a fossilised turtle turd.

'And coughs and sneezes spread diseases.'

-HE SNEEZES

-Oh, I blame you!

My gift to you is my flu. JAMES SNEEZES

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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