Episode 17 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.

-Yipee!

-My heart's slightly racing.

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

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

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

Johnny, are we going to end up in a dead end?

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

It's the second leg of our trip in a little 1964 MG

with Jonathan Pratt and Anita Manning.

-I think we're both going to the same shop.

-Are we?

-What, shopping at the same time in the same shop?

-I think so.

Jonathan is an auctioneer and a former porter.

He grew up watching Lovejoy and likes to live dangerously.

If he could just make his mind up.

Anita turned her childhood love of art and antiques into a career as an auctioneer.

She also has a fondness for puppetry.

Isn't that great fun?

Anita had Jonathan in the palm of her hand at the auction in Glasgow.

Yes!

But today, in the beautiful Scottish Borders, her rival's finding his feet.

-Ecclefechan?

-Ecclefechan.

-SCOTS ACCENT: Ecclefechan.

-Oh, that's a great accent!

Eh! We've just come past Ecclefechan.

Jonathan started out with £200.

And he's, so far, managed to turn that into £235.34. Well done, boy!

Anita, who also began with £200,

now has £317.74.

Great!

Oh!

Whoa! Oh, hope that's not a sign of things to come.

Oh!

LAUGHTER

Anita and Jonathan are travelling over 400 miles,

through Scotland, England and Wales,

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

Today, we're starting out in the south-west of Scotland at Lockerbie,

and heading over the border to an auction in Darlington, County Durham.

Lockerbie is a Norse name, apparently, and the town has a long and venerable history,

especially since Thomas Telford supplied the Carlisle-Glasgow road

in the early 19th century.

Ah, just outside there. Wonderful!

-Jonathan, look at that!

-What...? JONATHAN LAUGHS

-Hello.

-Hello.

So as to avoid unnecessary toe treading,

Jonathan does the decent thing and allows Anita first peek into the cabinets.

Whilst he and Irene take a brief tour of the furniture.

Well, how about that?

Anita already has something.

-Is it all right if I take it outside into the light?

-Oh yes, that's fine.

-That's fine.

-Thank you.

I wonder what she's spotted?

What I'm looking for now are hallmarks.

They can be quite tiny, so often it's better to come out into the daylight.

Now let's look at the bracelet.

It's gold-plated. The bracelet is not solid gold, but I didn't expect that.

But I could see this yellowy metal.

But let me look at the backplate.

Er, treasure!

That's what I'm looking for.

So this little watch case is 18-carat gold.

It's got £20 on it.

That's cheap.

Looks like you've got there a bit too late, Jonathan.

I was looking at this wee vintage watch.

I think it's probably from the 1950s, '60s.

-I would say it's the '50s.

-1950s.

Now, there's only one problem with this negotiation.

There are three people in it.

I'm looking to buy it for less.

-I hope you're not listening to this, Jonathan.

-No, not in the slightest.

OK, close your eyes. Close your eyes.

The poor lad's blushing. No wonder he was a little nervous about sharing.

He's a lovely boy.

Now, where were we?

It's at £20. I'm looking to buy it for less, if I can.

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

-Erm, what about 12?

-12?

Well, she said that 20 was cheap.

Let's go for 12. That's lovely.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much. That is smashing. I'm pleased with that.

-It looks a lot better than mine.

-It does.

On that note, let's see what Jonathan's been up to with his eyes open!

DING!

Quite like that. Chinese porcelain bowl.

You've got a firing crack in the star crack in the bottom.

It's not a break. It's the body drying out and cracking in the kiln.

This enamel decoration painted over the glaze is a little worn in places.

It's in remarkably good condition when you consider it's between 150 and 180 years old.

You have £60 on it.

And you might take an offer of...?

-35.

-Oh, OK.

OK, we're moving in the right direction. That's a very busy bowl!

Crikey!

That's rather a smart thing.

There's a dragon, picked out in gilt, with four toes.

The four-clawed dragon on porcelain

was usually for imperial nobility and high-ranking officials.

Those items with five-clawed dragons were reserved for the Emperor himself.

Improper use of claw numbers was punishable by execution, once upon a time.

Very nice decoration though, but what about the damage?

What a shame! What a shame!

Touch of the Frankensteins about it, isn't there?

This is a 19th-century repair. Basically, they had to drill holes in

and then put these staples in and glue them in.

Though sometimes you can move the two pieces independently. It's like a brace.

It's still a very nice piece though.

-How much is he?

-£15.

-£15?

-Yes.

Go on, Jonathan, get your wallet out!

Er...

-And the other one would be 35?

-Yes.

You can do it.

£35... You wouldn't do the two for £40?

Erm... Yes, go on. I will.

-The two bowls for £40?

-Yes.

-I'll have those.

Thank you very much. Lovely.

At last, JP! Well done.

Now, I think Anita might have designs on the tableware.

These are highly collectable.

They're Homemaker plates. 20th-century design.

And I love 20th-century design.

Homemaker was created by Enid Seeney

and includes such quintessential 1950s motifs as a Robin Day chair

and a Sigvard Bernadotte sofa.

It was once very popular in Woolworth's.

People were getting away from pre-war styles. They wanted something modern.

They wanted something new. 20, 30, 40.

£70. In an auction in London, that's not dear,

but they're going to an auction in Darlington.

I'm going to have a think about those. Definitely have a think.

Well, these two experts do seem to have uncannily similar tastes today.

Gent's Longines automatic.

Now he's after a watch!

From about the '60s. I quite like that.

-It's a nice watch.

-It's quite wearable today still.

And the market for... Sorry, I hear footsteps coming this way.

It's all gone quiet, while Anita has got a bit too close.

The market for gentlemen's automatics, and certainly mechanical watches,

is reasonably buoyant, you know?

-It's gold-plated...

-Yes, it's gold-plated.

I think that one would have 60 on it, so I would take 35.

-ANITA IN THE DISTANCE:

-It's a nice thing, a nice thing.

-I was looking at the Homemaker plates here.

-Oh, yes.

I'm interested in those.

Give you 30.

Hello. Hello.

Yes, watch out! Or should that be, watch in? Ha!

-What's she looking at now?

-Let's have a look.

Well, she's grabbed Jean actually. I wonder what she can come up with?

-60, 64. That's 68.

-Yeah.

I'm kind of looking for a price around about £25.

-30 would be fine.

-30?

I think I'll go for that and just take the chance on it.

So Anita's splashed a very reasonable £42 on those, plus the gold watch.

BEEP-BEEP!

And Jonathan's certainly sounding pleased with himself.

BEEP-BEEP!

Oh, do calm down!

Patience! Patience, Jonathan. Patience.

-Do you like what you bought?

-Well, I... Who knows, who knows?

You don't want to tell me anything! Drive on, Macduff!

It's "Jonathan" actually!

Time to edge a wee bit closer to that border,

travelling south from Lockerbie to the village of Ruthwell.

Deep in the heart of the countryside,

where, apparently, Jonathan's off to...the bank.

This is Ruthwell Kirk, where they keep the famous Anglo-Saxon cross.

This elaborate sculpture was destroyed and lay in pieces for about 150 years,

until it was put back together by the minister in the early 19th century.

But restoring the cross was only one of Dr Henry Duncan's many achievements.

Because as well as being a journalist, a publisher and a geologist,

he opened, in this tiny village, the world's first savings bank.

-Hello.

-Hi. Nice to meet you. Jonathan Pratt.

-I'm Mhairi Hastings.

-This actually was a bank?

-Yes, it was a bank aimed at the poor.

That was the big difference about this bank.

-Shall we find out a bit more?

-Come on in.

200 years ago, workers could do little more than scrape by on meagre wages,

while banks were only for the rich, but Dr Duncan realised

to help escape the poverty trap, a new kind of bank was needed.

So this is where the clerk would have sat himself?

Yes, Henry Duncan would have sat in this original chair, behind his desk here.

And he would have taken the money off the poor people.

Henry Duncan's big idea was an account which required a deposit of only sixpence,

while other banks demanded £10, the equivalent of over £650 today.

It meant that working people could now save, and earn interest, too.

He took the money and he put it into a commercial bank up in Dumfries.

It was a new concept in Scotland for the industrious poor to be asked to hand over their life savings.

So they needed slightly more faith that the system could work.

So Henry Duncan commissioned this box and it had three padlocks on it.

If you were a saver here at Ruthwell, you voted for your trustees

and three of your trustees would be given a separate key.

So it meant no ONE person could run off with this little box

and open it without the other two being present.

Duncan's bank became the Trustees Savings Bank

and, although the Ruthwell branch closed in 1875, the savings bank lived on.

The museum's collection shows just how far the idea spread.

It's estimated that by 2002,

there were 109 savings banks organisations in 92 countries.

He wrote a set of rules on how to run a savings bank.

He would send out copies of that rule book to anybody that asked

and help them to set up their own savings bank.

Crikey, the man should have been knighted.

-Absolutely.

-That's quite phenomenal, actually!

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

The good doctor, for all his achievements, died a poor man

and is buried here in an unmarked grave.

But while Jonathan's been learning all about thrift,

Anita's intent on doing just a little more spending,

making her way north from Ruthwell to the outskirts of Dumfries.

This is the Dumfries and Galloway Air Museum.

The restored control tower of the old World War II airfield

is now a listed building and below there's an ever-expanding aircraft collection.

No, she's not going to fly one of these, silly!

Even the streets around here have famous names!

And on the site of the old barracks, there are a few bargains worth scrambling for.

-Hello! Hi. I'm Anita.

-I'm Douglas. Pleased to meet you.

-It's lovely to be here. Is it "Dougie"?

-I was just being polite though!

OK!

Well, those two seem to have hit it off straight away.

There's plenty to admire here, too, not least the pictures.

Not too bad a hand.

Paintings can be a bit tricky at a general auction though.

I was looking at this little stool here.

Now that would be perfect for lolling about on and admiring one's art collection.

It's not old. It's all dressed up and pretending to be

something older and something more luxurious than it actually is.

There is a French look about that.

A sort of hint of luxury there, which I do like.

-£65. It's got the look.

-Yeah.

And I don't mind the fact that it's metal.

-Yeah.

-I would like to buy that round about 20.

-If you could make it 30.

-If I could make it 30?

-Make it 30 and I'd let it go at 30.

-I'm not sure I could make a profit on that.

Can I make you an offer of £24?

-You know, I might get away with it at 24.

-Make it 25.

-25?

I've got to take it. OK, thanks. Great.

But Anita's not putting her feet up just yet. Oh, no!

Time to step out into the garden.

An old cast-iron fire place.

Edwardian.

This one's new, brand new, made of plaster.

But look at that one!

That is absolutely beautiful!

That is absolutely beautiful.

And that's the type of cast-iron fireplace

that you would find in a Glasgow tenement building. Glasgow loved Art Nouveau.

Mmm. But is it the right thing for a general sale in Darlington?

Look at these sinuous tendrils which are coming up to this heart-shaped affair here.

This is just absolutely lovely.

If I got it really, really cheaply, I would go for it.

-Is that quite heavy?

-Erm...

It's not too bad.

Er, it's made in Falkirk.

-Probably the Carron ironworks.

-Probably.

It's odd to think that in the days before central heating,

fireplaces were functional items,

rather than a decorative focal point.

This one's priced at just £30.

Now, who's going to make the first offer this time?

I like it. Erm, it needs stripping down. It needs work on it.

Can it be bought cheaply to get it out your road?

-To get it out your road?

-Make me an offer.

-OK. Can I make you an offer?

-Yes.

£20 for that. I'd like to be paying £20.

-Give me 25 and it's yours.

-25?

-25.

-Are you dying to get rid of that?

-No.

Just a sense of... No, I'll give you it for 25.

You'll give me it for 25. Dougie, it's a deal.

That is a popular figure. I wonder if these two would always, somehow,

arrive at £25?

A thrifty end to another thrifty day for Anita, but what about Jonathan?

Has your visit to the bank made you a new man?

Let's not go too far.

Well, we'll see. Night, night!

Next morning, they're hard at work, trying to find England.

-This is someone's driveway, I think, we're going down.

-Someone's drive...

-Yeah, it is. Yeah! Yes!

-Johnny, are we going to end up in a dead end?

I think you might have taken the wrong turning, Anita.

Yesterday, Jonathan bought an automatic Swiss watch

and two Chinese porcelain bowls for £70.

That's rather a smart thing.

Leaving him with just over £165 to spend today.

While Anita plumped for a gold watch,

some '50s dinnerware, a foot stool and a cast-iron fireplace, all for £92...

..To get it out your road!

Leaving her with over £225 at her disposal.

It's time now to leave Dumfries behind

and head south across the Scottish border to Carlisle in Cumbria.

Now, do they know where they are?

Eden Bridge. Was it Eden Bridge it says? I thought that was in Kent!

No, definitely Carlisle.

There's the Antiques Centre for a start.

-Now that looks interesting.

-Can smell the bargains already!

-Oh, excellent! That's my boy!

-Have a great morning.

-OK, bye-bye.

-Hello!

-Crikey! What a place this is!

-Hello, Jonathan.

-Nice to see you.

-And welcome to Carlisle.

-Thank you!

-Do I need a map? I could get lost quite easily in here.

-Maybe start in the first one.

I know what you mean, Jonathan. This place does seem like a whole street full of antique shops,

tastefully rearranged.

We could be here some time.

HE WHISTLES

Do we call this a whistle-stop tour then, Jonathan?

# We are... #

-Oh, hello!

-Hello.

HE LAUGHS Didn't expect an open hatch there!

HE WHISTLES

This is kind of fun, little transfer-printed plate from the middle part of the 19th century.

"Yorkshire Relish" on there, which is quite cool.

I think the auction's in Yorkshire. Darlington's in Yorkshire, isn't it?

Well, County Durham, actually.

Anyway, I think that's rather fun, actually.

It's not chipped. It's not cracked. They're only asking £7!

HE LAUGHS

If I'm going to be frugal... £7 is frugal, isn't it?

I think Anita would approve of that, too, but where's she got to?

One of the oldest parts of Carlisle, apparently, and, surely, one of the town's smallest shops.

-Hi, folks. Hello. I'm Anita.

-Pleased to meet you.

-I'm John.

-This is Julie.

-Ah, John and Julie!

-It's very small here, you know.

-Well, I'm only small as well.

ANITA LAUGHS

Just about everything in this shop is on the trim side, too, especially their coins.

Highly collectable, but hardly Anita's thing -

a bit like the rocks and fossils.

I wonder if you can show me that piece there, please?

And there's a piece of amethyst at the top.

There you are.

I suppose they are antiques, in a way,

but she seems determined to break new ground here. Huh!

I know what that is, but I don't know what that is. Tell me about that.

This is a fossil and it's an early form of squid.

-Squid?

-Yes. And it's called an orthoceras.

And... And it swam along through the water.

Are you following this, Anita?

Eventually, they curled up and we ended up with a fully curled ammonite.

-Has that come out of the sea then?

-Well, millions of years ago.

-It's been fossilised, become part of the rock.

-Right.

And all that's happened, it's been cut in half and polished.

I was just thinking...

These would make a great pair of earrings!

LAUGHTER

So while Anita grapples with the coming together of jewellery and natural selection,

what's Jonathan unearthed? Not Whistler's are they?

Oh, they're nice as well.

You've got sort of a flower seller and this lady here who has a...

I suppose she's the same really. Almost Romanian, or that sort of area.

Pretty girls always sell, that's the thing.

Ideally, with as little clothing on as possible, but you know...

Beggars can't be choosers.

1881. It's a German name.

"A H Weigall". W-E-I-G-A-L-L.

Arthur Howe Weigall, 1836-1894, was an English painter,

about whom very little is known.

But the somewhat tatty condition of these two only adds to their authenticity in a way.

You can see if you look closely... You don't need to look closely, to be honest!

You've got a hole here and a hole here.

Almost like sticky plasters on the back.

So it's not without problems and it does need work.

A picture dealer won't complain about that too much. They know they can get it restored.

I've sold pictures where they've made silly money with holes in,

because it makes it feel like it's fresh to the market.

There's no price on these, but they almost certainly won't be cheap.

I don't really want to go blowing over £100 on one item.

And if those pictures come in at that, then I'll...

then I'll stand around staring at them for 20 minutes, thinking about it!

Time for some decisive action.

-Are you open to offers?

-I am, yes.

-Er...

-Just steady myself.

TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK

Lordy!

Instead making me an offer, I'll tell you want I want. I'm getting frightened watching your face!

-Yeah, go on then.

-Go on then. Right. I will...

The pair - and it might be a nice surprise for you - 125.

The figure in my mind was... Crikey! ..even at the most was £100.

So how about 110?

-Er, come back to that in a second.

-Yes.

-This is not a big, big buy. This little chap here.

-Oh, yes.

You've got £7 on it. Actually, it's not great leverage on a pair of pictures like that, is it?

Not quite, but it all helps.

So we'll knock a few pounds off, how about that? For good measure.

Get on with it, boy!

I'll go £7 on that and pay the full asking price,

-and you give me those for 100.

-Oh, it's just a bit tight that.

HE LAUGHS

I'll do that at six and I'll do those at 105, how about that?

105? That's 111. Er...

TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK

-I'm not a fan of odd numbers.

-Shall we knock the one off then?

-So we're looking at 110 for the two.

-110.

-Fiver for this, 105 for those two.

-Yes.

-And I hope you do well with them.

-It's real gamble.

Hand on brow. Could we be close?

No.

TICK-TOCK, TICK...

-OK.

-OK?

-Well done.

-Thank you. I'll go for those two.

At last!

My heart's slightly racing.

More of a heart ache for us!

..Four, five...

Well, he did end up spending over £100, but those things could fly.

He's still whistling, anyway.

Now, what about Anita? She has been busy.

So the citrine, the amethyst and the agate,

-and this little chap here...

-A geode.

-Geode.

These are all natural minerals and I have my ammonite.

-And my...

-Orthoceras.

-Orthoceras.

-And if I put these together...

-They come to 53.50.

I would like to be paying something in the region of £20, £25.

That was her favourite offer yesterday as well!

Have you been thrown out of many antique shops?

ANITA LAUGHS

-It would have to be in the 30s.

-But is it possible...at 30?

-I know that's a long way down.

-What do you think?

The most important thing in this negotiation...

-Yeah.

-..Is for you to be happy.

-I would be happy at 30.

-Yeah, I think, as you've shown so much appreciation of them.

-Thank you very much, Julie.

I just hope Anita can remember what they're all called for the auction. Hm!

So citrine, agate, amethyst and a little geode.

-And we have...

-Orthoceras. ANITA LAUGHS

Ah, well! Time for our two to get motoring,

leaving Carlisle and heading east to the nearby market town of Brampton.

-I'll drop you off here, Jonathan.

-Ah, lovely.

-So last shop, darling.

-Yes!

Might find that thing which will change your life.

Or I might just stay in my frugal mind.

OK. Good luck, Johnny!

Well, he's got just £55.34 to play with here,

so he'll certainly have to choose wisely.

-Hiya.

-Hi. Steve.

-Hi. Jonathan.

-Hi, Jonathan.

-It's like a Tardis, isn't it?

Yes! But it's a bit more comfy, actually, and stuffed with nice

and, very possibly, expensive things.

Let's hope he's not distracted.

# You don't know what

# We can find!

# Why don't you come with me, little girl

# On a magic carpet ride? #

It's quite a lot more than I can afford. I quite like it though.

# ..We can find

# Why don't you come with me, little girl

# On a magic carpet ride? #

It might be simpler if I just asked you what you can sell me for what I've got!

Not a bad plan, Jonathan.

-That can be £65.

-Yeah? I've only got 55, so...

Plus he's already bought some pictures.

Best to spread the risk a little, eh?

Ah, a letter seal.

What do you think? It's a fabulous piece of amber.

-It's a big lump of amber.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

It's continental, so it's probably... 800, possibly German or something.

Jonathan and Anita seem to be thinking alike.

Yesterday watches. Today fossils and natural products.

Because amber is a resin, often from the Baltic,

thanks to the many forests that grow there.

The price though is a bit beyond his budget.

-I've got 55 quid. That's all I have.

-That's fine.

-That is all I, isn't it?

Yeah, that's all you've got, mate.

-We'll turn you upside-down and shake you!

-So that for 55?

-That'll be fine.

-Fair enough.

-Deal.

That little deal nicely wraps up Jonathan's purchases and empties his pockets of all but 34p.

-We're done!

-Cheers! All the best.

So much for saving money then, eh?

Unlike Anita, who's still sitting on almost £200.

She's finished shopping, too, and is heading back north

from Brampton across the Scottish border to the village of Gretna Green.

Is she going to marry?

# I'm on my way to Gretna Green

# Where the prettiest gal you've ever seen... #

Gretna's been firmly on the runway marriage map since the middle of the 18th century -

the very word spelling "ruin" from Jane Austen right up to EastEnders.

But Anita's here to find out exactly why.

Hello, Anita. Welcome to Gretna Green and the famous blacksmith's shop.

Oh, Gretna Green! One of the most romantic destinations in the world!

-Would you like to come through and see a little more of it?

-I'd love to. Lead on, Jim!

# I've got to get to Gretna Green

# Cos the Pa is mad and the Ma is mean... #

It was a change in English law, plus Gretna's location,

slap bang on the border, that transformed the village into a sort of Scottish Las Vegas,

at the centre of which has always been the unlikely figure of the blacksmith.

-So this is the actual blacksmith's shop. This is where it all took place?

-Yes.

This building would have been the first building those young couples

running away from angry parents down in England would have found.

-Why did they come to Scotland?

-Young ladies, like yourself and others,

were marrying the wrong sort of people. They might have been marrying beneath themselves,

or someone the family didn't approve of.

The English passed a law saying no longer will you be allowed to marry in England

if you were under 21, unless your parents agree with your choice of husband or wife.

The Scots, when asked by the English to pass the same law, declined.

They said, "We don't need a law like that. We have our own customs and conventions,

"and one of those conventions is that you may marry at 15.

"You need no-one's permission. On your own head be it if you get it wrong." That was your business.

I love that!

Because the blacksmith on the border was a highly respectable craftsman,

he landed the part-time job of conducting irregular marriages.

Gretna became synonymous with anvil priests and angry parents.

-ANITA LAUGHS

-Complete...

-I love this, here.

"Filial affection or a trip to Gretna Green".

And this was an effect of the new Marriage Act.

Filial affection doesn't usually extend to whips and guns, but...

ANITA LAUGHS

Long before the Scottish and English laws harmonised,

the village was one of the marriage capitals of the world.

Nowadays, they come for the romance alone

and there are over 5,000 weddings in the area every year.

Anvils are usually involved.

-Anita, you and your hus...

-LAUGHTER

I strike the anvil, symbolic of joining two hearts,

just as I join two pieces of iron and steel with the heat of the fire in the anvil

never to be separated. So now, you two, are joined.

I'm feeling quite emotional now! Does that mean that we're married?

-Whatever you want to think, dear.

-Come on!

It will never last, you know.

Now, keen-eyed viewers will no doubt recognise the River Eden once again.

So it's a good spot to see what our experts have bought.

-Ready?

-Yes.

-Right!

-Ah, Jonathan!

-I love these.

-Late 19th century. Both are signed. One or two holes.

-But my biggest investment yet.

-A-ha. These are smashing.

How about his smallest?

This little object here, which is a 19th-century, transfer-decorated dish, cost me a fiver!

So I was really working hard for the frugal.

-It came hand in hand with £105's worth of painting.

-Ah! Great buys.

I think he's rather chuffed with his porcelain, too.

This, I like the decoration of it enormously,

but it's been split in half and stapled.

-But I got the two together at £40.

-Oh, that's good buy.

Jonathan, I'm very, very happy with you, darling.

-Very happy with you.

-I'm pretty pleased, but I haven't seen your lot.

Mine's a bit of a mixed bag here, Jonathan.

Oh, my word!

What about her design classic then?

1950s, designed by Enid Seeney.

-Sold in Woolworth's for sixpence, really, but they're collectable now.

-Very fashionable.

-Ladies wristwatch, but 18-carat case.

-Is it?!

-Yes.

-So how much was it?

-£12.

-What?!

Are you kidding me?

HE LAUGHS

-That's not a bad buy at all.

-But this is my favourite piece.

Yeah, absolutely. Brilliant. This could serve you rather well.

-I think this is a good example of its type.

-Yeah.

-And then you've got some fossils in there as well.

-Yeah. It looks nice. I don't know what it will get.

He seems a little lost for words over Anita's natural collection.

-So you've bought five lots for little over 100 quid?

-Yeah.

-Crikey! That's good!

-That's very good.

-A-ha. If I...

-So, again, it's a different tactic!

No, cos I blew the lot, every single penny, down to the last thing, again.

Yeah, but what do they really think?

The little amber seal.

I'm not sure how old it is and I'm not sure it is amber.

I think he might have slipped up on that, but you never know.

Very clever lot of purchases. Guaranteed profit with the watch.

Guaranteed profit with the Homemaker, but I've bought a great pair of paintings,

and I honestly think I could make losses on the rest and still thrash her at this auction.

Well, after starting out in the Scottish Borders at Lockerbie, this leg of our trip

will conclude at an auction in Darlington.

Although it's very far north, should we call it your stomping ground, Jonathan?

Yes, I suppose the North and the Midlands is very much where the Pratts came from.

-Really?

-Yes. Here. Only there are Pratts everywhere, I know that!

Quite, but it's the Pease family who are better known in Darlington.

Quakers and industrialists, as well as anti-slavery campaigners,

the Peases were also railway pioneers.

The 1825 Stockton to Darlington Railway was largely thanks to them.

-Looking forward to this, dear boy.

-Me, too! Me, too!

Thomas Watson's have been holding auctions at this very saleroom since 1840.

So I'm sure they can shift whatever Anita and Jonathan have bought.

Well, we hope so! Let's hear what auctioneer Peter Robinson thinks of their lots.

The pair of paintings are quite attractive, so I think they'll be interest in those.

We've got a basket of fossils, which are great for educating your kids,

but I think all the kids are away on holiday at the moment, so I'm a little bit worried about those.

Not the most encouraging opinion!

Anita started out with £317.74

and she spent just £122 of it on five auction lots.

Jonathan began with £235.34

and he spent everything, apart from the pennies, on his five auction lots.

Now, normally, at this point, I'd try to whip things up a little,

but Jonathan, it seems, is already a bag of nerves.

-Are you nervous? Are you worried?

-I am nervous. I am always nervous before the sale.

-And I start to feel jittery.

-That's the coffee.

-Yeah!

Oh, dear! Relax. It's Anita's tableware first.

Here we are.

£30 bid. To start at £30. I have 5. 40. 5.

-50. 5. £55 on my right.

-I'm happy.

-£55. Selling... I have 60! 5.

-Up in the Gods.

70, sir? Seven pieces? £65 downstairs on my right.

£65! Being sold now at £65 for the lot.

-Yes!

-Very good!

-Yes! I'm happy with that.

-So is that £35 profit?

-Yeah!

Yes, it's a good start, Anita!

-Oh, game on! Game on!

-Game on!

This could be interesting.

The auctioneer wasn't at all keen.

I've got some of this at home. I can't stand it!

Clare's grandmother had it.

£15. At £15. 20 for the collection. 20 I'm bid.

25 can I have? 25. 30. 5.

-40.

-Yes!

-5. 50.

-5. 60.

-What?!

-Yes!

-Yes, sir.

60, gentleman to my right. At £60.

Selling now to my right at £60. All finished? £60 for the lot? All done?

-Yes! Ah!

-That's amazing!

-I know, it is.

-You've doubled your money already.

-I know.

Bodes well for the day. Next, the Chinese porcelain, with crack.

Can we start at £20? For the two pieces together. 20 I'd bid.

Thank you. 5. 30. 5. 40. £35.

-Lady's bid. 40. 5.

-Internet's going.

-60. 5.

70. £65. 70.

5. £70 to my... 5. 80.

85 I'm bid on the net now. 85. 100.

-At £95. The bid's up with the net.

-Keep going! Round it up!

You're all out in the room. At £95. Being sold now at £95. All done.

-Get in there.

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

-A great start.

-Are you ecstatic?

-Yes! Relieved.

I think it could be one of those days.

Now, is Jonathan's amber a gamble?

Can I have £25 bid? £25 for it, little seal. At £25.

30 on the net. 35. 40.

At £35. It's in the book at £35.

40 in the room, on my right. £40. 45. 50.

-55.

-Here we go!

-60. 65.

-70. 75. 80.

-I think you've being lucky here, Johnny boy!

-90.

95. £90 and shaking the head on the left.

At £90. On my right then at £90. 95 anywhere else?

At £90. The bid's to my right at £90 for the lot.

-Aw, I think you were a bit lucky there.

-A BIT lucky?

But that was good.

Yes, it almost got a bit stuck.

Now it's time for Anita's foot stool.

-Louis quinze...

-Style!

-Style.

-THEY LAUGH

At £50 bid. At £50. 55 I have.

60. 65. 70.

£70 that I'm bid. £70. Are we all finished? At £70.

All done? Bid's in the book. £70 for this lot.

-75.

-75!

-In the balcony. £75 now. In the balcony.

At £75. All finished at £75? All done?

GAVEL BANGS DOWN

-Yes!

-Anita, you are amazing!

Well, it's worth its weight in...cast iron.

More of Anita's metal and Art Nouveau this time.

Isn't that beautiful?

£20, can I say to start me off? 20 I have.

-£20.

-Nearly there.

-25.

-There you go.

-At £20. 25.

-Here we go!

-30. 35.

-35. 40.

-Profit.

-£40 for the lot.

GAVEL BANGS DOWN

I would have liked it to get more.

Someone's got a bit of a bargain.

-So far, no losses.

-All right. Fingers crossed, Johnny.

Next up, Jonathan's cheapest purchase yet.

-This is my favourite object.

-Is it?

£20 bid. At £20.

-Really?

-At £20. 25 can I say?

-Yeah!

-At £20.

-Get in there!

-5 can I say?

25, front row. 30. 35, madam?

35. 40. 45, madam?

At £40. The bid's with me at £40. Sure?

-45. £40 then. The bid's with me at £40.

-One more!

It's being sold at £40. All done?

Very good. I'm very pleased.

-I'm happier about that than anything else so far.

-Ah!

Ha! And we're not even in Yorkshire.

-It's the battle of the watches.

-That's right!

What can Anita's little gold bargain job do?

-30 bid.

-35 on the internet.

40. At £35.

At £35 on the net. 40.

5.

45 in the room. 18-carat gold. 18-carat gold.

£40. The room bid I have at £40. 45.

50, sir? Yep. 50. 55. 60?

Yep? 60.

-65.

-Gosh!

-On my left at £60.

Gentleman on my left under the balcony. 65! 70, sir?

No. At £65.

A great find, Anita and a solid golden profit!

JONATHAN SIGHS

A hard act for Jonathan's watch to follow. Watch out!

£35 to start. 40. At £40. 45.

45 in the balcony. 50.

The bidding's coming in quickly.

60 now. At £55.

-The bid's in the balcony at £55.

-Don't stop!

-60 anywhere. Being sold.

At £55. Top left-hand side of the balcony. £55.

There we go!

A bit disappointing that. Anita's won the watch fight.

But this frantic adding up shows that Jonathan's still in with a chance.

Now for his paintings. If they live up to Jonathan's expectations,

he might just pip Anita today.

This is your important lot. This is your important lot!

We have £50 bid for the pair of paintings.

At £50. At £50. 5.

60. 5. 70. 5. 80. 5. 90.

5. £95 bid. 100. And 10.

-20. 130.

-You've got a phone bid.

-..150. 160.

-Phone bid.

-150 I'm bid. At 160.

-170. 180.

-There's a lot of interest in the room.

-200.

220. 240. No?

-220 in the doorway.

-Keep going! It's got to be worth more.

At £220. No? Shaking our heads here. We have 240.

260. No? 240 then.

Another bidder. You'll have it now at £240.

Lady seated to my right at £240. Are we all finished at 240?

You've doubled your money, so well spotted.

-And well done, my darling.

-Thank you very much.

-Good!

So with that mighty profit, Jonathan is crowned

today's winner!

He began with £235.34.

And after paying auction costs, made a profit of £191.40,

leaving him with a respectable £426.74 to spend tomorrow.

However, Anita started out with £317.74

and, although she made a smaller profit of £128.10 after costs,

her overall booty of £445.84

gives her a narrow lead on her rival overall.

Well done, Jonathan.

Since you've had to work so very, very hard to catch me up, I'll drive this time.

What?!

-Well, Johnny, one auction each.

-Mm!

-So it's really all to play for, darling.

-It is all to play for.

-Well, what's going to happen next?

-We'll see.

Well, let me tell you! Next time on the Antiques Road Trip...

-Well, I'm going up there, I hope.

-Right up to the top?

Anita and Jonathan are heading to Middleham in Yorkshire,

where Anita exercises some authority.

Evening, all!

And Jonathan gets his priorities right.

-Well, I've got nice dry feet now.

-Yeah.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd