Episode 12 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antique experts,

with £200 each, a classic car...

-We're goin' roond!

-..and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

I want to spend lots of money.

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

Oh, no!

-There'll be worthy winners...

-Yes!

-We've done it.

-..and valiant losers.

You are kidding me on.

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

-What am I doing?

-You've got a deal.

-This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Today, we're back on the road with a couple of rays of sunshine,

Thomas Plant and Anita Manning.

Thomas, the beginning of our second leg. It's an unearthly hour.

The skies are grey, but there's sunshine in our hearts.

-I'm all a-bristle with the frisson of excitement.

-Sitting next to me?

-Yes.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Tingling in every part of me.

-Ooh, steady on, old boy.

Dapper, debonair and full of boyish charm is Thomas Plant.

His passion for antiques buying is boundless.

-Together with dressing up.

-Sod this, I'm going to the Alps.

Looking distinctly Doctor Who-ish

is his Road Trip partner, Anita Manning.

She's an experienced auctioneer who just can't resist a compliment.

Even if it's doubled-edged.

Must have been a really lovely little lassie when you were younger.

-Well, you're lovely now.

-Well, I'm a lovely wee lassie now that I'm old.

-THEY LAUGH

-Charming(!)

They both started the trip with £200,

but after the last auction,

Thomas sits on the miserly sum of only £162.66,

whilst Anita has seen her money dwindle

to a miserable £149.44, poor girl.

We'll get less than what we started with.

Are we going to have to be a wee bit canny today?

So they really need to brighten up

and bag some bargains in this sunshine-yellow 1968 Lotus Elan.

-I'm not used to grey skies cos I come from Scotland.

-Well...

And it's always Mediterranean climate in Scotland.

Thomas and Anita will travel over 550 miles

from the village of Redbourn in Hertfordshire,

all the way to the town of Maidstone in Kent.

Today, they'll start in the Cotswolds town of Tetbury

before finishing at auction nearly 100 miles away

in Chiswick in West London.

-I'm heading to Bristol. My city.

-A Bristolian at heart.

-Yes.

-Body and soul.

-Body and soul.

And I'm thinking...if I have time

to squeeze a little bit of lunch in with my mummy.

-Oh, you're going to visit your mum?

-Yeah.

-Thomas, keep your mind on the job!

-Aye!

But before Thomas sees Mummy Dearest,

it's time to offload Anita

onto the mean streets of the Cotswolds town of Tetbury.

Nearby is Highgrove, home to His Royal Highness, Prince Charles,

but how will the Queen of Antiques get on here?

-But it's raining.

-I know. I've got my hat on.

-OK.

If I drive fast enough, I won't get wet.

-Go easy, darling.

-Enjoy Tetbury.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

It's the first shop of the day for Anita at the curiously named

Top Banana Antiques Mall. But will she make more than peanuts in here?

Time to meet owner Julian.

-Ah, Anita. Hi.

-Hi, I'm Anita.

-Lovely to see you.

-This is a huge place with a labyrinth of rooms and corridors.

-Aye.

Anita is having a good nosey, but what's on her mind?

I want to spend lots of money.

But I know that I have to be really, really careful at this bit,

or I could go down really quite low and I don't want that to happen.

I want to make profit this time.

-On everything.

-On everything?

Well, an admirable ambition, but first, I think

-you ought to try and buy something.

-I'm quite interested in this dragon.

I can't see it properly.

I'm going to get Julian to get it out and let me have a proper look.

Julian!

-Hi.

-Oh! SHE LAUGHS

This dragon winked at me as I approached the cabinet,

and I wondered if I could have a closer look.

Do you know, Julian, I feel like a kid in a sweetie shop in here.

-Brilliant.

-It's absolutely wonderful.

-Let me get it out for you.

-Watch the old tail.

-All right.

-If we're selling this by weight, we're going to be fine.

-Oh, right.

-Is it 18 carat gold?

-Definitely.

-THEY LAUGH

-18 carat brass, maybe!

-Ah, right. I thought he was quite splendid.

Sort of ferocious-looking.

-I think it's probably for fruit or something, I could expect.

-Yeah.

-First part of the 20th century.

-Yes, I would think probably 1920s, '30s.

Maybe even 1900.

This fiery fellow probably once held incense

and would have been used in Buddhistic religious ceremonies.

He has a price of £30.

-I actually think we would be happy to take £20 for it.

-£20?

-Yeah.

Put your hand there, sir. That's wonderful!

A third off straightaway, eh?

-That's a great bargain without even a haggle.

-Great, yeah. I like it.

Roar! SHE LAUGHS

-Let's hope it will roar into profit.

-Yep, we'll see.

-Now, anything else catch your fancy?

-I know what this is.

This is a SylvaC dog.

And SylvaC is a factory famed for ceramics from the 1930s,

particularly of animals.

These SylvaC dogs and little SylvaC rabbits and other animals

were made in the 1930s and they were very, very popular.

But I haven't seen a teapot and this is a teapot.

So it's quite an unusual piece.

And if you wanted a cup of tea, you would pour it out of,

erm...this dog's nose. And I think that that's a lot of fun.

Now, they have gone down in price in auction, but because it's a teapot

and because it's a wee bit unusual, I think I might have a wee blast on it.

What do you think?

Sausages!

He thinks I should have a nice cup of tea as well. Julian!

There's no ticket price, so what can Anita get it for?

-What would be the very, very, very, very...

-We're getting...

-..very...

-There's a lot of "verys" there.

-Yeah.

-A lot of "verys."

-Let's have a look.

-It's just because they're not popular anymore.

-£20.

-Och, let's go for it.

-Fantastic.

-Another bargain, eh?

I think Anita's charm has paid off here.

Now that I've bought the teapot, can you make me a nice cup of tea?

-Definitely, I shall.

-Let's go.

-Off immediately. Cheers.

So, Anita's haul in her first shop

has been the SylvaC teapot for £20...

Look at that. It even pours. And cheers, Anita. Fantastic.

-It's been a great pleasure.

-..and the old dragon, also for £20.

Now, back to Thomas.

He's making his way 23 miles south to the village of Frenchay

on the outskirts of his hometown, Bristol.

Frenchay was notable for the large number of Quakers

who settled there in the 17th century.

The Quakers were a non-conformist religious sect

who split from the established Church of England.

Thomas has come to the tiny Frenchay museum

to discover how one entrepreneurial Quaker family

went from small-time chemists

to kick-starting a billion pound industry.

His guide is local man, Alan Freke.

-So, Alan.

-Yes.

-I'm a local boy. I'm a Bristol boy.

And here we are in Frenchay.

Tell me, if I was being correct in Bristol,

what are you going to learn me about today?

-The Fry family, who were famous for making chocolate.

-Really?

-Let's go and have a look.

-OK.

The Fry family first tasted success in the 18th century

when their drinking chocolate was sold as an alternative to alcohol.

But it was in 1847 when Frenchay man Joseph Fry hit upon the idea

of a solid chocolate bar to eat.

There had been attempts to make chocolate bars

but they were all dry and crumbly.

His trick was to use the cocoa butter

extracted from the beans to mix with the chocolate

so you got something that, when you put it in your mouth,

melted in your mouth. Perfect.

But nobody bought it.

-Nobody bought it?

-Well, chocolate's a drink.

If you went in the supermarket tomorrow

and saw on the shelf a bar of tea, would you buy it?

-Hmm...no.

-Well, that's it.

People went in, they saw a bar of chocolate and thought,

"What's that?"

But then, at the Great Exhibition of 1851, Fry's took a stand,

displayed their chocolate, were giving away samples,

and the rest is history.

It was a marketing masterstroke

that made life sweet for the Quaker business.

Here in Frenchay is one of those original 1851 bars.

-And those are the ones they gave away?

-Well, no.

-I imagine they would give small samples.

-Little, small samples.

But that would have been part of a display of bars.

God, the thing about chocolate, it doesn't go off, does it?

Well, that still smells like chocolate.

We haven't tried tasting it, obviously. But it's...

-And it's got a bloom on it, which chocolate tends to get.

-Yeah.

But it's still fine.

Other Quaker families making chocolate,

like Cadbury's and Rowntree's, followed suit

and the melt-in-the-mouth chocolate bar

became a British, and then global, best seller.

So you're really telling me that the chocolatiers from Frenchay

were the first people to make a chocolate bar?

Never been done before?

That's right.

And like the other Quaker firms,

the Frys' religious convictions meant their workforce enjoyed

high levels of care, which were advanced even by today's standards.

By the middle of the 19th century, staff had pensions,

there is a health scheme, there are beds in Bristol General Hospital

paid for by Fry's for employees who were ill to be put in, and so on.

The family's success saw them employing thousands of people in Bristol,

and along with their fellow Quakers,

they pioneered a golden age for British chocolate

and an industry which is now worth nearly £40 billion worldwide.

Thank you very much, Alan. It's been... It's been so enriching.

And I'm going to go and eat some chocolate.

Thank you very much. Hope you enjoyed your visit.

So, while Thomas goes off and searches for chocolate,

Anita has also made the journey south from Tetbury to Bristol.

She's going to Michael's Antiques, run by no other

than the silver-haired and silver-tongued Michael.

I had to come to your shop because I believe that you are a legend...

-A legend?

-..in Bristol.

And you're more prettier off-camera than you are on.

-Oh, you're the type of man that I like.

-Oh, no.

-THEY LAUGH

Enough of the flirting. Let's get down to business.

-Michael?

-Yes.

-Does my bum look big in this?

No. But your head looks small, Anita.

Uh-oh, Michael's going to have a go.

-I feel like Fred Astaire.

-That's very good, that's very good.

There you are.

One, two, three.

# Pop your no... By the wall... #

Oh, it's all going a bit Strictly here.

# We're a couple of swells

# We live in the best hotels... #

-What comes next?

-I don't know.

-TIM LAUGHS

Not so much Fred and Ginger as Laurel and Hardy, perhaps.

How much is that?

Well, these I usually sell for £35.

But there's a rather battered box that goes with it, and it's £35 too.

I would really be wanting to pay roundabout £30 for the two of them.

-IRISH ACCENT:

-£30?! But... But bejesus, £30?

-She's from Scotland, not Ireland, Michael.

-THEY LAUGH

-Oh, no.

-Oh, no.

-Throw me out the shop.

I'll tell you what I'll do for the two.

-£40.

-OK. Leave them and we'll think about that.

So, what else can Anita find?

She's always been partial to a nice bit of glass,

and it's not long before she's got Michael hunting high and low.

-Could I see that one there?

-I'll not break anything.

-I want you to be careful.

-With the price or getting them down?

-Both.

-Both! This is quite a nice one.

-OK. I think it's probably Italian glass.

Well, it's like Murano. It's Italian, isn't it?

Yep, Murano glass comes from the Venetian island of Murano.

The workers there have been making wonderfully coloured

and crafted glass since the 7th century.

Look, put him down, Anita.

-Ah, now this is a nice...

-Uh-huh.

-That is very nice.

With the white lips.

Is it within the realms of reason for me to buy these for £30?

I knew you were going to say that.

-Did you?

-No.

-THEY LAUGH

I'd do you them both, right, seriously, for £75.

That hat's worth £75.

-That's the hat, the hatbox and two of those.

-£75? Could you come to 70?

It was just an idea that flashed through my head.

-What, the money?

-The two lots for 70?

-Yes.

-Aw, thank you very much. You're a darling.

-Oh, you old smoothie.

-Listen, I'm pleased.

-You're happy with that?

-I love these.

-I know. And the hat's funny.

-I had great fun with the hat.

-Are you sure you're married?

-Anita!

-Yes.

-TIM CHUCKLES

So, after all the mutual flirting, a deal has been struck.

£35 for a hat with an antique hatbox

and £35 for the two pieces of Murano glass.

That's £70 that she's got off the asking prices.

Meanwhile, what is Tomboy Plant up to?

Well, I'm here in Bristol, my home city, the city I was born in,

and I've rang my mum and it would be rude not to pop in and see her.

So I'm going in for a fleeting visit, a spot of brunch.

I feel I need a bit of energy, a bit of home loving.

Just before I start shopping.

I mean, there's only your mother can say you're wonderful

and you'll always believe it.

HE CHUCKLES

-You're just in time for lunch, Tom.

-Oh, wonderful. A bit of lunch.

Hello. Look at this, Tom's mum, or should I say Alex?

And hello, Tom's step-dad.

It's dairy-free

for my poor, pathetic little boy

who can't eat any dairy.

-Oh, that's tough love for you.

-Oh, wonderful, Mum.

Alex has decided to raid the family album,

so we can see young Thomas as a kid.

He was a lovely little boy. He was very kind to his sisters.

Um, and he was a delight.

He wasn't one of those clingy children

who would hang round your leg like a limpet.

He was always, "Right, bye, Mum! Thank you, off we go."

And does "Mam" have any tips for the grown-up Thomas?

I think your trip with Anita... You just be...

You just listen to what she says because she's an older woman -

not an elderly woman but an older woman like myself -

and I think you should just listen to what she's got to say,

-maybe get a few tips from her.

-THOMAS LAUGHS

I certainly will, Ma. Thank you for that advice.

Right, off to Hanham.

Now he's been suitably refreshed, Tom's off across Bristol

for a spot of antique buying at the aptly-named Odds And Todds.

-Hi, I'm Thomas.

-Jay is here to serve him.

I don't know whether he's Odd or Todd.

Crikey. There's lashings and lashings of stuff here.

Oh, my gosh! There's a downstairs as well.

How does he cope with all of this?

Acres of furniture. Coffee tables, cane furniture, bridge tables...

It's just immense.

I've found a cabinet full of stuff! I love this.

-There's plenty of those.

-What is that?

It's a sort of... You screw it off and you've got something...

Is it for your talcum powder? It's for your dressing table.

Shaped as a flower.

-Well, could be.

-Yeah.

And then you unscrew it and you've got a little mesh bit there

which you obviously fill up with something. Let's give it a sniff.

No. Nothing in there.

I had to see what it smelt of,

if it smelt of a scent of some description.

But what a strange-looking object.

-Do you mind if I just pull a few things out, Jay?

-No, no.

Interesting. But what's this?

-A little christening set. It's quite sweet, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-You've got this maker's name, Bernard Instone, here.

-Yeah.

Silver manufacturer.

Known for doing this lovely handmade silver with a bit of enamel on.

-It's quite sweet, really, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's a nice little piece.

Little christening set.

Hmm, very nice. But what else have you got?

-Um... I've got a maritime theme.

-Yeah.

-With a little fob compass.

What do you think these are? Do you think these are...?

-I thought they were egg cups.

-I think they're egg cups as well.

Cunard Steam-Ship Company Limited.

Art Deco.

-Aren't they?

-Yeah.

And then we've got the Stirling Castle, the marine vessel.

This is an ashtray. This is in chrome.

HE DINGS THE ASHTRAY

It's a bit ropey but it sort of works together

-as a nautical theme, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-It can go together, can't it?

-It can go together, can't it?

And this is just mad, but it's proper, isn't it?

A nice bit of Deco for some reason.

And for his next trick,

Thomas is going to add up all the ticket prices on all the items.

-So, uh, five, eight, nine, ten...

-Yep.

-22... 32... 40. Gosh, my maths is good today.

-That is good.

But what would be very, very, very good,

-is some kind of discount from Jay, eh?

-Um...

-I know it's not the big bucks.

-No, it's the nice little bits.

-35 quid, how's that? It'll be done.

-That's lovely. Thank you very much.

-No problem.

-Thank you. That's really kind of you.

-I can't argue with that.

-No.

No, I definitely wouldn't argue with that, Thomas.

Now, for those of you keeping a tally,

that divvies up into £7 for the powder shaker,

£20 for the christening set

and £8 for the maritime lot.

So well done.

It's finally the end of a hard day's buying for Anita

and the end of a bit of a skive for Thomas.

Will the tables get turned tomorrow?

You'll find out very shortly, so night-night, you two.

It's the start of a rather wet day,

and Anita and Thomas are heading to Bath.

But Thomas' thoughts are of home and dear Mama.

Yesterday, I popped in to see my mother.

I thought you were supposed to be working, Thomas?

I know, I know, but I couldn't resist it.

-Popping in to see your mammy.

-I know, to see my mammy...

-And, um, she gave me a decent bit of advice.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Oh, tell me.

-Will you share it with me?

-Yeah, I will share it with you.

-She said, "Listen to Anita."

-Aw! THEY LAUGH

Well, my advice to you is to spend as much money as you possibly can.

-Really? As much money? Oh, no.

-Sage advice, Anita.

Let's just remind ourselves how they got on yesterday.

As Thomas spent most of the day talking chocolate

and eating lamb, he only spent £35 on three items.

The christening set, the maritime lot and the powder shaker,

leaving him with £127.66 for the day ahead.

Anita's appetite, however, was for shopping,

and she spent a further £110 of her budget on four items.

The dragon incense burner, the teapot, the top hat and box

and the Murano vases,

leaving her with only £39.44 for the rest of the day.

Now our intrepid pair have finished their 13 mile trip south east

and have arrived in the beautiful spa town of Bath.

Mind that curb, Anita!

There we are, Thomas. SHE LAUGHS

-Bye-bye, darling.

-Spend big!

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

Yesterday, my mother said, "Take Anita's advice."

Anita's advice this morning was to spend big.

I never follow advice!

First stop is Bath is Old Bank Antiques,

run by an old friend of the Trip, Alex.

-You were busy.

-Yes, well. Doing the dusting.

You can't get the staff these days, you know.

Thomas has been here before, so it means no messing about.

Aha! It looks like he might have found something.

A wooden fire screen.

I found this hardwood Oriental screen. It's quite decorative.

You've got dragons chasing the pearl of eternal life, a pagoda...

..Balinese figures, an Egyptian face,

another...more sort of Oriental things,

and then at the top here, you've got two...looks like crowns.

And then here, you've got the lion and the unicorn of our coat of arms.

So you've got British coat of arms.

So it leads me to believe that this is sort of Empire-ish, isn't it?

Very much so. The product of an Empire upon which the sun never set.

It's got a few cobwebs on it.

-Well, we keep those to make people think that it's authentic.

-Do you?

Yeah. You know, people like to get things home and dust them themselves

and then it's theirs.

With a ticket price of £85, it's time for a cheeky Thomas offer.

I personally think that this is fun,

but I don't think it's worth any more at auction - and understand me

that I'm not trying to be offensive - any more than 30 quid.

How about 45?

Well, £40, you've got a deal.

OK.

That's a really kind, kind deal.

£40 it is then, done and soon to be dusted.

Anita, meanwhile, has travelled three miles outside Bath

to the very posh Claverton Manor, that houses the American Museum.

It's home to some of the world's oldest maps

so what could be more fitting for a Road Trip

than looking at some of them? Here to meet Anita is curator Laura Beresford.

-Hello, my love.

-Oh, hello, Laura. It's so exciting to be to be here.

Well, thank you so much for coming.

The American Museum, perhaps unsurprisingly,

was founded by two Americans.

The antiques dealer John Judkyn, seen here on the right,

and his life-partner, the American oil heir and philanthropist, Dallas Pratt.

The museum contains all kinds of artefacts

related to American history,

but it's Pratt's personal collection of over 200 Renaissance maps

that is its crowning glory.

Well, of the two of them, Dallas had the chequebook. John had the eye.

But Dallas was very good at choosing star items himself

and his great passion was maps, particularly maps showing America

that were printed before the year 1600.

So we're talking about the first great age of discovery, exploration.

And so you've got America changing shape.

So his passion and his collecting bug had to do with maps?

He talked about having the map bug.

But the bug first bit him, not in America, but in Paris.

He was 18 and he was walking along the Seine

and he chanced upon one particular bookseller that had three maps

on display and one of the maps is this one here.

And it was such a shock for him to see his country represented

so vividly.

Pratt's aim was to rediscover America through antique maps.

To him, they were a valuable snapshot

of the geographical knowledge, history and beliefs of the time.

He was particularly fascinated with Columbus' expeditions

and his mistaken belief he'd found the Indies,

rather than the Americas.

-This map here is more recognisable.

-Yeah.

-The world is round.

And in the top left, we have Christopher Columbus,

looking very young, dapper and handsome,

perhaps never what he looked like in life, but still...

But an adventurer should be young, glamorous and handsome.

But what's this...? Where did the word "America" come from?

Oh, that's wonderful.

Because that all came about because of a fantastic muddle.

Columbus wouldn't admit he'd found an entirely new continent

rather than the Indies, so when Amerigo Vespucci,

a rival with a nose for PR, started to make the claim it was a continent,

he received the credit rather than Columbus.

The name "America" comes from Amerigo Vespucci

because he was so good at telling tales promoting himself.

A very prominent mapmaker of the period, Martin Waldseemuller,

he produces a map in 1507,

a big world map with this new discovery

and he gives all the credit to Vespucci on the map

for its discovery.

And he coined the phrase "America" and it was such a catchy word,

people latched on to it.

Waldseemuller later realised his error

as the notes on this map make clear.

It's Columbus, it's Columbus who discovered this new land.

But no-one's listening because America is such a great word.

Whether it was misnaming America

or thinking Asia was across the Atlantic,

many mistakenly held beliefs at the time made perfect sense,

including the charting of where "There be monsters" on maps

to warn fellow sailors.

We have these giant crabs squeezing poor sailors.

We have whales with huge tusks.

I mean, these are just the scariest, the scariest of things.

In the text, it talks about fish as large as mountains

seen off the coast of Iceland.

And can you imagine how freaky that would have been,

if you were out in a very small boat

and suddenly a whale breached beside you?

And it's all completely loopy, it's all completely bonkers,

but in the context of the time when so much was unknown,

it absolutely made sense that things like this could exist.

Dallas Pratt died in 1994,

but his passion for maps has left us with a visually stunning legacy

and unique insights into the beliefs of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The thing, I suppose, that strikes me about this collection,

is the sheer beauty and artistry...

-Absolutely.

-..of the map makers.

And when I think of today... How do we find our way today?

By sat-nav, a little screen in front of our windscreen

and how poor that is, compared to these wonderful maps.

Laura, it's been absolutely wonderful for you to show me round.

-You're welcome.

-I've had a great time.

-Thank you so much for coming.

So, from a map of the world to one of the UK.

Thomas has now travelled a whopping 47 miles east

from Bath to Marlborough.

Legend has it

Marlborough was the final resting place of Merlin the magician,

so can Thomas cast a spell on Gary,

here in Marlborough Parade Antiques Centre?

-Hello, I'm Thomas.

-Hello, Thomas. Pleased to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you as well. Who's the dog?

-That's Eric.

-Hello, Eric.

-You're lovely.

-Eric's got his own shop down the road.

-Does he?

-Yeah.

Can Eric help Thomas sniff out a bargain?

After a couple of false starts,

it looks like Thomas might be on to something.

That is cool. Good ring tray, that, isn't it? Silver mount round there.

Solid silver.

CB and Sons.

Date letter for London, 1913.

It is, yeah. CB and Sons.

That's for Charles Boyton.

Charles Boyton was a well known London-based silversmith

from the turn of the century.

As well as the silver band,

this exquisite ring or pin tray is made of alabaster,

the white marble-type material, and lapis which forms the blue inlay.

-It's £35.

-Only £35.

-No, it's £35. That's still quite a lot.

-Only.

Only.

Only £35? We'll see about that.

Thomas heads off to the counter

to see if he can squeeze a few more pounds off the price.

-I've got to make a living, son.

-I know you've got to make a living.

And this dealer's got to make a living.

I know the dealer's... But it is slightly damaged.

It would have been twice, three times that amount

if it was undamaged, if it was unmarked.

I'm going to live with this, whether I like it or not.

£30.

-OK.

-That one at £30.

-That's all I can do.

So, £30 for the pin tray it is. That's Thomas' final item bought.

But will it turn out to be the best in show or a bit of a dog?

Anita has hit the road again.

She's travelled ten miles north-east to Corsham.

She's heading into the Curiosity Shop.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-I'm Anita.

-Hello, Anita.

-Nice to meet you.

-Yes.

-Is this your lovely shop?

-It isn't, actually. It's a friend's.

-Is it your shop, wee girl?

-It's my mum's.

-Oh, it's your mum's.

-And are you helping today?

-Yeah.

-Good, good, good.

The boss is Emily. Helping her, is Anne.

It doesn't take Anita long to find something.

I've got a herd. I've got three horses there.

Chestnuts. Would you say that was a chestnut?

Um, yeah, probably.

This one is called the Spirit Of The Wind.

That must mean that it's a thoroughbred.

And they can run very, very fast.

Anita is now going to see

if she can get a deal on the Spirit Of The Wind.

-The ticket price is £20.

-I do like this horse.

It is Royal Doulton. That's a good factory.

But this is a fairly modern example.

Well, er... How about 14, Anita?

-Because that's dropping it quite a bit.

-Yeah. 14.

Could you come a wee bit more, say, to ten?

-Would you like to ask your mummy?

-Yeah.

-Please.

If she agrees with that...

Emily needs to go and check the price with her mum, who's upstairs.

-Actually, she's very good.

-She said 11's fine.

-11.

-11's fine?

-Good.

11's fine?

-I think we've got a deal.

-Well done.

-Emily, I think we've got a deal.

Thank you very, very much. And thank you, Mum!

So Mum's word is the word. £11 it is.

With the change safely in her pocket,

Anita's shopping is all done.

Both she and Thomas now have bought their lots.

Let's remind ourselves what they've got.

Thomas has amassed five lots - the christening set,

the maritime set,

the powder shaker,

the mahogany screen

and the pin tray.

This gaggle of goodies cost a total of £105.

Anita also has five lots - the incense burner,

the teapot,

the top hat and case,

the Murano glass

and the horse figurine.

All in all, Anita's spent £121.

So let's hear what they think of each other's purchases.

He bought quite well. Bought a nice little maritime group.

Now, we've got Cunard stuff there and that's the magic word.

People want anything associated with the Cunard line.

Her Oriental item could do tremendously well.

And if that takes off, well, I'm in her dust.

I think I've maybe paid a wee bit too much on some things which are...

..maybe a bit ordinary.

It could be my lucky day.

Auctions are a funny thing. It's all to play for.

With five items each, then, it's off to auction in Chiswick, West London.

What do you think about our items

and how they will fit into a London auction?

-Well, the thing is, Anita, I was meant to follow your advice.

-I know.

-SHE LAUGHS

-My mother said to me, "Thomas, listen to Anita.

"She has good advice."

And I listened to you and I listened to my mother and I took none of it.

I know. Well, you were quite right too.

With the nerves jangling and their reputations on the line,

it's time for today's auction at Chiswick Auctions.

-Oh!

-Well, here we are. Our auction excitement.

-Come on. Let's go.

The man with the gavel is William Rouse so,

what about our duo's wares?

Thomas has got a more interesting, eclectic selection of items,

I think, than Anita.

Anita, my feeling is she's played it a bit safe.

I think some of her glassware perhaps is...

It's just a little bit pedestrian, if one's honest.

Tom's powder thing, I have to admit, when I was first handed it,

I really didn't know what it was.

I can't say I've ever seen anything like it before.

It's got a really good Art Deco feel to it.

The room is busy

and there are fingers poised on mice for our internet bidders.

Let's get this auction started.

Yes, first up, it's Thomas' lovely Art Deco powder shaker.

William thought you might do well with it.

Once we start this, £20 for this piece to go?

£20? £10?

£10, I'm bid. 12, 14,

16, 18,

-20, 22, 25.

-(I've got the phone.)

-30.

-This is it.

-Is this it?

-This is it.

38, 40,

42, 45,

48, 50.

-It's going.

-£50 on the table here at 50. It's all right. £50.

You all done and finished at 50?

55 over there, new bidder.

-55?!

-You want 60?

£55. Here at 55.

-Yes!

-55.

Shake your money-maker, Thomas. That's a great opening profit.

You deserve a wee kiss for that.

Next, it's Anita's Spirit Of The Wind horse figurine.

Bid 20, 22, 25.

28.

£28 for that little horse.

-30 there. 32, 35.

-(Yes!)

-40 in the room. At £40 in the room, anybody else?

-(I'm happy.)

-For £40.

The horse for 40.

-1268.

-Yes!

-£40. I'm happy with that.

-Bet you are.

I'm not just happy, I'm delighted.

I'm deliriously delighted.

The thoroughbred has galloped into profit

and given Anita a solid start too.

Now it's Thomas' maritime set. Will it sink or swim?

Start me £20 the lot, please, to go.

20. Straight in at 20.

28. £30. 32.

£32. 35. 38.

40. 42.

45. £45 here. £45 with Howard then.

Anybody else then? £45 here.

Excellent.

(Superb.)

Never listen to your mother.

Or your Auntie Anita. SHE LAUGHS

That's another inspired buy by Thomas.

Enter the dragon. Will the brass bring gold?

£40 for the brass dish. £30 then, surely?

-Oh, dear. No interest? Nobody interested?

-They don't like it.

-£20.

20 is bid.

22 is bid.

25. 28.

30. 32.

35. 38.

40. 42.

45. 45 to my left.

(45. Come on, you've doubled your money.)

48, just in time.

50.

55.

60.

No? £60 then. Far left then at 60.

Here we go. £60.

-Yes!

-Brilliant.

It stuttered at first,

but the incense burner took centre stage and a tidy profit.

-So far, so good. I shouldn't...

-Ssh, ssh...

-Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

-And don't tempt fate.

Can the christening set keep up this great run of profits?

£20, please, to go. 20 is bid.

22. 25.

28. £30.

£30 is bid there. At 30.

Anybody else then for the silver?

At £30. It goes for 30.

For £30, then.

-That's all right.

-That's perfect.

-That's all right.

Not quite as good as the previous lot, but still a profit.

Next, it's Anita's doggy teapot. Will it stray into profit?

Where shall we start this little jug there? £20 to go?

£10, then for the jug. £10, I'm bid.

£12. 14.

16. £16 it is now.

£16 for the jug. £16.

Oh, dear. That's a loss.

I think I'll just burst out greetin'. Do you know what that means?

-What does that mean?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Dissolve in a flood of tears.

-Oh, Anita.

Now it's the silver and alabaster pin tray.

Thomas has high hopes for this.

£20 for it. 20 is bid.

22. 25.

28. £30.

32. 35.

£35 here. At 35.

Nice little thing. At £35. You all done?

35, I'm selling it for.

-35.

-Not too bad.

Sadly, not quite what he'd hoped.

Are the profits starting to slow down?

By my reckoning, Thomas is in front.

But a good profit here could put Anita ahead.

I can see loads of glass collectors here.

Probably some of the most famous glass collectors in the world.

-You're shooting me a line.

-I am.

-THEY LAUGH

Start me £20 for them.

20, I'm bid. 22.

25. £25 in the corner. At 25.

28, thank you. 30.

No, £30 then. At £30. Are you all done and finished then? For 30.

£30.

Ouch. That glass didn't shine for our punters.

We're in the home straight now.

Can Thomas' final item seal victory for him?

£10 for the screen. I'm bid ten.

12. 14.

16. £16 in the distance.

Do you want 18? No.

£16. 18, I'm bid.

20. 22.

£22 for the screen.

22, you all done?

-I thought that was a lovely wee screen as well.

-So did I.

-22.

Disappointment reigns supreme.

That's a bad loss for Thomas and it puts Anita right back in the game.

It's the roller coaster ride.

We feel wonderful and then, all of a sudden, we're down.

One more lot to go.

She needs some big numbers here from the hat to come out on top.

-Here we are.

-Here we are.

-What's it worth? Start me £20 for a top hat?

20, I'm bid, thank you.

22, I'll take.

£20 to the left. 22.

25. 28.

£30. 32.

35. 38.

-£40.

-(40.)

My left then at 40.

Anybody else for the top hat and box at £40?

-Well.

-Well, £5.

It's a profit, but is it enough?

Yeah, let's go and do the sums.

-And have a cup of tea.

-Definitely.

So, where does that leave our pair?

After paying auction costs, Anita's haul has made her a modest profit

of £31.52, leaving her to start tomorrow

with an improved £180.96.

Thomas also made a profit today, of £48.34,

which makes him the day's winner and also keeps him in the overall lead

and ready to rise afresh tomorrow with £211 to spend.

Well, Thomas, I think we should not be too unhappy about the results.

Do you think it's time to crack open the champagne

and off to the races with all our money?

I think probably a wee cup of tea's more like the thing.

And they're off!

In your own time.

On the next Antiques Road Trip,

we're heading deeper into the West Country,

where Anita has a romantic moment...

It reminds me a bit of one of my old boyfriends.

-..and Thomas proves to be a safe pair of hands.

-Watch.

And I break it. I drop it.