Episode 14 Antiques Road Trip

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

-a classic car...

-We're going round!

..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.

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!

It's another day out on the road trip for Thomas Plant

and Anita Manning,

and this time they're cruising around England's sunny south coast.

Thomas, here we are in Bournemouth.

The sea is over there, the sun is shining.

-Maybe we could get some buckets.

-Buckets and spades.

-Buckets and spades. A kiss-me-quick hat.

-Oh!

Don't tempt me, Thomas.

It is a real sort of holiday feeling, isn't it?

It certainly is.

Thomas Plant is an antiques expert who never neglects

the body beautiful.

And experienced auctioneer Anita Manning is never

surprised by something old.

IT GROWLS

Both Thomas and Anita started the trip with £200,

but after taking an early lead, Thomas's big spending has

caused big losses, and he is starting today with only £154.98.

Thrifty Anita has now taken the lead with £255.94.

-Summertime and the living is easy.

-The living is easy.

Well, the living isn't easy for me because I'm so poor, but you're so rich!

I know. I must say, Thomas, I've surged ahead here.

I was going to say I crept ahead,

but in actual fact I've surged ahead!

Surged ahead, and I've sort of surged backwards.

We're on our fourth leg

and I don't know if you've got a leg to stand on.

That's fighting talk, Anita.

So with a full tank in their 1968 Lotus Elan,

let's see where our happy pair are off to.

On this road trip, 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.

But today they start in beautiful Bournemouth

before driving across southern England to end up at an auction,

100 miles away in Dorking.

You were a wee bit casual in the way you spent your money the last time.

I was. You were very careful - that was the right approach.

My plan is to follow you again and to spend little.

So, now, Thomas has a plan.

He's off to Robin's Antiques, run by,

no prizes for guessing, Robin.

What we do need to know before you do start is have you got a licence?

-A licence for what?

-Begging.

-No, I haven't got a begging licence.

I won't be begging.

And keeping up the family tradition is his grandson, Dan.

This place is a feast for the eyes

and there's quite a few items catching Thomas's eye.

-Very arts and crafts, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it?

-Gothic-like.

-Gothic coat hook.

Still, it's made out of silver-plated brass,

with a planished,

as in a hammer-beating effect. Planished hand-beating.

I think it was a coat hook and it would have had a couple

-of brushes hanging from it...

-Certainly could have had that, yeah.

-..for brushing off your coat and what have you.

-What a fun thing.

-Can I think about that? How much is that?

-It is £35.

-Is it?

-Yes.

That one is a definitely maybe for Thomas.

Now, what has he found out the back?

-It's a complete smoker's compendium.

-It is lovely.

Smoker's compendium. So you've got your table lights...

-Your table lights.

-..your vesta.

-That's right.

-An ashtray...

-Yeah.

..or a tobacco pot, or ashtray in there.

I would say that was for a drink, have a whiskey,

but it's nice being complete.

The style of it, there is no damage, and the whole thing is £80.

I find it so cool. I love this Jugendstil style,

the cleanness of lime.

Jugendstil, or "young style", was the German version of Art Nouveau

from the turn-of-the-century.

This was made by the Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik

or, more simplify, WMF.

Could Robin simplify the ticket price a bit, perhaps?

The smoker's compendium...

£65.

So, Robin is asking for £100 for the two items.

Any movement on that?

I wanted to come in here and spend 50 quid on a couple

of lots, and then 50 quid on another couple of lot somewhere else.

Don't look like that! Don't look like that.

He looks as if he is going to throw you out the shop.

Listen, I will let you have both bits.

That is the smoker's compendium and the coat hook for 70 quid.

-Really? Very good man.

-There we are.

-You are a very good man.

Well, that was a good bit of business, Tom.

£50 for the smoker's set and £20 for the coat hook.

Anita has travelled nine miles east from Bournemouth to

New Milton and crossed the county line from Dorset into Hampshire.

She's here to shop in Serendipity One.

IT GROWLS

-TOM LAUGHS

-Must be a "do-you-think-he-saurus."

And he certainly did, Anita. Here to help us is Nick.

-Nice to meet you.

-I love your reception committee.

Well, yes, he is there to let me know someone is in the door.

-He is not a watchdog or anything?

-Not really.

-Did he tell you to spend all your money?

-I'm not telling you.

We will get some out of you.

There is a bit of everything in here,

and it is just the sort of wonderful shop where you would never

-know what you're going to buy.

-Indeed.

Now, how about this little fella?

This type of thing I find fascinating.

I find the simplicity of the carving very, very attractive.

And at the turn-of-the-century it was this type of carving

and African tribal masks that inspired artists like Picasso.

It's carved in some sort of hardwood

and there are little mother of pearl insets here.

(There is no price on it, so I wonder how much it is.)

If I can get that really quite cheaply...

..I'm going to have a go at him.

But first, what else can she sniff out?

A sign like this is like a red rag to a bull in this game.

-Nick.

-Yes, Anita?

-Staff only.

-We don't let everybody out here,

but only because it is you.

-Thank you.

-Carry on.

-So these are all boxes that you brought in...

Bags and boxes, China, bits and pieces.

Oh, I can't wait to have a rummage.

Get in there and have a good old rummage.

This is like access all areas.

This is like backstage, and this is where sometimes you can find

the really nice bits and pieces.

Ah! Now, I love this stuff.

This is a piece of Poole Pottery made in the '60s/'70s.

It is from the Aegean and Delphis range.

It was the time of psychedelic colours.

It was a time of Carnaby Street.

It was a time of hippies.

It was absolutely... It was colourful

and Poole reflected the mood of the times in the designs for this range.

Yes, Poole Pottery comes from nearby Poole and is collectable,

but what can Anita get it for?

It would be lovely to get it for under 20.

-It reflected the age.

-Yes.

-And this sort of...

-Nice and local as well.

Well, that's what I was thinking. That's what I was thinking.

So hopefully, if you're selling locally, it could be a good thing.

Yeah. It's the type of thing that I would have in my house.

And, of course, you don't know how much it is.

-No, well, that's the rub.

-It's cheap.

-Is it?

-It's cheap.

-£10 to you.

-£10?

£10, that's a bargain. One off.

-No more to be said on that.

-No more to be said.

-OK, one deal done.

But what about our little friend?

-It's nearly as tall as you.

-It nearly is. He can be my wee pal.

He was £75, but we want you to win and, as you say,

he is a bit damaged.

-What about if we did 40 for you?

-40. Still a wee bit dear at 40.

-Could we go 30?

-Shall we do that?

-Shall we shake our hands at 30?

30's fine. Thank you very much, Nick.

There you go, Anita.

Another low-spending shopping trip. £10 for the pottery

and £30 for the sculpture means plenty of cash left.

Watch out for the door dinosaur!

Thomas, meanwhile, has also gone west, to Hampshire,

travelling nearly 42 miles from Bournemouth to Wickham

for his next spot of shopping.

This historic conservation village has been a settlement

since Roman times.

Thomas is off to Warwick Lane Shopping Centre to meet Steve.

-Hi, I'm Thomas.

-Hi, Thomas.

-Steve, I'm the manager at Warwick Lane in Wickham.

-Hello, Steve.

Warwick Lane has about 40 dealers and is packed with goodies.

I found some vintage skipping-ropes for my new-found fitness.

Now, what's that saying about a bull in a china shop?

-What's your age, Thomas?

-Three.

-And barely that, some might say.

A pair of glass salt dishes.

Handle with care, for goodness' sake.

They're cut glass with cut glass rims in the boat shape.

Got a tiny bit of wear to them round there.

Just got to work out how old they are.

I think they're early 19th century.

£6 each. £6 each for a pair of early 19th-century salts.

Phew!

£6 for an item that would have sat on the dining table

around the time of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo? Incredible!

Now, back to something sweet. It's a sugar bowl.

This is rather stylish, got a lovely shape to it,

and I love the finial.

It's Art Deco, around about 1920s, with a planished interior,

hammer-beaten planished effect.

Been made by hand. This finial, this handle here, that is polished ivory.

Well, it's a controversial material.

But, if formed before 1947, it's legal to buy and sell.

Quite a nice thing. So that's something I'm going to think about.

I shall go and ask Steve about these, the two things I've picked up.

So yes, what can be done on those, if anything at all, please?

Well, I'll ring up the sellers and we'll find out.

The pair of glass salts is priced at £12.

Steve checks with dealer, Mandy, for the best price.

-Would you accept £8?

-Yes, perfect. Done.

-And what about that one there?

-The sugar bowl is priced at £15.

Steve checks with dealer, Sue.

-Would £9 be more acceptable?

-Perfect. Thank you very much.

-Why didn't I come here fist?

-THEY LAUGH

-Brilliant.

-This is brilliant. Thank you.

So, that's the glass salts for £8,

the sugar bowl for £9, and nothing broken.

Very bullish of you, Thomas.

Anita has now made her way 45 miles east to Gosport,

a town with a proud Naval history,

and home to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum.

Submarines are now huge hi tech craft,

vital for the defence of our island nation,

but it didn't start out that way.

And Anita's here to find out about the sacrifices

made to develop this deadly technology.

Here to meet her is archivist George Malcolmson.

You know, from Glasgow, I've always had a fascination for the sea

and for ships, but submarines are something really quite different.

This looks like a strange creature from the deep.

Can you tell me a bit about it?

Well, we're looking at the Holland 1,

or to give it its proper name,

His Majesty's Submarine Torpedo Boat Number 1.

It was launched in October 1901.

The Holland 1 was the Royal Navy's first ever submarine,

named after John Philip Holland, an Irish-American engineer.

Previous attempts at building subs date back to 1620,

but Holland's design, made for the US Navy in 1900,

is regarded as the mother of modern submarines.

Countries, including Britain, all began to build subs

after the Americans allowed the design to be sold.

-Can we go inside?

-Yes, we can go in. Have a look through.

Just mind your head.

Are submariners usually wee?

-Strangely enough, no. I know many who are over six foot.

-SHE LAUGHS

The Holland would have had a crew of eight men,

squeezed into this small space, with no contact with the outside world.

It was hot, uncomfortable, dangerous work for the crews,

not to mention the smell.

The smell of the petrol engine,

the fumes coming up from the batteries...

There would have been a very distinct odour in these submarines.

And they always said, you could smell a submariner

before you saw him.

It's difficult to imagine eight or nine men working in here,

but I believe you have something even smaller to show me.

By the start of World War I, the Royal Navy had more subs

than any other nation, and by the Second World War,

its engineers were getting ever more inventive.

The X Class midget submarines were even smaller than the Holland

and were involved in some of the war's most daring raids

as they could sneak in, undetected, to enemy harbours to lay mines.

These were very hazardous missions.

This one is the great survivor because she went on two operations

to Norway, attacking the U Boat facilities in Bergen, and came back.

One of the few that came back.

Success came at a price, though.

In the raids on Bergen

and in the mission to sink the battleship Tirpitz,

eight midget submarines were used -

-only three completed the mission.

-How many men would be in here?

Three crew and a diver.

Of the 12 X Class subs that saw service during World War II,

only five survived and nearly half of the crewmen were killed.

George, I imagine that this tiny submarine

must have been even more dangerous than the big submarines.

Were submariners a special type of man?

Well, the volunteers for this type of hazardous service

were called from the Navy and people volunteered,

and they had to go through fairly rigorous training.

The very nature of being in a submarine...

It just means that you're relying on other members of the crew

for your safety.

And the more difficult the conditions,

it seems to bind the people together much more strongly.

The submariners life has always been difficult,

and over 5,000 of them have died serving their country.

But the submarine's qualities of stealth and surprise,

so vital in the past,

are what keeps it at the forefront of defending Britain today.

That sombre note brings us to the end of day one. Night-night.

It's the start of another sunny day on the Road Trip.

Well, not quite, but our duo are in Southsea and are in good spirits.

Thomas, how do you feel being in Southsea,

sitting beside a beautiful woman, in a lovely yellow sports car?

Well, do you know? I have to say, I enjoy the British seaside.

And I love things like these gorgeous huts.

Yeah, they're great, aren't they? With their lovely pastel colours.

It's sweet, isn't it?

There is something magical about the British seaside.

-And people all muffled up against the wind.

-Yeah, yeah.

-There's no such thing as bad weather.

-No.

-It's poor clothing.

That's right.

A very British attitude. Now, Thomas had a trying day yesterday.

He tried not to spend too much,

but still managed to pay out £87 on four items.

The smoking set, the coat hook,

the glass salts and the Art Deco bowl.

That leaves him with £67.98 for the day ahead.

Low-spending Anita played it sensible and canny again,

spending only £40 on two items.

A tribal sculpture and a Poole Pottery plate,

giving her £215.94 to spend today.

Anita is starting her day in Southsea,

with a trip to Parmiters Antiques, run by the very charming Ian.

-Stand by.

-Can I leave my bonnet here?

-Of course you can.

I'll put it on the dog.

-Don't sell it.

-Ha!

So, with her hat off and her buying head on,

Anita has a bit of a rummage.

These are boots that certainly weren't made for walking.

These boots were made for showing off.

-They don't fit me.

-They don't fit you?

-I don't think they'd fit me either.

-She's given the boots the boot.

But time is marching on. What's going to be worth a punt?

Little wall plaque with a photograph in the middle

commemorating HMS Vengeance.

-Ian!

-Yeah?

-This little HMS Vengeance.

-It's sweet, isn't it?

-It is.

You know, it's very, I suppose, evocative.

And it's typical of what you might find in a town like this

that was based on ships and the Navy and so on.

And you've got these two serious little children

who have all been scrunched into their best clothes.

-They had to sit there for five minutes.

-Sit there for five minutes.

-Do we know anything about the HMS Vengeance?

-No.

I haven't even looked it up, but I'm guessing 1900...

Maybe a dreadnought. One of the old dreadnoughts.

Ian is very nearly right.

HMS Vengeance was built in 1899

and was one of the last of the battleships made

prior to the massive dreadnoughts.

-What sort of price is a bargain?

-Bargain to you - 20 quid.

-20 quid?

-That's an absolute bargain.

-I like that for 20. I think I'll take that.

-That's one down. Now, what else has Ian got?

-I've got one for you.

-See all this 18th century pottery?

-Uh-huh.

-All that, 25 quid the lot.

-25 quid for the lot?

It's all damaged - guaranteed.

There's a lot of stuff there, and it might well sell, but it's a gamble,

-particularly if it's damaged.

-How many bits have we got? One, two...

..three, four, five, six, seven. Eight.

Nine, ten, 11 bits.

-No rush, Anita. You just take your time.

-Of 18th century ceramic?

-Yeah.

18th and early 19th.

You can't go wrong, can you?

She's thinking about it. How about a double deal, Ian?

£40 for that and the frame.

-Let's go for it.

-All right.

-Let's go for it. 40 quid.

-If you don't make money, I'll give you a tenner.

-Oh. SHE LAUGHS

Another brace of budget buys for Anita.

A varied lot of pottery for £20

and the HMS Vengeance life saver portrait, also for £20.

Tom's starting his day in Southsea

with a trip to hear the story of D-Day,

the invasion of France, told from a local perspective,

-and showing him round is Andrew.

-Hello, I'm Andrew.

-It's so windy here, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

Was it windy when we went to France on D-Day?

The weather wasn't very good anywhere.

I think it was worse than today, though.

So much has been talked about and concentrated on the actual events

in Normandy, D-Day itself,

but what happened in Portsmouth and to the people of Portsmouth,

the civilian population, how did they survive?

How did they cope?

Yeah, I think the preparations for D-Day that took place in Portsmouth

and also all along the south coast, are often forgotten about,

but they were just as important to the success of D-Day.

June the 6th, 1944, or D-Day as we now know it,

was the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy

and the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Hitler's Nazis.

But it was a long time in the planning

and, as the Allies prepared to go to France,

changes began to appear around Portsmouth

and the south coast in early 1944.

As D-Day approached, there would be more

and more troops building up and gathering into the area.

There were restrictions.

There was a ten-mile-deep band running along the south coast

where you had to have a special pass to get into it in the lead up to D-Day,

so there were special security restrictions.

You had camps, troop camps, probably a few miles inland,

often hidden away in a wood.

In a wood so that if there were enemy aircraft flying overhead

or spies around, it was a lot harder to see them.

Troops had been waiting in there for a couple of weeks,

maybe a month or so before D-Day and about a week or so before D-Day,

the camps were sealed, which meant no-one could go in or out.

By the end of May, over a million troops from the Wash to Land's End

waited expectantly,

but none of them knew the top secret time and date of D-Day.

Surely the Germans had an inkling that we were coming?

Well, that's definitely true.

It wasn't a secret that D-Day,

or an Allied landing somewhere on the coast of Europe was coming soon.

The Allies had made no secret of that.

But the two key bits of information that the Germans

really needed to find out, but fortunately didn't,

were where and when it would be happening.

Just as well the Germans never got their hands on one of these, then.

It's a step-by-step guide on how to invade occupied France.

So when were they given these?

They'd have been given them maybe a week or more before D-Day,

but until the last minute, they were sealed up.

So in a sealed envelope, which they weren't allowed to open.

And then, just days before D-Day, the order went out,

they could open their orders

and actually find out where they were going.

Didn't people open them immediately and think, "Oh, what's going on?"

People knew that it was really important to preserve secrecy

and to make sure that the enemy didn't get wind of what was coming.

On the 4th of June,

the troops due to invade Normandy began to move into place

to embark from Portsmouth docks,

filling the streets with trucks and troops.

How did the civilian population of Portsmouth react

-to this huge influx of military personnel?

-There were, as you say,

huge numbers of troops in the area in the lead up to D-Day.

Troops would have been just sleeping in or under their vehicles,

so local people often did things like invite them

into their house for a bath or to share some food.

And, obviously, food was rationed so that was quite a big thing.

So quite often,

you had friendships struck up just in a day or two between people,

civilians living along the south coast, and these troops.

But as the troops from various countries waited at the docks

to board their landing craft,

one local five-year-old girl called Betty White and some of her chums

saw the opportunity for a spot of memento collecting.

They asked the troops to give them badges from their uniforms

and that's where all these badges come from,

and her mother later sewed them

onto this coat to hold the whole collection together.

But those badges, it's a cross section of different units

and different nationalities,

so it's a great summary of many of those troops who went from Gosport.

-No doubt the troops weren't meant to do this.

-No.

But this coat really is a good example,

isn't it, of how the troops and the local people did get talking,

did exchange gifts and things like that

-despite the official regulations.

-Yeah.

Overnight on the 5th of June, the thousands of troops

and boats disappeared, leaving an eerie calm.

The story of what happened next has been well told,

but the towns of the south coast can be proud of their vital role.

And our Anita has hit the road again,

this time eight miles east to Chichester.

Now, Chichester is the county town of West Sussex.

Its cathedral is almost 1,000 years old,

and is the final resting place of the composer Gustav Holst.

But Anita is hoping there'll be something

going for a song in Hancock Antiques, run by Peter.

Lovely to meet you.

More crockery, Anita?

And loads of it too.

SHE LAUGHS

There's a lot of pottery here and most of it

isn't in good condition, so it's probably no use to me. Oh!

Heard a wee clink there. I have to be careful.

You might feel more at home with Peter's jewellery.

I love rummaging through all this.

Lovely wee bits and pieces of jewellery.

That's a rather pretty piece of agate, Peter.

Agate is a popular stone with beautiful striping.

This brooch has a ticket price of £40.

Can that one be bought for 20?

It's not gold. The stone's in good condition

and it's the type of thing that a private lady might fancy at auction.

-I can do it for 20.

-You can do it for 20?

Let's do it for 20 then. That's lovely. Thank you very much, Peter.

That's great.

So Anita has rounded off her shopping

with an attractive agate brooch for £20.

But no more porcelain.

Meanwhile, Thomas has made the journey ten miles east to Emsworth.

He's heading to Emsworth Antiques and the very obliging Hillary.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-I'm Thomas.

-Oh, I'm Hillary. Pleased to meet you.

And he's already after the sympathy vote.

-You've run out of money?

-Not necessarily.

I'd be lying if I said I'd run out of money,

but I'm desperate to claw back the money I lost last auction.

So one is being, as one says in Somerset, careful.

-Right.

-Less of the sob story and more shopping, please, Thomas.

-He's looking.

-Come on, Plant. Where is it?

And still looking.

Sometime today might be nice, Thomas.

-You're struggling, aren't you?

-No. No, I'm not struggling.

No, I'm just picking myself up to sort of... Er, find something.

I beg your pardon?

More small shiny things?

How about something large and not shiny for a change, Thomas?

Something like...

..them.

Two garden ornaments.

One in terracotta of a Grecian girl, and another in composite,

or like a concrete, which has been weathered.

They're both quite nice, really, aren't they?

The frost has been at this, being a terracotta.

-But that shows that she's been places, doesn't it?

-It does.

-It does. How much for these two?

-How do you feel about 80?

Oh, I haven't got £80.

-You didn't tell me that!

-I haven't got £80.

-What do you have?

-Oh, not very much at all.

-Well, make me a suggestion.

Oh, I don't think they're worth a huge amount.

35 on those.

Mm-hm. That's the death, is it?

Well, they look as though they've died already.

-They've been decapitated, yeah.

-What could you go to?

I think they're great fun.

30 and we've got a deal. Or is that not going to happen?

-Go on, then. 30.

-£30, brilliant.

-We've got a deal.

(That was hard work!)

-I can't shake your hand because I'm busy. Have a head.

-THEY LAUGH

£80 to £30 - now that's a great discount.

The deal is done, with a great discount

and neither of them lost their heads.

So, Thomas is finished for the day.

Let's just have a little reminder of what he's bought for auction.

Thomas spent just £117 on five lots -

the smoking set, the coat hook,

the glass salts, an Art Deco bowl,

and a pair of stone heads...

as you do.

Anita had another great day of shopping carefully.

She also bought five lots -

the tribal sculpture, the Poole Pottery,

the ceramic mix, the naval photo frame,

and the agate brooch,

costing her a reasonable £100.

So, let's hear what they think about each other's treasures.

My favourite item of Thomas' is that wonderful Art Nouveau coat hook.

And if I was going to swap that, I think

I would swap it with my tribal figure.

Not because I don't love it,

but because I think I might have paid a little bit too much for it.

Well, of Anita's,

my favourite has to be the mixed lot of broken ceramics.

I think she's got real potential there

because some restorer could do a real job, but it only cost her £20.

Our dealing duo are ready for auction,

so off to Dorking, 40 miles north.

Avanti!

Thomas, we're heading for our fourth auction and, darling,

I hate to say it but I'm a wee bit ahead of you.

You are a wee bit ahead. Just a wee, a wee hundred pounds!

A wee hundred pounds indeed.

Today's auction house is Crow's Auction Gallery.

It's been here in Dorking for over 100 years,

-so it's like an old antique itself.

-There it is, Anita.

Oh, here we are, Thomas. Are you excited?

-I am because I fancy crawling back.

-Whacking me today?

-Not whacking you.

I never want to whack you, Anita!

Our auctioneer is Tom Lofts. Has anything caught his eye?

The African figure will be a challenging lot.

I'm lost for words, but we'll give it a go.

The collection of pottery and porcelain...

I hope that somewhere somebody has found a piece

that they can get out of jail with, but it could be a struggle.

It's not a packed room,

but there's a lot of interest on the telephone and over the internet.

Let the auction begin!

First off, is the psychedelic Poole Pottery dish.

-£10. Should double my money. Yes, yes.

-Who'll start me here, please?

-20, straight in? I've got it.

-20 straight.

And two and five and eight and 30 and two and five and eight and 40.

-Yeah!

-At 45. £45. 48 bid. Come on. 50 the bid. 50 bid.

-Oh, he's pushing them on.

-At £50 now. All out online as well.

-In the room has it at £50.

-£50!

-For the Poole. I like this.

-£40 profit.

-I sell away.

-All done then, at £50.

-Yes!

Brilliant.

Yeah, baby. That's £40 of profit.

I knew that I had a good one there. The rest of it has still to come.

Next up it's Thomas' smoking set.

-Will it set the auction alight, though?

-We like this a lot.

-Yes.

What do we say now? 40? 30? 20? Bid.

-30, bid. 40 bid. Quickly coming in at 42.

-Yep, yep, yep.

-45. At £45.

-48 bid. 50 bid. 55, 60 bid.

-Yes. Yes, yes.

60 I'm bid. Selling at 60. All out online? At 60.

-Thought we'd make a lot more on this. At £60.

-Well.

-I'm trading.

All done then at £60.

-£60.

-Well.

-You profit, Thomas. Profit.

-Got out of it.

-Yeah.

Oh, just. But a profit is a profit.

It's Anita's next item - the tribal sculpture.

He didn't look that tall in the shop.

-This is where I might fall down, Thomas.

-20. 30, 40 bid. £40.

There you are. You're into profit.

At £40, being sold. At 40, I do not believe this.

-At £40.

-You can't believe it, can you?

-45 and 50 and five and 60.

-There you are! Doubling your money!

60 in the room. Selling at 60. Selling at 60. Where are we now?

-At £60, being sold. At 60. At 60. The line's all out.

-This is it.

-I'm selling it at £60, all done. At £60.

-Well done.

£60. My objet trouve!

Doubled her money. Another excellent buy from Anita.

Do you want a hanky for that wee tear?

SHE LAUGHS

Come on, Thomas. You need the coat hook to get you off the hook.

Telephone interest, I believe, here. And commissions with me.

-Right, so here we start at 40.

-Yes!

-Five, 60, five, 70.

Can I say 70 bid on the telephone? Now telephone bid 70.

And five. At £75. 80.

85 bid. £85. £85. With me, then.

-Sold. All done. Sold at £85.

-Yes!

-Yes!

-Made up. Made up.

-That's great.

Outstanding. That's got him right back in the running.

-You're snapping at my heels.

-No, I'm not!

Not when you buy African figures which double their money.

Now, will Anita's lifebelt portrait sink or swim?

And we've got commissions, I'm pleased to say,

-but a very low start at 20.

-Oh, all right.

-22. 25. Don't get too excited!

28 bid. At £28. 30 bid. 32. 35. £35, liking this.

There you are, you see?

At £35, liking this a lot. At £35, out online.

-I thought there'd be more interest away.

-I thought there would be.

Eight bid. 40 with me. 40 I have. Selling at 40.

Still like this a lot. At £40 to be sold. Selling at 40.

-Doubled your money...

-Interesting piece.

-..again!

-Sold at 40. All done? At £40.

-Yes!

That profit has got Anita's head above the water.

-I'm a happy girl today.

-I bet you are! Look at you.

-"I'm a happy girl today..."

-It's just luck. It's just luck.

-"I'm a happy girl, a happy girl today."

-You behave yourself! THEY LAUGH

Thomas' glass salts next - small but perfectly formed - how will they do?

Away we go with me at 15. 18. 20. Two. £22. The salts. At £22. At 22.

-25 bid.

-Good, good, good, come on.

At £28, the salts. At £28. All out online. 30 I've got. 30 I'm bid.

£30.

-32. 35.

-Yes!

-38 bid. 40. Now getting excited down the front.

-Proper antiques. Proper antiques selling!

-£40, make no mistake.

-Selling at £40, the salts. All done. Sold at £40.

-Yes!

-Proper antiques.

-Oh, that's great.

Another profit for the Planter. That puts him in the lead.

-You are a good boy.

-Oh. I like to be a good boy.

-THEY LAUGH

You're a clever boy.

Is Anita's agate brooch going to push her ahead of Thomas?

Commissions with me. A low start again at ten. 12. 15. 18. 20. 22.

Yes, you're there. You going to double it again?

Like all your other things? Triple?

At 25, 25. 28. The lines are out. At £28. The brooch at £28. £30 bid.

£30. £30 to be sold. Selling at 32.

35. 35 bid. £35. £35. £35 the brooch.

-At £35.

-There you are.

-38 bid. 38. 40, I've got. 40. Selling at 40.

All right, stop now.

-£40, being sold.

-He likes you. Double your money.

Well done, sir.

Another healthy profit, but she still needs more.

Next for Thomas, it's the stone heads.

-We'll start this with me at 20. I have...

-20. Yeah.

-At £20.

-This is value at £20. 22.

-There's a lady.

-She feels sorry for you.

-At £22.

-Go on!

-25, bid. Come on, you can do it, madam.

-28 bid.

-There's another one.

-At £28 in the room. 28 in room. At £28.

-The lines all out.

-Come on!

-One more.

-Make no mistake. £28.

-The telephone's on as well, 30 on the telephone.

-Yes!

-At 32 bid.

32, 32. 35 bid, telephone bid. 38 can I say?

Come again, you can do it.

-You can do it.

-There's another one, matches!

-£35. £35. Yes or no? One more!

-One more.

-Yes.

-Go on. Yes!

At £38. 38 I've got. £38 in the room. Selling at 38. 38 to the room.

-I sell then at £38.

-Yes, well done, Thomas.

-Profit!

A profit, just. Will that put him in the lead?

Another big profit could put Thomas onto Easy Street here.

My starter with me is a low start of 20.

22. 25, 28, 30.

32, 35, 38. This is a nice piece. 40. At £40 only.

At 40. Still room to move here. At 40. Bid 42.

-45. 45 bid. 48. 48 now. Can I say 50?

-Go on.

50 I'm bid. 50 on the telephone.

50 telephone bid. 50 telephone bid. 50 telephone bid. Still liking this.

Disappointing but the lines have gone quiet. £50 on the telephone.

50 on the telephone. Selling at 50.

-I'm selling. All done. Trading then, at £50.

-Well done. That's a beauty.

It's good.

Brilliant stuff. That could be the lot that wins it for him.

A lack of hands means we can only see two of the 11 items

being held up. No-one had high hopes for this, even Anita.

She needs a whopping profit here to beat Thomas.

-And would you believe, commissions with me.

-See?

-Telephone interest as well.

-See?

-Now, what can I say. Away we go.

-150.

-Five. Eight. Ten.

12. 15. 18.

20. Two and five and eight. 30 in the room. 30 on the line.

30 online now. 30 online. 30 bid. 35 I've got. 35. 40 can I say?

-Look at that!

-35 bid. £35, you're out. 40, can I say?

40 can I say. Come again, the telephone. 40 I'm bid.

-Doubled your money.

-40, telephone bid.

-Double your money.

-42.

Double your...

-Come on, Tina. 45 bid.

-Go on, Tina!

-At 45 bid. £45.

-Good work, Tina.

-Come on, Tina! £48. 50 can I say? 50 bid.

-50, Tina!

-50 on the telephone. 50 telephone bid. 55.

-55!

-Come on.

Triple your money, Anita!

60 on the telephone bid. 65. £65.

-Right, you can stop.

-70 bid.

At £70 bid. £70. £70. £70. At £70. 75 bid.

-I feel I'm at the races here.

-80 the bid.

-£80 bid. £80 bid. Telephone bid. 80 on the telephone. 85.

-What?!

-85.

-Anita!

-That is a good lot. THEY LAUGH

-90 on the telephone. At 95. Come on! At 95, 95.

-Anita...

-Come on, Tina!

-Please. Say please. All done? 95 on line one.

-Please!

-100 bid.

-£100!

£100. £100 bid. 110. At 110. 110. 110.

At 110, line one.

-I'll do 15.

-TINA: No, no.

-Come on, say please nicely.

-Say please nicely.

-She's done well enough. It's fine.

Put the hammer down.

On line one. Selling at 110. At 110. Selling at 110 to line one.

-Sold at 110.

-Oh, Anita!

-110!

-Anita!

Kiss me there.

Amazing. A perfect profit of £90 on the imperfect pottery.

That means every item has made a profit today.

Well done to our duo.

But who has won the day and taken the lead?

After paying auction costs, Thomas is finally back in the black,

with a profit of £106.86,

leaving him with a total of £261.84.

But Anita has not only won the day again with a great profit

of £146, but she's kept her nose in front in the overall lead,

with a total of £401.94.

Well, Thomas, we both did well, but I'm still ahead of you.

-You're ahead about £150 now.

-But you're still snapping at my heels.

Well, Anita, we started poorly. Surging ahead now.

There's only one more chance now for Thomas to take the lead.

Oh, the tension!

Next time on Antiques Road Trip,

Thomas reflects on past glories,

and Anita knows how to compliment a dealer's collection.

I had a little luck with some broken pottery before.