VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts, with £200 each, a classic car, and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

Going, going... gone.

BOTH: Yes!

JAMES: It's a bit like fishing.

VO: The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction.

VO: But it's no mean feat.

DAVID: Goodness' sake!

VO: There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

What have I done?

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

I'd better look out!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

VO: On this Road Trip, it's Scottish grit versus southern wit, as two learned auctioneers battle for supremacy.

VO: Anita Manning is a cheerful and canny Glaswegian who's hoping to sail away to victory.

Well, they say all the nice girls like a sailor.

VO: Ha-ha!

While James Braxton's an affable Sussex chappy who might have some special skills up his sleeve.

I think I'm a mind reader.

VO: Both our experts started this whole shebang with £200.

Anita has so far made an unlucky loss, and starts today with £197.50.

VO: While James has positively flourished, growing his seed cash to a very healthy £297.10.

Wow!

ANITA (AM): Well done, that was a smashing result.

VO: Very magnanimous, Anita!

Today they're driving the Brigitte Bardot of old bangers, the tres jolie 1986 Citroen 2CV6 Special.

JAMES (JB): Lot going on in this car, isn't there?

We got mirrors, we got... VO: Actually, mirrors come as standard in motors, James.

The whole epic Road Trip sees them journey from Stamford in Lincolnshire, through the leafy lanes of eastern England, to the London borough of Greenwich.

On today's show, they're touring the noble county of Norfolk, beginning in handsome Holt, and heading for their auction in Diss.

Don't diss that.

James is confident enough this morning to be giving his rival some advice on bargaining.

JB: Remember, be hard.

AM: I'll be hard, right, I'll be hard.

JB: You're not making friends.

I got 5p off a packet of crisps the other day.

AM: Was it a second hand...?

JB: No it wasn't, it was first hand.

AM: Jamesie, do you realize that you're giving me hints here?

And good advice?

JB: Well, that's part of the generous nature of the southern gentleman, you see!

VO: Quite so, James.

We're going to a market town called Holt, which is just inland from the coast, and it's very pretty, it's sort of 18th century, Georgian market town.

But it's famous for its bookshops and antiques shops.

Ooh, really?

So it should be right up our street.

VO: Indeed it should.

Most of medieval Holt was destroyed in a great fire in the 1700s, but the subsequent rebuilding efforts gave us the Georgian streets we enjoy today.

They're parking and splitting up to begin the day's shopping.

Right.

Perfect.

Oh!

VO: Ooh, careful now, old bean.

AM: So, James... JB: Yep.

..the winner so far, give me some advice.

Anita, buy well, buy cheap.

And bye-bye!

See you later.

VO: See ya.

James is strolling off towards his first buy.

You never know what's around the corner.

VO: I'm going to guess there might be an antique shop, James!

And indeed, he's heading for Richard Scott Antiques.

Great Scott, eh?

Is this it?

VO: Yes!

..where he's greeting the eponymous Richard.

Hello!

VO: Hello.

Hello.

JB: James.

DEALER: Hello, Richard Scott.

Um... VO: James has decided to mine Richard for some local knowledge.

Richard, I'm off to Diss, for the auction.

What sort of thing would you suggest I took to auction?

Well, you could take them a rather large... tempting set of china.

VO: Sounds smashing.

Lead on, Richard.

Who's it made by?

What - Staffordshire maker?

DEALER: Wilkinson.

JB: Oh, Wilkinson.

DEALER: Yeah.

VO: AJ Wilkinson were a Staffordshire pottery manufacturers, founded in the late 1800s.

The legendary ceramics designer Clarice Cliff worked for Wilkinson, and eventually married its proprietor.

Though this set isn't branded as a Cliff design, it dates from the 1930s.

So they're your main plates here, and these are your serving plates.

So you've got little plates, two, four, six, so you've got six in all that.

Oh, we've got a vegetable tureen.

Rather fun, nice octagonal shape.

There's the maker.

Wilkinson.

And then this is for your Sunday roast - two, four, six.

So we had a couple of casualties there, but they all look in very bright order.

So there's about 34, 35 pieces in all.

Yes.

So you know, these used to make 10 or 15 pounds, little ladles for gravy or onion sauce.

VO: Ooh, scrummy.

Careful.

Right.

Getting hungry.

VO: Mm.

Hungry for a bargain, I'll bet.

There's no ticket price on the dinner service, so James will have to make an offer.

Stand by.

What would I like to pay for it?

Er, between 50 and 60.

You must be mind reading.

I was thinking 80.

So we could move down, or up... Down would be lovely for me!

Up would be lovely for you, Richard.

VO: Quite.

Erm, how near £50 could I get it?

I think we could do £50.

Could you?

Yeah.

VO: So, James gets the whole dinner service for £50.

Now, that's a bargain!

VO: Meanwhile, Anita's only a couple of minutes away, in Shirehall Plain Antiques Centre, where she's greeted by owner Mandy.

Hi.

Lovely to meet you.

Hello, nice to see you again.

Ah, yes.

How are you?

This looks absolutely wonderful.

VO: Multiple dealers operate in this centre, and Anita's having a right good rummage through the ample stock.

She seems particularly taken with dealer Celia's items.

And before long, a handy little thing of Celia's has caught Anita's eye.

This wee paper weight here.

Yes.

AM: Is this yours?

CELIA: Yes.

Could I see it out?

VO: It's actually a Victorian paperweight, comprising a cast from a child's hand, in white porcelain known as Parian ware, and mounted on a small marble plinth.

Handy!

AM: Common motif in Victorian objects, this gloved hand.

Mm.

It's sort of strange, a bit sort of scary!

You have £10 on that.

I hear James's voice singing in my ears, "Anita, you've got to be disciplined "and you've got to bargain."

VO: Give it your best shot, Anita, go on!

Can I buy that... AM: for £5?

CELIA: No.

(THEY LAUGH) Could you come to... six?

No.

VO: Well, this is going well!

Am I able...

Here I'm going again.

CELIA: Mm.

AM: ..to buy this for... AM: £7?

CELIA: No.

No.

You're better at this than me!

You can buy it for eight.

I'm obviously not very good at that, but I'll do a deal, because I think it's great, and I don't think it was dear in the first place!

VO: Even if Anita's attempt at hard bargaining fell on deaf ears, she's still got a decent deal, and her first buy's, erm... in hand!

VO: But she's browsing on.

Soon she's spied a gem of an item in one of the cabinets.

What I've got here is a little nine-karat Edwardian brooch.

It's at £22.

I want to buy it at about 12, 15 maybe.

But I'm not sure if they'll come down that far.

It all depends on the price.

VO: Quite.

It's also inset with a ruby or a garnet.

She's going to ask Mandy about it.

VO: Are you able to negotiate, or do we...?

Shall we phone a dealer?

Yeah, I can give him a ring.

What's on the ticket, please?

It's 22 on the ticket.

MANDY: Let's have a quick look.

AM: Keep him on the phone, Mandy, if he's only going to take a couple of quid off it.

I will indeed.

It's for Anita, and she's being very sweet.

And she said she'll talk to you if you don't give her a good price.

VO: Now there's a threat!

Sorry, 15, did you say?

OK, 15, because it's you.

Aw.

Can I blow a kiss through the telephone?

She wants to talk to you, Philip.

(SHE CHUCKLES) Hang on.

His name's Philip.

Philip, you're a darling, you're a darling.

Can I blow a kiss through the telephone to you?

VO: Look lively, Philip, Anita's going to turn on the charm.

Could you go down to 12 on that?

I know that you're already coming down substantially, I know you're already coming down substantially.

And tell me to get lost, if you feel like it!

Aw, that's great.

Aw, Philip, thank you so much, you're a darling.

VO: Deal done at £12 - and that's such a good deal, it seems like Anita's quite smitten.

What age is he?

Oh, I don't know.

Is he married?

Yes.

(THEY LAUGH) VO: That's enough of that, now, thank you.

Mandy, that's good, that's two items.

And I've only spent £20.

Nice to do business with you.

VO: And she's off!

Now, James is still back in the other shop, with dealer Richard, and he's gone barking mad for an unusual item.

Here's a picture of the dog.

So we've got a springer spaniel.

VO: It's a framed first prize from premier dog show Crufts, dating from 1929, complete with a picture of the winning pooch.

It has a decorative value, that.

The way it's been framed is interesting.

I haven't seen much to do with Crufts, really.

VO: It belongs to Richard's son, Luke, who's also a dealer with items in the shop.

Do you know how much he's got on that?

I'll have to give him a ring.

Do you want to speak to my son?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, thank you.

Hello, I'm... Hello, I'm with your father, my name is James Braxton, and I'm just rather intrigued by your rather nice diamond-framed... the Crufts first prize.

What would be your price on that?

25 would be the best?

OK, that's fair.

Brilliant, OK, I'll pass you back to Father.

Thanks a lot, bye.

£25, it's a bit of a risk, that.

It's very unusual, I haven't seen the like of it before.

VO: He's going to think on it.

And shortly, his eye's caught by another little item.

This is a rather nice sort of millefiori.

VO: Millefiori is a glasswork technique named from the Italian, meaning "thousands of flowers".

This is a brooch, with a silver gilt mount.

These are just canes of multicolored glass that are then cut.

Thank you.

Inset in a dark piece of glass.

And then it's mounted with silver gilt.

Pretty little item, isn't it, jewelry?

Richard, could that be a better price?

Um, it's got 20 on it, hasn't it?

Could I squeeze you a bit?

Would 17 help a bit, or not?

17 would help.

I like that.

I really like that.

It's got color, it's got design, hasn't it?

I think I'll definitely do 17 on that.

VO: Deal done on the brooch.

But James's attention has strayed back to the Crufts item.

It's a bizarre thing, but it is fun.

And we're going to quite a sort of doggy, farming part of the world.

I'll give Luke 25 for the Crufts.

DEALER: Right.

That'd be perfect.

Yes.

Good.

Thank you very much, indeed.

Thank you.

Very good day's shopping.

Good!

VO: Ah, James, you're best in show, you know!

Meanwhile, Anita's quite happy with her morning's shopping, so she's driving just outside Holt, where she's spending the afternoon visiting Voewood House.

This looks interesting, doesn't it?

VO: A beautiful country home built in the arts-and-crafts style, and meeting its hirsute top-flight antiquarian book dealer, Simon Finch.

How lovely is that?

Come in.

Ah, it's so nice to meet you.

Thank you for coming.

I have been so looking forward to seeing this house.

VO: As well as housing Simon's enviable and quirky collection of art, antiques and furnishings, the house is also one of the finest examples of the architecture in its style.

The arts-and-crafts movement was a gentle revolution in design which took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Its proponents championed loving craftsmanship and historic artistry, which they felt the Victorian rise of mass-production had diminished.

Simon's taking Anita into the main body of this finely-crafted home, which was finished in 1905.

Is this the... the main hall?

The main hall is by far...

I mean, some people have described some arts and crafts houses as sort of country house as cottage.

I mean, this is by far the biggest space.

A lot of the rooms are on quite an intimate scale.

You know, so it actually is a very livable house.

It was built for the Reverend Percy Lloyd and his family, who... their family made a big fortune out of publishing, and so forth.

But tell me about the architect, who was the architect?

He was called Edward Schroeder Prior, and I think with this house, in Percy Lloyd, he found a client who was very tolerant, because the budget was meant to be £15-20,000 and it cost 60.

VO: Ha!

Pricey, eh?

The arts-and-crafts ethos demanded that local artisans and local materials be used to build it.

SIMON: It actually was a pure arts and crafts house, in the tradition that the house should actually grow from the land it was built on, using natural materials, using local materials, using local craftsmen, gathering as much material from the actual site.

But it's an immensely sophisticated and complex building as well.

One of the things that struck me, even just walking through, was the wonderful quality of light that we have here.

Now...

I know that we've got lots of these wonderful leaded glass windows, but there is a shape to the house... Well it's built on a butterfly principle, with the main body and two wings, which is...

I mean, this bit is directly south facing.

VO: This allows the natural East Anglian light to flood the open spaces.

The house was built as a large home but sadly the wealthy clan who commissioned it never lived here.

Never lived here, no.

Erm... His wife is meant to have not liked it.

VO: Hmmph!

Choosy, eh?!

Instead the house passed to different tenants.

It was a boys' boarding school until the outbreak of World War I, and later became a sanatorium and then a care home.

It was only in 1998, when Simon purchased the property, that it was finally used as a domestic residence.

Isn't that nice?

VO: So, Simon's taking Anita outside to get a view of the whole property.

That's a very dapper outfit, Simon.

Aw, isn't that absolutely wonderful?

Isn't that absolutely wonderful?

It's fabulous.

Is this one of the architect's iconic buildings?

It's unquestionably his domestic masterpiece.

VO: Unquestionably.

But Anita needs to be on her way - she needs to get a bit artsy and craftsy herself.

VO: Meanwhile, James has driven the seven miles on to the town of Sheringham.

The coastal town of Sheringham is known for inspiring great works - the composer Ralph Vaughn Williams, poet Stephen Spender and writer Patrick Hamilton all lived in the town at one time or another.

VO: So, it's the perfect place for James to muse on his next buy.

He's strolling towards Sheringham Collectables, where he's making a new friend.

JB: Welcome.

Exterminate!

VO: He's meeting dealer Kristian.

JB: Hello.

DEALER: Hello.

JB: James.

DEALER: Kristian.

Kristian, nice to meet you, Kristian.

And to you.

VO: Great.

James is keen to see if Kristian might have any new stock he could strike a bargain on.

I'll give you a fighting chance if I can.

That's really kind.

Working man and all that.

VO: I'd hardly call this tomfoolery "work"!

DEALER: Silverware has been going well at the moment.

JB: Who have you got on the silver front?

I put a absolutely gorgeous stamp box out this morning.

Have you?

Let's have a look at that.

VO: You're keen, James!

DEALER: The shape of a knife box.

JB: Oh, a sort of novelty thing.

What an unusual item.

VO: It's a box for storing loose stamps, it's made of hallmarked silver, and modeled to resemble an 18th century knife box.

Its hallmarks date it to 1904, with a London manufacturer.

Ticket price is £65, and it's gorgeous.

Rather fun, isn't it?

So it's got that sloping side, so you can pick out those loose stamps.

So this was before stamps were... Oh, hello.

This is...

This is before... Oh, hello, oh!

DEALER: Old age!

JB: No, it's just... Just the agility of an athlete like myself.

VO: Yeah.

A - you're not Mo Farah.

And B - what could Kristian do on the price of the stamp box?

Give it a good licking?

40 would buy it today.

And I'll buy it, Kristian, that's really kind.

Thank you very much indeed.

VO: Yeah, deal done, with extreme haste!

Good.

Thanks a lot, Kristian.

There we are.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hand over the stamp box and I'll be on my way.

VO: James, you do seem very keen to spirit that away.

I wonder why?

See you, bye.

Bye-bye.

VO: And with that enthusiastic buy, James and Anita are reunited in the car at the end of a jam-packed day one.

Night-night, you two.

But the dewy sunrise finds them back in the 2CV, just reveling in the fine spring morning.

JB: It's lovely and sunny, but still... AM: There's a wee nip in the air.

JB: The sunnies are on but the gloves are still there.

Yeah.

And the wooly wotsits.

VO: That's enough about your wooly wotsits, Anita.

But it's quite snug in our little cabin, isn't it?

Aw, yeah - especially with you, James!

Yeah!

VO: Oh, sweet!

So far, James has splashed his cash on four items - the Wilkinson dinner service, the millefiori brooch, the 1920s Crufts prize and the little silver stamp box.

He still has a generous £165.10 to play with... ..while Anita's been playing it very canny, spending only £20 on two items: the paperweight with the porcelain hand, and the nine karat gold brooch.

She still has £177.50 in her sporran.

And James is already crowing about his bumper day's buying yesterday.

I went to Sheringham, walked into a shop, and I bought an item within three minutes.

AM: Really?

Oh, James, you've got me worried!

Or is this just a tactic?

JB: No, it isn't.

I wouldn't toy with you.

Wouldn't you?

JB: No.

AM: What a pity!

VO: Spring is in the air, clearly.

James is beginning the day in the town of North Walsham.

The parish church of St Nicholas dates from the 1300s.

In 1381, the warlike Bishop of Norwich ordered rebels in the peasants' revolt to be slaughtered in the church.

He was aptly named Henry the Dispenser.

Ha-ha!

Let's hope that things proceed more peaceably this morning, as mafioso James struggles out of his car and into the first shop of the day, Timeline Antiques Centre, where he's meeting dealer Michael.

Good morning.

James.

Michael, welcome.

Hello.

Very nice to be here.

VO: You are so affable, James.

It's a delight.

Will you lead on?

Yeah, sure.

Lovely.

VO: Do you know, this is no time for a sit-down, James.

Come on boy, buck up.

It looks as if he's found something, though.

Interesting items, we've got a nice Doulton jug there, beautifully made object.

VO: It's a Victorian beer jug, by manufacturer Royal Doulton, which was founded in 1815.

It's modeled in the shape and texture of a traditional leather ale tankard, and bears an intriguing applied motto.

Price?

£65.

I can't wait to read what the verse is.

It'll be some improving verse.

"He that buys land buys stones.

"He that buys flesh buys bones."

VO: That's jolly.

JB: "He that buys eggs buys many shells.

"He that buys good ale buys nothing else."

VO: That's more like it!

James is smitten with the jolly jug, but first he has to ascertain which of the dealers in the center owns it.

That's lovely.

Now Michael, do you think somebody might... Do you think they might accept £38 for that?

Let's just have a look at the ticket.

MJ.

Who's that?

Michael... DEALER: It's me!

(THEY CHUCKLE) Cor, I think I'm a mind reader!

What's your best on that, Michael?

JB: I want you to be happy.

DEALER: 40.

40?

40?

Michael, I'll give you 40.

Thank you.

Love that.

VO: Another very decisive buy!

And James is rolling onwards.

Anita, meanwhile, has busked on to the city of Norwich.

The attractive cathedral city of Norwich retains much of its medieval charm, particularly on this historic street, Elm Hill.

Anita's soaking in the atmosphere as she ambles into Elm Hill Collectables, where dealer Paul will assist.

Hello.

I'm Anita.

Hello Anita.

Pleased to meet you.

VO: She's on the hunt for an auction-winning bargain to best James.

And it looks like she might have spied a handsome one.

# I believe in love # I believe in that # My eagle and my dove... # AM: Paul?

PAUL: Yes, Anita?

There's a lot of good looking guys in Norwich, am I right?

Are there?

I haven't noticed!

(SHE CHUCKLES) And I've seen one that I fancy.

He's got a good body on him.

This guy here.

Oh, the one with all the... pictures on it?

Yeah, he's interesting, isn't he?

I think it's quite good fun, and it's visually interesting.

VO: It's a male mannequin, of modern manufacture, decorated with scraps, in the technique known as decoupage.

There's no ticket price on him so Anita will have to enquire.

Is he a terribly expensive guy?

You can have him for £20.

Sounds like a cheap date!

It's got to be £20, Anita.

PAUL: Deal?

AM: Thank you very much.

VO: Deal done, then!

And she's spotted another couple of things just next to her new beau.

But this, this here, the suit...

The jacket and hat.

PAUL: The jacket and the hat, yes?

VO: It's a mid-20th-century British Merchant Navy cap, and an Air Force blazer of more modern vintage.

You can have the jacket reasonable.

How much is reasonable?

A tenner.

That probably fits me, actually.

Try it on?

VO: Mm, suits you!

I'm the captain.

PAUL: You're in the navy, and I'm in the air force.

AM: Oh, right.

Goodness me, look at this!

(SHE CHUCKLES) VO: If you two are quite finished playing dressing up... Well, they say all the nice girls like a sailor.

PAUL: Yeah, this is Air Force.

AM: Oh, right.

VO: Aye aye!

Ticket price on the hat is £30, but what can Paul do it for?

15.

You know this stuff - what's the best buy?

I would have said that for 15.

You'll make money on that.

VO: Anita leaves the blazer but takes the Merchant Navy cap at a cool 50% discount.

So she has her boy-toy and headgear for £35 dead.

VO: James has also made his way onwards to Norwich.

VO: With all his items for auction already in the bag, he's going to spend the afternoon ringing the changes at St Peter Mancroft Church, in the center of the city, where he's meeting Simon Rudd, for a ruddy good time, we hope.

Ah, hello.

James Braxton.

Simon Rudd, pleased to meet you.

Hello, very nice to meet you.

And you too.

And you're chief bell ringer?

I'm the master of the St Peter Mancroft Guild of Ringers.

VO: Simon, indeed, heads the illustrious guild of bellringers based at this magnificent 15th century church.

JB: Is this merely a church, or is a it a cathedral?

SIMON: It's one of the greater churches group in the country.

One of the glories of the city - - indeed, one of the glories of East Anglia.

Now what are you going to show me today, Simon?

OK, I'd like to take you down and have a look in the treasury, if I may.

Oh, yes, please, lead on.

JB: It is glorious, isn't it?

SIMON: It is.

VO: Simon is taking James on into the treasury, in the north transept of the church, to explain a little more about the long history of bellringing at St Peter Mancroft.

The type of bellringing - or campanology - practiced in English churches is known as change ringing.

Its history has strong ties to this area, and to this very building.

Lovely flowers.

The art of change ringing itself developed very much in East Anglia, had its inception, if you like, in East Anglia in the late 17th century.

And throughout the 17th century and into the early part of the 19th century, the band of ringers here at St Peter Mancroft were almost pre-eminent - they were renowned as the leading experts of the art, which is evidenced by the fine peal of 12 bells we have here already.

VO: The guild here also has another claim to be a major place of bell ringing history.

They were the first band to ring a full peal on church bells, and that was accomplished on the 2nd May in 1715.

VO: The full peal is the ultra-marathon of the bell ringers' art - a fiendishly complicated performance that requires huge concentration and stamina, and today can involve up to 3.5 hours of continuous ringing.

Normally it's a feat of memory, because you're not ringing with any music, you're purely memorizing the patterns you have to ring, and if anything goes wrong, and it comes to a stop, that's it.

It's gone.

VO: These hugely difficult peals are only performed on special occasions - thankfully for James.

JB: I hope you're not going to make me ring a peal, are you?

Well, we'll see how you get on!

I've only got two hours!

A couple of minutes maybe.

(THEY CHUCKLE) Lead on, Simon, go on.

OK, so come up the tower and meet the band.

VO: And they're heading up to the bell tower.

You're joking!

No, I'm not!

I've got to get through that?

SIMON: You have.

JB: I'm going sideways.

VO: Breathe in, Brackers!

SIMON: And... JB: Goodness me!

..here's the jolly band of St Peter Mancroft Ringers.

Hello, good afternoon.

Fabulous.

GROUP: Hello.

Well, they all look keen.

Yes.

We have about 30 members in the St Peter Mancroft Guild, and as you can see, about half of them are here this afternoon, to do some ringing for you.

Pike, will you ring the tenor, please?

Neil, will your ring the 11th?

Pete, will you ring the 10th, please?

Mugs, will you ring the 9th?

I might get clobbered!

VO: Yeah, stay out of the way, James.

Health and safety.

We're just going to ring a few really nice rounds on 12.

Thank you.

(BELLS RING TUNEFULLY) JB: Very good!

Who is your oldest-serving member?

I think that would be David Cubitt.

Ah.

Which one?

Identify him.

This is David over here.

You look the youngest, sir.

(LAUGHTER) How long have you been ringing for?

Oh my goodness, over 50 years.

And does it get easier?

No!

It doesn't?!

Not at all.

VO: Well, that bodes well, as virgin bell ringer James gives it a pull.

So you find me in the peak of physical fitness, Simon.

SIMON: Right.

JB: What do you want?

OK, um, we wouldn't normally teach beginners from scratch here, because our bells are quite difficult to ring.

We're just going to give you a taster of what it feels like to ring a bell.

If you'd just like to stand straight there.

What, square on?

Square on, indeed.

OK.

I'll deal with... Don't worry about...

This wooly part here is called the sally.

That's the sally.

Sally belongs to me, so I'll look after that.

OK. OK, are you ready?

JB: Yeah, I'm ready.

SIMON: Here we go.

Here we go.

And lift.

(BELL RINGS) Gently down, gently down.

(BELL RINGS) SIMON: That's it.

And up again.

(BELL RINGS) SIMON: And gently down.

Good.

JB: I am concentrating here!

SIMON: Good!

JB: I'm both concentrating and trying not to stick my tongue out, which I normally do when concentrating!

I don't know if I could do three hours of this!

(LAUGHTER) It's a bit like fishing, really.

VO: Well, if you say so, James.

Right, so I think that qualifies you for membership of the guild, and I think it's a £50 membership fee!

JB: (LAUGHS) VO: Well, that's enough to ensure James thinks it's time to be ringing off.

Thank you all very much, it's been a real privilege.

JB: Goodbye.

SIMON: Bye-bye!

(BELLS RING) VO: Now, Anita's about 10 minutes' walk away, back on Elm Hill, where she's about to scour Mr P Milne's Antiques and Curios for her very last item.

She's meeting dealer James.

Hello, I'm Anita.

Afternoon.

Nice to meet you.

This is really the weird and the wonderful.

VO: This shop is, indeed, stuffed with quirky and curious objects.

Right up Anita's street.

This shop is full of things that I don't know what they are!

What's that?

Quite scary.

VO: And, what do you know, she's unearthed a particularly macabre item.

James, what have we got here?!

(CHUCKLES) Tell me about this.

A kind of restraint.

VO: It's a device for restraining prisoners, comprising a seasoned wooden beam with some fearsome-looking iron manacles.

I think, James, that we'd maybe a post there, you know, like the idea of stocks... DEALER: Literally crucifies.

AM: Or that sort of thing, yeah.

And the person would be handcuffed to it and they would throw... buns or something at them!

VO: I very much doubt they'd be pelting them with pastries, Anita!

How old could this be?

You know, I really couldn't say.

It looks positively ancient!

It looks positively ancient.

Certainly a well seasoned beam.

We have the key for those.

You do?

I suppose what we're saying here is an old piece of mechanism.

Absolutely, yes, yeah, and to have the key is a nice...

Certainly a nice touch.

Aha.

And it makes it quite practical as well!

AM: (LAUGHS) Let's hope not!

VO: Quite.

AM: It's an interesting item and it's an odd item, and I see that you don't have a price on it.

DEALER: You can make me an offer.

Can this be bought for... in the region of £20?

If we can do 25, then yes.

Right, James, 25, that's lovely.

AM: Thank you very much.

DEALER: Thank you very much.

VO: And with that final deal locked down tight - ha!

- Anita has all her lots for auction!

Time for both our avid antiques aficionados to rendezvous back in St Peter Mancroft Church and unveil their buys.

Reveal all.

Right.

My word.

So what on earth is this?

OK, a mannequin, decorated in decoupage, where they've stuck all these things on and varnished it over.

Yeah.

This man has a great body but not much in the way of brains.

JB: How much?

AM: 20 quid.

JB: That's cheap, isn't it?

AM: It's not bad.

Now, what is this gruesome item?

This is...

I think it's stocks from ancient Norwich, and I thought as well as wonderful, let's try weird.

How much is weird?

25 quid!

And your lovely... what's this gauntlet?

Paperweight?

This is a little paperweight, Victorian thing.

Not very dear, eight quid.

Cheap enough, isn't it?

VO: He seems impressed, but still unruffled.

I have done the absolute converse of what you've done, so I have spent some money here today.

I went mad, I bought a dinner service.

But this is a lovely dinner service, and art deco, from the 1930s.

How much?

£50.

Tell me what this is, James.

Just rather fun, it's first prizes of Crufts.

What I liked about it was it was framed in a diamond.

And it has a sort of decorative look to it.

VO: You don't seem to be sniffing around much on that, Anita.

But what about the ace up James's sleeve?

What's your little box?

This is my bargain, this is my winner.

AM: Aha.

JB: There we are.

JB: Have a feel of it.

AM: Aw!

It's a stamp box.

JB: A stamp box.

AM: How much, James?

How much would you value it at?

I would put that at 100-150.

Touched hands with the man at £40.

Oh, I don't believe it!

VO: Believe it, Anita!

Let's go and have a cup of tea.

I think we need one.

To celebrate.

Anita's done very well, you know, scary item, the stocks.

It's quite a funny, quirky...

It's a conversation piece, and at £25, it's not expensive.

East Anglia's been kind to me but, as I know, the rug can quickly be pulled.

James has spent an awful lot of money.

Had a false sense of security and he's been a bit scatter-cash, whereas I have been a wee bit careful.

Might be my downfall.

But I like that stamp box that he bought.

But the dog thing... VO: I think she means she doesn't like it.

Lordy.

VO: On this show, Anita and James have cruised through Norfolk from Holt, to find themselves nearly at their auction in Diss.

VO: Diss, which lies near the border of Norfolk and Suffolk, has been a quintessentially English market town for more than 500 years.

So what better place for Anita and James to hawk their wares?

The busy TW Gaze auction room has been a mainstay of Diss life for more than 150 years.

James, just as well we've got the bunnets on today.

I know, it's very, very rainy, isn't it?

Come on, get in.

Let's get in, quickly.

VO: Better get inside, quick!

Today's auctioneers, Elizabeth Talbot and Edward Smith, will be sharing gavel-wielding duties.

But before the off, what does Elizabeth make of our happy pair's lots?

ELIZABETH (ET): I like James's Wilkinson pottery dinner service.

Very jazzy, it's very art deco, and actually quite modern.

The item of James's that I don't warm to particularly, I'm afraid to say, is the Crufts certificate with photograph.

There's been quite a lot of interest in Anita's mannequin, so I think, surprisingly, she's going to do quite well with that.

So I rate that highly for Anita.

VO: Anita started this leg with £197.50.

She spent quite a parsimonious £80, but has five lots in the sale... ..while James began with £297.10.

He spent a more generous £172, and also has five lots to show for it.

The sale's about to begin!

JB: Here we go.

AM: Here we are!

Oh, I get quite excited!

VO: I know you do, Anita.

First up is James's massive Wilkinson dinner service.

Will the crowd think it's worth a nibble?

40 bid, sir, thank you.

40 I have, the gallery's bid at 40, I'll take the 2.

At 42 downstairs.

45.

48.

And 50... Five.

60... Five.

70... Five.

80... five.

£85, are you all done?

VO: A very tasty profit!

Well, that was a good start.

Good start.

VO: First for Anita - her paperweight with modeled hand.

Will it point to a profit?

Start me at 30.

ET: 30 bid, the lady bid at 30.

JB: 30.

Golly!

Where's two?

32 is seated.

35.

38.

40.

Where's 2?

At the £40, it will sell.

VO: It grabs a sizable chunk of change.

That is very good.

It's a good start for Anita, isn't it?

VO: Next, Anita's decoupage mannequin.

As auctioneer Edward takes the stand, will the crowd fancy him as much as Anita does?

I have bids on, I have to start at £30.

Well done.

Straight in.

ES: A super piece.

32.

AM: Yes!

35.

38.

40... two.

45.

48 is with me.

AM: Yes!

JB: Oh!

50... five.

60... five.

65 is bid, is there 70?

AM: Yes!

ES: We are selling at £65.

VO: Well, he's caught a few eyes, and the profit to prove it.

The mannequin, I mean!

Ha!

Well, he was AM: a good looking guy.

JB: It's profit!

He was a good-looking guy.

VO: Now it's James's Crufts certificate.

Anita's not keen on it - might he be barking up the wrong tree, then?

10 I'm bid, then, 10 I have.

10 I have, is there 12?

For the £10, are we all done?

VO: Oh dear.

It was a dog after all.

You were right, Anita.

Oh, darling, I'm sorry about that.

Don't worry.

The big guns are yet to come.

VO: Ahoy, sailor - it's Anita's Merchant Navy cap next.

Straight in at £30.

30 I have, who wants the two?

Two.

Five.

Eight.

40... two, five, eight, 50.

We sell at £50.

VO: And it snags a very nice price.

£50?!

VO: A bit overboard, do you think, James?

Ha!

Now it's Anita's, erm, interesting stocks.

We have to start at £60.

60 I have, where is the five?

It's the stocks here, 65.

70... five.

75 I have.

AM: 75 quid!

ES: Is there 80?

Selling at £75.

VO: Another lovely profit!

James took a beating on that lot.

£75!

Blimey, you are on a roll!

I'd better look out!

VO: So, can James gain some ground with his beer jug?

Let's HOP so!

Sorry.

I have interest at £40.

40 I have, who wants two?

42, 45, 48, and 50.

I think they've got somebody on the phone.

60.

Is there a five?

Selling at the £60.

VO: A delicious pint of profit to James!

AM: Well done, darling.

JB: That's alright.

AM: Are you happy with that?

JB: Happy with that.

Yeah.

VO: Next, will Anita's little nine-karat brooch strike gold?

Ooh, look, Elizabeth's back!

Coo-coo!

Pretty little brooch there for £20, where are you?

Come on.

AM: Struggling, James.

JB: Yeah.

Thank you, front, at 22, gallery.

At £22, gentleman's bid at 22, and selling.

VO: Another gold star for Anita.

That's just about AM: what it was worth.

JB: Yeah.

VO: It's the battle of the brooches, as James' millefiori brooch meets the crowd.

Pretty little piece there.

Come on... Oh, dear, struggling.

20 I have on commission, at 20, I'll take two.

It's for nothing at 20 on the little brooch.

ET: Are you all done?

JB: 20.

VO: Better than a poke in the eye, eh?

Battle of the brooches.

VO: Hey, that's my line!

Finally, it's the little silver stamp box for James.

Is a profit in the post?

First class!

I'll start at £60.

£60, 65 and 70.

Five, and 80.

Five, and 90.

Five, 100, and 10, 120... VO: Crikey!

120, with me at 120.

130, 140, 150, 160, 170... AM: Competition!

ET: 180, with me at 180 now.

180.

You beauty!

At 180, I do have, at 180.

At 180, 190, 200.

ET: 210, 220.

AM: James!

230, 240... Oh, James!

Any advance on £240?

Absolutely wonderful!

VO: £200 profit!

Cor, sterling work, eh?!

AM: Oh James, that was great!

JB: (LAUGHS) Oh, that was so exciting, wasn't it?

240.

That is indecent almost.

AM: That was wonderful.

JB: Mm.

Shall we go and have a cup of tea?

You're buying!

I will.

VO: I should jolly well think so too!

So, it was a terrific sale for both of them but James's stratospheric profit on the stamp box completely blew Anita out of the water.

Anita started today with £197.50.

After paying auction costs, she made a very tidy profit of £126.64.

She has £324.14 to carry on to the next leg, which ain't half bad.

VO: But the victorious James began with £297.10.

And after paying auction costs, he made an absolutely smashing profit of £168.30, and ends up with £465.40.

Whoopie!

Well, James, that was absolutely wonderful.

We're both winners!

Yeah.

We're both up there again.

We mustn't be too smug or complacent.

VO: Quite right, James.

Off you pop, then!

See you on the next leg!

On the next Antiques Road Trip, James is under fire.

I don't know what... Ooh!

DEALER: Oh, mind your head.

JB: Getting attacked!

VO: And Anita's building her empire.

I'm awful tempted with Napoleon!

(CHUCKLES) I think a lot of women were.

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