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, a canny Caledonian vies with a smart southerner for antiquarian glory.

Antiques maven Anita Manning is a Glaswegian auctioneer who is always ruled by her personal sense of style.

Ha!

ANITA (AM): Wee jaunty angle?

VO: While jolly bargain hound James Braxton prefers to rely on his supernatural nose for quality.

JAMES (JB): It's rather like... Lovejoy has channeled through me!

VO: So far on this road trip, James has seen his profits soar.

230, 240... James!

Yes!

VO: But also bought some ill-fated books of vintage stamps which failed to sell in his last auction, so he carries those on to this leg.

Anybody want them, £5?

No.

Pass.

(LAUGHTER) AM: Oh!

VO: Both our esteemed auction experts started this road trip with £200.

Anita has gone forth and multiplied that into her current cash pot of £369.54.

Well done.

While James has grown his seed money to a blooming marvelous £442.40.

We're in an interesting position, James.

I've made up a wee bit.

Just slightly.

Yeah.

You did very well.

You could say that I'm snapping at your heels.

I think you are.

VO: Today they are driving a saucy little French starlet, the 1986 Citroen 2CV6 Special.

JB: Monsieur, monsieur, monsieur, monsieur... VO: Ah-ha!

Mais oui!

On this whole road trip, James and Anita traverse the ancient byways of eastern England, from Stamford in Lincolnshire, to end up at their final showdown in London's maritime borough of Greenwich.

On today's leg they begin in the city of Cambridge, aiming towards auction in Rayleigh, Essex.

VO: On the last leg, James was careful with his cash, and it cost him.

Five, anybody?

No?

VO: He's vowed to spend big on this leg and to let his inner wild man run free.

You could be putting yourself in big danger.

I don't care.

AM: You don't care?

JB: No.

A devil-may-care Braxton.

Devil-may-care.

VO: That's fighting talk, Brackers.

The beautiful city of Cambridge is, of course, dominated by its ancient and illustrious university.

Let's hope some of the city's famous smarts rub off on Anita and James as they head for their first shops.

JB: Different sort of traffic.

Here we are.

Perfect.

Goodness, it is a different world, this Cambridge.

It's marvelous, marvelous.

Well, good luck.

It's very hard to emerge elegantly out of this.

JB: Isn't it glorious?

AM: It's wonderful, wonderful.

JB: It really is.

VO: Come on, you two, you're not here to sightsee.

Let's go shopping.

VO: And watch out for the cyclists.

Oh, lordy!

Anita is heading off towards Cambs Antiques, where she's meeting dealer Stephen.

Hello, I'm Anita.

Nice to see you.

How do you do, Anita?

Lovely to see you.

DEALER: I've got new stock... AM: New stock?!

..that I haven't even priced up yet.

VO: Oh, that's music to Anita's ears.

AM: So, Stephen... Oh, this is great fun!

So I'm getting first shout at this new stock?

Yes, yes, I just got it out of my car this morning.

Is this a silver one, Stephen?

It is.

Which I think is rather pretty.

Hand-hammered.

I like this, Stephen.

VO: Yep, it's a silver sauce boat, hallmarked Birmingham, in the style known as arts and crafts, hence it has that hammered or planished finish, and it dates from 1922.

I like that.

I shouldn't be telling you that I like it so much.

DEALER: Why not?

AM: (LAUGHS) I mean, what I was thinking about when I looked at it was round about the 50.

Let me think about it.

Let me just get my book out.

OK.

I've just checked the jug... Aha.

I can tuck it just under the £50 for you.

DEALER: 45.

AM: 45 is wonderful.

DEALER: Yes?

DEALER: Good, good.

AM: Wonderful.

I'm very happy.

Cuz we've got to give you the best chance.

AM: Yes!

DEALER: Good.

45.

Yes!

VO: So, Anita's got a great deal on her coveted silver sauce boat and she's browsing on.

"Manning for Mackay's."

That is good.

A wee jaunty angle?

VO: You blend in like a local, girl.

But now some more silver's caught her magpie eye.

Stephen, I had a wee look at...

There's some bridge pencils down here, which are rather pretty.

VO: It's a set of four propelling pencils, made to use while playing the card game bridge.

They're probably of modern manufacture, but are fashioned out of sterling silver.

They're just so sweet, DEALER: aren't they?

AM: Sterling.

These belong to one of the other dealers, they're not mine.

They're not yours, aha.

But fortunately she's here this morning, so we can ask her.

Janet, what's the very best on your bridge pencils?

You've got 85 on them.

Janet, I really...

I think these are quite sweet.

50 would be bottom line.

50's the very bottom?

It is, yeah.

I'm wondering if I can make a profit.

VO: She's thinking on it.

AM: I really fancy these little things.

I wonder if Janet would come another little bit... Could these be bought for 40?

Er... it's got to be 45.

45?

Yeah.

So I make just a little on them.

Mm-hm.

Let's go 45 then, AM: Thank you very much.

JANET: OK. You're welcome.

AM: Janet, that's great.

JANET: You're welcome.

VO: So, deal done.

Anita has got the sauce boat and the set of pencils for £90 total.

James meanwhile is right next door in antiques center The Hive, where dealer Bill is assisting.

Hello.

James.

BILL: Bill.

Pleased to meet you.

JB: Hello.

JB: Very nice to meet you, Bill.

BILL: Come on in.

Ah, now Bill what have you got?

I want something cheap that's going to make me lots of money.

VO: And James just might be in luck today, as Bill's a specialist, dealing in items that could see James flying high.

This is me at the Persian rugs.

The Persian rugs.

I've just bought a collection this morning...

Really?!

If you want something cheap.

Oh, come on, Bill!

Back outside.

I don't miss any of your programs.

Thank you, sir.

VO: Always nice to meet a fan.

I've just bought this small collection this morning.

This sort of thing, if you want something to make a profit.

Nice little bag face.

VO: Hey, who are you calling a bag face?!

Huh!

It's a piece of Kurdish weaving from the early 20th century.

In its homeland, it would've been the decorative front of a bag slung over the shoulders of a camel or a donkey, but these pieces were often converted into cushions, or small rugs, in the west.

BILL: About 1930s.

Something like that would normally retail at about £80.

JB: Yeah.

BILL: £30 today.

VO: James is tempted but might Bill be willing to come down even further on the price?

I said I'd do you that for... £20.

JB: £20?

BILL: Yep.

I think that's a very...

I think that's a lovely, lovely item, that.

I love that, Bill.

Bill, I'm going to buy that.

It's a very nice item for 20.

Thank you.

Yep.

Thank you.

Really lovely.

VO: So, that buy is all stitched up at £20, but he's still looking.

JB: What else is going to... BILL: Really nice... ..turn me some money?

Really nice Chinese... Oh, you spoil me!

VO: He does!

BILL: This is a little lacquered box, but it's full of the most beautiful mother-of-pearl counters.

VO: He's right there - a Cantonese lacquered box, dating from the 19th century, and containing four smaller boxes, each filled with gaming counters made of cut mother-of-pearl and used for playing card games and all that kind of jazz.

BILL: Look at the top of that.

JB: Yeah, really sweet.

And there are... 93 counters and these sell individually, on their own, normally for about £3 each.

Really?

Look at those, those little fish.

And they're all engraved, aren't they?

BILL: Yes.

JB: Yeah, it's really fun.

BILL: It's very, very nice.

JB: Oh, what a lovely lock.

The yin and yang!

Yeah, yeah.

And how much has this got to be, Bill?

This has got 98 on it.

With being new stock, erm... £90.

JB: £90?

For the lock alone, Bill, that is fabulous, I'll buy that.

£90.

That's really kind, thank you.

VO: In a bold move, James gambles some serious dosh on the lovely box and gaming counters, so he's got that and the Kurdish bag face for £110 total.

VO: Ah, look who it is.

JB: Oh... James, darling.

Anita, how are you?

Have you spent lots of money?

I have!

AM: Oh, excellent!

Excellent!

JB: I have!

Can I go in there?

Course you can, he's a very nice chap - Bill.

VO: Indeed he is.

And a good thing too, as it's Anita's turn for a browse in his shop.

The Rudiments Of Genteel Behavior!

(CHUCKLES) VO: I'm sure you don't need any help there, Anita.

Ha!

Bill, could I have a wee look at this screen?

That is intriguing.

BILL: It's really decorative, isn't it?

That's wonderful.

What sort of date would this come from?

BILL: I think it's around 1920s, could be 1930s.

Probably continental.

Aha.

But it is a wonderful scene on it, isn't it?

VO: It's a four-panel screen, covered in an early form of imitation leather and depicting a fantastical naval scene.

Ticket price is £80.

Ahoy!

So we've got these fabulous galleons... BILL: And you've got the dove, with an angel with a bugle.

There's a bit of everything going on in it.

AM: It's like a scene from the Pirates Of The Caribbean.

BILL: Almost.

AM: I like that.

How about 65?

Could you go to 50 on that?

Would 50... would 50 buy it?

Well, James wouldn't have bought it for 50, but you can.

Oh, thank you.

There we are.

50 and a kiss!

There we are.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

VO: I say!

With a bit of twinkle-eyed charm from Anita, she has the screen.

BILL: Thank you very much.

AM: Thank you so much.

BILL: Thank you.

AM: Bye-bye.

BILL: Bye-bye.

VO: And it's the next shop ahead.

James, meanwhile, has motored the 10 or so miles south to the environs of Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

VO: Here he's heading towards the Imperial War Museum's massive complex celebrating the history of aviation.

Stand by for takeoff.

That is if he can get past security.

Give him a wave.

Oh, well, there we are.

James is meeting research and information manager Carl Warner.

Hello!

JB: Hello.

James.

CARL: Hello.

I'm Carl.

Hello.

Very nice to meet you, Carl.

VO: That's nice.

The hangar in which James and Carl are standing was built during World War I, when Duxford aerodrome was constructed as a training base for British airmen.

However, it was during the Second World War that the base really rose to fame.

You're standing effectively in part of a Battle of Britain fighter station, so Duxford was a fighter station during that period.

VO: In June 1940, continental Europe from Norway to Sicily was dominated by Nazi Germany and her allies.

Britain stood alone against the enemy, and Hitler planned to conquer us next.

In the summer and autumn that followed, the Battle of Britain was waged in the skies over southern England.

It was a battle for national survival and for European freedom from Nazi tyranny.

As this Imperial War Museum footage shows, the brave servicemen and women at RAF Duxford were hugely important in this most crucial of fights.

CARL: Duxford was basically responsible for defending the industrial Midlands but also helping out with the defense of London, and it's in that role that it sort of became very famous.

Up to 50 or 60 aircraft in a huge sort of group went down and supported and helped out with the defense of London's northern flank during that battle.

VO: Carl is taking James on to another area of the center - a new exhibition called Historic Duxford.

Amongst other things, it houses a number of objects connected to the war records of Duxford's most celebrated airmen.

CARL: We have the uniform that belonged to Douglas Bader, who was very, very famous - probably one of the most famous pilots in the Battle of Britain.

VO: Bader was a RAF fighter pilot who lost both of his legs to amputation after an air crash in 1931.

Denied active service as a pilot after his injury, Bader fought determinedly and bravely to prove that he could still fly missions.

CARL: He fought really hard to get back into the RAF and to be allowed to fly.

He wasn't really interested in being in the Royal Air Force if he couldn't fly, he made that very clear.

CARL: Um... JB: (LAUGHS) But he was convinced, and he convinced a lot of people, and indeed he showed that he was a very able fighter pilot.

Having no legs really didn't...

It wasn't a barrier to him.

No.

VO: Amazing.

Bader won his battle and in February 1940 joined 19 Squadron here at Duxford, as a fighter pilot once more.

He went on to fight over Dunkirk and to both fly and command a squadron in the Battle of Britain.

He personally destroyed 20 enemy aircraft - an incredible number.

CARL: The medals that he won, you can see straightaway - Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Flying Cross.

The DFC there, the little rosette on it, obviously indicates he won more than one, and then you have his various campaign medals.

VO: Bader might be Duxford's most famous flyer but countless others also served bravely here, and the collection honors them also.

JB: What is this fine fellow here?

OK, well this is a flying suit belonging to Gordon Sinclair.

VO: Sinclair was also a heavily decorated fighter pilot, who flew daring and courageous missions in World War II.

CARL: One of the things I like most about this is Gordon Sinclair was very self-deprecating - he wasn't, you know, wasn't the sort of person who would brag about this sort of thing, certainly not in the dealings we had with him, and we discovered that he actually used to garden in this, so you know, he just treated it as if it was a nice overall.

JB: Yeah, yeah.

Practical!

CARL: Practical!

So he used to do his gardening in it.

And you know, and we'd look at it and we think "My goodness, "what a fantastic piece of history this is!"

JB: It is.

Um... you know, treated very cavalierly by the man who wore it and won gallantry awards for flying and fighting.

VO: And that is the courageous spirit that Duxford so rightly celebrates.

Chocks away!

Inspired by all he's seen, James needs to be off.

Carl, thank you, I really have been transported back to Duxford.

Good, I'm glad.

Duxford at its peak.

VO: If he's going to have any chance of besting Anita, he needs to fly.

Ha!

Er, in the car James.

And speaking of Anita, she's traveled around 20 miles on to the delightfully named village of Steeple Bumpstead.

Ha!

Picturesque Steeple Bumpstead - cor, I love saying that!

- retains its delightful 15th-century coaching inn, so let's hope Anita can lay her hands on something half so venerable in her next shop, Bumpstead Antiques and Interiors... Watch her go!

..where dealer Graham awaits.

Hello, good afternoon.

Hello, I'm Anita.

Lovely to be here.

GRAHAM: Well, welcome.

Oh, everything looks absolutely wonderful.

Is there anything that you have had for a long, long time and you want to get out of the door?

Er, well you've been here quite a wow!

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: I like you, Graham.

But look, she's found something.

Quite a nice little decorative dish.

It's of a white metal, it's probably on copper, and you can see the copper shining through here.

It has these wonderful embossed birds, I think these are herons - but I'm not great on birds!

(CHUCKLES) VO: Oh, I don't know.

Ticket price is £21.

I'd like to buy it for 10.

But I don't think he'll sell it to me for that.

Graham, hi.

Yes, Anita.

Hi.

I was looking at this wee... little dish here.

AM: White metal.

GRAHAM: Mm-hm.

AM: Over copper probably.

GRAHAM: Mm-hm.

Not sure of the age - it doesn't matter, it's just quite a pretty thing.

Is there a possibility of buying this round about the £10 mark?

If you can go to 15, I'm happy to do it at 15.

Is there a possibility of bringing this to about 12?

I'll do another pound, 14.

Let's go for that, then, thank you very much.

VO: Well haggled.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Bye-bye.

VO: So Anita's got all of her buys for today.

And with that, they're reunited back in the car and heading off to sleep for a chance to dream of bargains.

Night-night.

But nothing can keep our pair off the bargain trail for long, and a rather damp morning finds them back in the 2CV and jolly as ever.

Well, James, a bit of a change of the weather today.

It certainly is, isn't it?

Aha.

Well, it's a bit steamy in here but that might just be me and you.

VO: You are incorrigible, Anita!

Anyway, so far Anita's spent £154 on four lots - the silver sauce boat, the set of four bridge pencils, the faux leather screen and the embossed white metal tray.

While James has forked out £110 on only two lots - the Kurdish bag face and the box of mother-of-pearl gaming counters.

They're in Essex today, and James seems to be adapting to his surroundings.

JB: 'Ello, love!

Where are you going?

(HORN TOOTS) JB: Where are you going?

JB: Battlesbridge.

AM: Have you been there before?

Never, no.

No, this is all a revelation to me.

VO: Glad to hear it.

They are indeed beginning the day in Battlesbridge... ..through which flows the tidal River Crouch... if a little mistily this morning.

Morning.

They're actually pulling up into the sprawling glory of Battlesbridge Antiques Centre, which houses over 80 dealers in a variety of buildings, sometimes called sheds.

They're splitting up to hunt like lone wolves.

Perfect, James, perfect.

Right, we're here, Battlesbridge.

Hold on, get out.

Oh!

Well done, James.

Isn't this beautiful?

JB: Isn't this lovely?

OK, let the battle commence.

"Ring the bell for assistance."

VO: She's heading into an area presided over by dealer Denise.

Hello, Denise.

Or is it...?

It's hockey.

VO: I think you've got a hole in one there, girl.

Why are you looking at me like that?

DEALER: Can you play it?

I mean, I might turn out to be Patsy Cline.

You could do, you could do.

AM: (LAUGHS) Rock 'n' roll, man!

But you... You could be good.

(FLAT NOTE) VO: Yeah.

I wouldn't give up the day job.

VO: And speaking of which, back to the antiques.

But her musical interlude looks to be continuing.

AM: I think that this is so sweet.

It is beautiful.

It's lovely.

Is it in working order?

Don't know, not tried it.

Oh, right.

Aha.

So it's the type of thing that would appeal to a radio buff.

VO: It's an American Bakelite radio, manufactured in the 1930s or '40s by Detrola.

This model's known as the Pee-Wee.

Ha!

Ticket price is a substantial £85 but Anita's hoping she can haggle.

Let's see if she and Denise are on the same... wavelength.

Ha!

Has that been lying here for a long time?

Yeah, yeah, it has, to be truthful, it has.

Do you think we could make a deal on it?

DEALER: Hm... AM: (LAUGHS) Are you alright?

Somebody over there said yes!

DEALER: That's my husband.

AM: Is that your man?

DEALER: Yes.

Come on over and tell us a wee bit about this radio.

It's a cool radio.

The only thing is, I know what I want to pay for it.

Right, hit me with it, then.

Hit me with your rhythm stick.

Will you sell it to me for 20 quid?

AM: (LAUGHS) It's been lying there, it's taking up a lot of room on this table.

VO: Er... MAN: 30 quid.

30 quid?

DEALER: Yeah, and it's yours.

MAN: And it's yours.

Yes!

Ha-ha!

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

VO: She gets a fabulous deal on the Bakelite radio and she's rocking and rolling onwards.

VO: James is elsewhere, in this village-sized antiques centre, and in contrast to Anita's focused buying this morning, he seems to be feeling a little lost.

It's like a sort of antiques Disney World, isn't it?

Anyway, I better get down and get dirty.

VO: Yes, old chap, you better way had.

Just keep going.

What have we got in there?

More stores.

I've never seen so much stuff.

VO: And to make matters worse, James's shapely pins are giving him some gyp.

I've done something to my tendons and I can just hardly move.

I haven't done any exercise since I left school and suddenly my wife decided to get me a personal trainer.

I think it's a way of women getting rid of husbands, isn't it?

VO: That's worrying.

My doctor friend said in his speech, he said that, "I know many colleagues who've rushed round all their life "and are now having hip operations.

"The best advice I can give you "is to sit down as much as possible, "because I've never heard of somebody "having a replacement bottom."

(CHUCKLES) VO: This health advice is not endorsed by Antiques Road Trip.

Ha!

But aching gams or not, James has soon unearthed something that looks like real treasure.

Hey... look at this.

Now, something like this, something like this is generally quite a lot of money.

A specimen case.

Now, the case is mahogany, and just to give you an idea, it's very nicely made - it's got incredible weight.

You won't be able to feel that.

VO: Yeah, funnily enough, James, no!

This is TV, see.

It's a 19th-century specimen case, containing a wide array of mineral samples, as well as some fossil teeth of prehistoric super shark the megalodon.

And look, a very tooth-like fellow down here.

We've got some amethyst crystals there, and some ores, iron ore.

This has "Victorian collector" stamped all over it.

VO: Exactly!

Ticket price is £78.

That's so cheap.

I would buy it at 78 but I am hoping to get it for less.

Oh, this has got me all excited!

It's rather like Lovejoy has channeled through me!

VO: Ooh, spooky!

The person who owns it isn't around at the moment but young dealer Tara can assist.

I hope you're standing on a step here, James.

Do you know the owner?

I do know the owner, and the best we can do on that is 10%.

10%, so what does that make it?

70.

VO: Give or take 20p.

So, he would bring it down to 70 for you.

70?

Go on, you have a deal.

TARA: Good stuff.

JB: Thank you very much indeed.

VO: Ripping stuff.

James gets a box of goodies and he's hobbling bravely onwards.

Anita, on the other hand, now has all her lots for auction.

So she's motored the 10 or 12 miles onwards to Southend-on-Sea.

Sitting on the Thames Estuary, Southend is a quintessential southern English seaside town.

This afternoon Anita's heading for Southend Pier and its shoreside museum.

She's meeting voluntary manager Peggy Dowie.

Hello, Peggy.

Hello, Anita.

I am so excited... PEGGY: Are you?

AM: ..to be in Southend.

I am very pleased to meet you.

And at the longest pier in the world.

The longest pleasure pier in the world.

VO: At a mile and a third in length, Southend is indeed the longest pleasure pier on Earth.

Ha!

A wooden pier was constructed in 1830, while the current iron structure was completed in 1889.

For the first time, the pier allowed large pleasure boats to dock at Southend-on-Sea at all tides, bringing a steady stream of holidaymakers and establishing Southend-on-Sea as a bustling place of fun and leisure and pleasure.

Of course, the whole town began to grow... AM: And flourish.

PEGGY: ..in the early 1800s, late 1800s, and flourished.

AM: Aha, because of this pier?

PEGGY: Yes.

VO: The pier also has survived its fair share of hard times.

It's suffered four major fires since the late 1950s.

And I think we have some photographs here of... Of the fire.

You have the photographs of the pier here.

PEGGY: Yes.

AM: Oh, dear.

But it just shows you the spirit of the old gal, you know, that she's had her disasters but she comes back strong.

You are so right - I think she's a fighter, cuz each time we have these disasters, she fights back.

VO: Indeed she does.

Now Peggy's taking Anita to see a naughty little attraction that was once all the rage on the boardwalk.

PEGGY: Let me show you this.

AM: (LAUGHS) PEGGY: You put an old coin in here.

Aha.

And now if you turn the handle...

This is a mutoscope, real moving pictures.

Is this naughty?

This is a naughty lady, yes.

Is it?

VO: Hey, ding dong!

AM: It's maybe more artistic than naughty.

VO: If you say so, Anita.

VO: And there's one more thing that makes this pier so special.

A tiny tram has transported visitors along her mile or so's length since just after she was built.

So tell me, when did they have the earliest trains?

PEGGY: On this pier, 1890.

They were revolutionary.

People hadn't seen anything like it on a pier, let alone the fact...

So this was the first pier to have trams AM: or these trains?

PEGGY: Yes.

VO: Anita's going to take a driver's eye view.

Stand by.

You see, this is good practice for getting in and out of those classic cars!

This is all you did to drive it?

PEGGY: Yes, yes.

I can feel the wind blowing in my hair!

(THEY CHUCKLE) What is that?

That is the bell.

(BELL RINGS) PEGGY: That's it.

You're away!

VO: And the tram's still running today.

Anita is going to leave Peggy shoreside and take the modern tram along to the pier head.

Oh, here's the train!

Oh, it was absolutely wonderful.

I really, really enjoyed it.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

VO: The pier truly is a British icon, and the beating heart of this town since the 19th century.

As the poet said John Betjeman said, "The pier is Southend, Southend is the pier."

It certainly made an impression on our Anita.

AM: Standing at the end of the pier, a mile into the Thames Estuary, and after my marvelous visit to the museum, I can just imagine what it was like in Victorian times.

VO: Quite so.

But it's time for you to get back to dry land, girl.

Now, James is still back at the super-sized antiques center in Battlesbridge.

After some more aimless and rather painful wandering, he's remembered that he still has the books of stamps that he failed to offload - I mean sell - at the last auction.

Anybody want them, £5?

No.

Pass.

VO: He's decided to see if he can find a stamp holder they might be paired with, in the hope that this will make them more salable.

He's headed into an area of the center that specializes in militaria, and is meeting dealer James.

Hello, James.

Hello.

James.

Hello, how are you?

Very well, how are you?

Not so bad, thanks.

Brilliant.

Now what I'm after, Jim, is, I bought a mistake, I bought some stamps.

Oh, dear.

And I want anything sort of stamp related.

That is actually a stamp folder... Is it?

..with the enamel badge of HMS Raleigh on the cover.

JB: How unusual, just a little chromium-plated fellow, isn't it?

DEALER: Sort of thing that would've been bought on board ship.

Yes.

Sort of badged up as a souvenir, isn't it?

Probably as a present for a girlfriend or a wife DEALER: or something like that.

JB: Yeah.

VO: It probably dates from the 1950s.

It's a fun little thing, isn't it?

Just a little chromium-plated thing with the crest, the arms.

DEALER: It's the ship's badge.

JB: The ship's badge.

DEALER: Yeah.

JB: So HMS Raleigh.

I don't know what class of ship it was, obviously could research that and find out.

Yeah.

VO: Er, let me be of assistance here.

It's not in fact a ship at all.

Since 1940, HMS Raleigh has been the Royal Navy's shore-based training facility at Torpoint in Cornwall.

There you go.

Is this very cheap, Jim?

Er... is a fiver very cheap?

No, it's too expensive for a chromium-plated fellow.

DEALER: Oh!

JB: (LAUGHS) £3, there you go.

That's er...

I'll do it for a pound, Jim.

Oh, go on, then.

A pound?

Yeah.

Deal.

Thank you.

DEALER: That's kind.

JB: Thanks a lot.

You're welcome.

Bye.

VO: James needs to hightail it to Southend, to meet Anita for the grand unveiling of their buys... or on the other hand - ha!

- they could just sit down to enjoy a plate of fish and chips.

Come on you two - some of us have a road trip to be getting along with.

OK, come on.

VO: James is up first.

This is the Santa Claus moment - I love it.

Oh!

Here we go.

Right.

I like this, lots of rocks.

Have you got some fossils?

Fossils.

Will that be a wee Victorian collection?

It is.

How much did you pay for that?

JB: £70.

AM: Right.

VO: That seems to have spooked her.

But what have we got here?

This is a Cantonese little box with the gaming counters.

Mother-of-pearl counters.

These are doing very, very well just now.

Are they, really?

Oh, no!

VO: And another winner.

What about your little...?

Little bag cover, sort of 1930s... Aha.

..got some age, and £20.

VO: All in all, then, a good haul for James.

Now for Anita.

Hey, look at this.

Aha.

My word, you've got a vessel there, haven't you?

How much did you pay for that?

45.

Ooh!

VO: Jealous James?

My next thing, a little set of bridge markers.

I paid 45 for those as well.

I've got one more thing.

What's that?

A room divide.

I think it's very stylish.

Do you want to get back to your fish and chips?

Yeah, of course I do.

Come on, it's getting cold.

VO: But now they're suitably fed and watered, what do they make of each other's buys?

I really like Anita's silver arts and crafts sauce boat but is it big enough to take on my minerals?

That blooming old Braxton might have done it again!

I loved his little Victorian collection of fossils and gemstones.

But the stamps - let's hope he gets a couple of quid for them and they'll be out of our lives.

VO: So, they're ready for auction.

On this leg of their grand old road trip... ..they've motored from Cambridge to end up at their saleroom in Rayleigh, Essex.

Rayleigh is a venerable Essex town which can trace its origins all the way back to the Domesday Book.

Stacey's Auctioneers & Valuers is a family business that now operates under the third generation of the clan.

Brothers Paul and Mark P Stacey will be wielding the gavel today.

But before that, what does Mark make of James and Anita's lots?

I really do like all the fossils.

I think that's a superb lot.

The Victorian folding screen, I don't think that's very good, it's not very fashionable any more, and I don't think there'll be many bids on that today.

VO: Anita started this leg with £369.54.

She spent £184 and has five lots in today's sale.

While James began with £442.40.

He spent £181 but has only managed to amass four lots.

And we're ready for the off.

Doors to manual, chaps.

Here we are, James, here we are - £40.

VO: First up it's Anita's little arts-and-crafts silver sauce boat.

Start the bidding at £60.

That's alright.

That's alright.

In profit.

And 70 is against you, sir.

75, 80 is bid.

85, 90, 95.

AM: Yes!

JB: Good old scrap.

MARK: 100, and five.

AM: Yes!

110, 115 is a new bidder.

AM: Yes!

MARK: Where are you?

120 on the internet now, 120 is bid.

130, are you all done?

The bid's on my left at 130.

Fair warning, last chance then please, at £130.

AM: Yes!

(GAVEL) VO: Anita's palm is crossed with a sizable pile of silver - what a start.

Give me a kiss.

Well done.

VO: That's enough canoodling.

Good start.

It's a great start.

Snapping at your heels.

VO: Next it's some more silver from Anita, as her set of modern bridge pencils are up.

Is another profit on the cards?

Two commission bids I have.

I must commence the bidding at £55.

Yes!

Commission is at 55, 60 bid, 65.

MARK: 70 now, 75.

AM: Yes!

My commission is at 75.

Are we all done?

VO: And once again, she's played a winning hand.

That is amazing.

VO: Don't.

Honestly.

JB: You're on a roll - anything you touch turns to gold at the moment.

VO: Or to silver, anyway.

One for James now, as his 19th-century box with mother-of-pearl counters is up.

Will this gamble pay off?

Starting at £50, bid's at 50.

Five anywhere?

At 50, five, 60 on the internet.

Internet bid is at £60.

The counters we sell at 60.

Five is my commission bid now.

65 against you, 70 is bid.

70, 75 against you and 80 is bid.

AM: Yes!

MARK: £80 now, and I sell at £80.

Aw!

VO: Sadly James's luck isn't in.

AM: (SIGHS) You never know in this game do you?

I know.

VO: Anita is up again, with her American Bakelite radio.

But will the punters tune in?

Start the bidding at £30 please, let's get going.

£30 is bid straight in, thank you.

30, at 32 anywhere?

30, 32's on the internet.

At £32, 35, 38.

It's on the internet at £38.

Selling on the internet then.

VO: It's not exactly a smash hit but it does turn a profit.

Well, at least you're making money.

I'm losing.

VO: Quite so.

Another for Anita now, as her copper and white metal tray is up.

Straight in at £20 is bid.

At 20 I have.

JB: That's alright.

AM: Yeah.

At £20 commission bid, any advances?

22, 25.

At 25 now against you, at £25, at 28, 28 on the internet now.

Internet bid is at 28.

At £28.

VO: And it cops a fair price.

JB: Well done.

AM: It's not gonna break the banks but it's a wee profit.

VO: Now it's James's woven Kurdish bag cover.

Does a profit loom?

Straight in at £20, 20 anywhere?

22 we've got straight in, 22 online.

Going again - 25 now, 28, all on the internet then.

30, 30 is now bid, and 32, 32... What's happening?

All on the internet and against you in the room.

At £32, last opportunity now, are we all done?

And selling at 32.

VO: So, a profit is in the bag.

Oh, you lucky devil.

I'm lucky on that one.

VO: Lastly for Anita now, it's her screen in early imitation leather.

40 we have straight in, 42 on the internet now, internet bid is at £42.

45, back in the room, thank you.

At 45 in the room, 48 is now bid, at 48 now.

Are we all done at 48?

AM: Come on, come on.

Yes!

MARK: And 50 now.

At £50 now, any advances at 50?

And five, at £55 the bid now.

We all done at £55 and selling?

VO: It just squeaks a profit but remember, she'll have to deduct auction costs from that.

That's alright, 55, go on.

AM: (GROANS) JB: That's alright, 55.

VO: James's lot of stamps and stamp holder now.

Will he finally be able to post these off?

10, £10 anywhere?

10, 14, jumping straight in on the internet, then.

AM: Aw, no!

MARK: 16 is now bid.

Internet bid's at £16, and 18.

Still online at £18.

20 in the room - thank you, sir.

Last opportunity now, selling to you, sir, for £20.

That's yours.

VO: Success!

James is finally free of his vintage postage.

Come right, it came right!

VO: To wrap up now, it's James's Victoria box of minerals, fossils and ores.

Can it dig up a profit?

Start the bidding here with me at £100.

A bid straight in at £100, 110, 120 now, at 120, 130 bid against you, 140 back with me.

150, fresh bidder, fresh bidder.

On my right at 150, 160 against you, sir.

170, bid is on my right at £170.

MARK: 180 now on the internet.

AM: Yes!

180 is bid, 190.

All done?

Last chance then please at £190.

VO: All that glitters earns him a fortune, and it's a nail-biting photo finish profits-wise.

Oh, that was exciting.

Oh, my heart was beating there.

VO: So, they both have star lots.

Anita just barely steals this leg, though James is still winning the war.

James started with £442.40.

After auction costs are deducted, he made a profit of £83.04, giving him £525.44 to carry forward.

Gosh.

But Anita won this leg by a massive 28p.

Ha!

She started with £369.54 and after paying auction costs, she made a profit of £83.32, giving her a total of £452.86 to carry onwards... and upwards, hopefully.

JB: Ah!

AM: (LAUGHS) JB: I do not believe it.

AM: That was wonderful, wonderful.

I do not believe it, Anita.

I won that auction.

Onwards and upwards, James.

Onwards and upwards.

Oh!

VO: And away now to the next leg.

On the next Antiques Road Trip, Anita's on the hunt for a big cuddly toy.

You're coming home with Mummy!

(CHUCKLES) VO: And a confident James drives a really hard bargain.

I don't want to be too cheeky but I quite like that.

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