VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts... Alright viewers?

VO: ..with £200 each, a classic car, and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

I'm on fire!

Yes!

Sold!

Going, going, gone.

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

50p!

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

You've had it a while, haven't you?

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

Ooh!

Oh, no!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

VO: On this road trip we're journeying with two antiques maestros, who are eagle of eye and quick to the punch.

When I got out of bed this morning, I felt as if I'd been through a round with Mike Tyson.

Why was that?

I was...

I went through round one with you!

VO: Anita Manning is a flamboyant Scot who owns her own saleroom and who's always proud to showcase her unique sense of style.

Here we go.

Too exotic?

VO: While James Lewis is a Derbyshire auctioneer who has an eye for quality and is never afraid of making a cheeky offer.

Both our jolly chums began this epic road trip with £200.

Anita stormed ahead on the first leg and now has a whopping £321.60 burning a hole in her sporran.

Do girls wear sporrans?

Though James also made consistent profits, and boasts a budget of £293.50.

I don't know what he's moaning about really, but he will moan.

Not quite out for the count, but you certainly won the round hands down.

VO: This top trading twosome are driving a sweet little '60s chick - the 1969 Volkswagen Beetle.

The whole road trip will see them sally forth through the glories of southern England, from Oxfordshire and the southeast, going west and then back to hopeful triumph in our nation's capital.

In today's show, they begin in the leafy London district of Wimbledon, heading stoutly for their auction near the town of Alresford in Hampshire.

We're on Wimbledon Common!

Yup.

Is that where The Wombles came from?

What do you mean "came from"?

Are Wombles real things, James?

Of course they are!

They're as real as your haggis.

VO: Good point.

When Darwin discovered them in the 19th century, erm, they'd really been underground.

VO: Overground?

Wombling free?

James, I think you're kidding me on.

In what way?

Listen, if you see a Womble, give me a shout and we'll stop.

VO: Best ask for some local knowledge, eh?

Have you seen any Wombles about?

Just the one earlier, collecting some rubbish.

Lovely, in which direction?

Straight down on the left.

Wombles are real?

Of course they're real!

Told you!

It's Wimbledon, it's where they live!

VO: Well, you've won that argument, James.

VO: Huh!

They've arrived in the center of lovely Wimbledon, where James will begin his search for antiques, hopefully.

He's heading into his first shop of the day, the haltingly named Just Pause... ..where ready to greet him is proprietor Maria.

Hi, Maria.

Hi!

Hi, I'm James.

It's nice to see you.

Nice to see you.

VO: And he's shortly spotted something that appeals.

How much is the decanter box?

Erm...negotiable.

OK.

There's a lot of damage, isn't there?

VO: It's a portable mahogany liqueur casket... ..probably dating from around the 1830s, containing six glass decanters.

A smart way of transporting one's grog when one's traveling.

There's no ticket price on it, and it sounds like Marie's open to a haggle.

With an auction estimate of 40 to 60, would you consider 40?

How about 45?

That should be worth that.

It is!

You're ri...

I... That's a great, great bargain.

VO: James is tempted, but he's going to think on that and browse further.

There's a large item in the basement that seems to have caught his beady eye.

Gosh.

Cor blimey!

Cor blimey, guvnor!

A big lump of Chinese.

Erm... Got a bit of age to it.

Erm... You've had it a while, haven't you?

VO: Well, it's Chinese blue and white, ticket price £85, but neither James nor Marie are sure of its age.

James is optimistic in hoping that it might just turn out to be an antique piece, dating from the 19th or even 18th century.

But if it is the latter, it could be seriously valuable.

Still, it's a gamble, isn't it?

Or is it?

It's either worth thousands or nothing.

Well, I hope it's thousands for you.

Well, the fact that it's been here all these months probably means it's not!

What would you like to offer?

VO: You are bubbly Marie.

Well, it's been reduced three times, so you've had it ages.

How about a cheeky 30 quid?

OK. JAMES: Sure?

MARIE: Done.

I was thinking you were going to say 50.

I was, but then I thought we'd do a deal!

I'll give you - this is a rare thing for me, I'm going to give you 40.

MARIE: Thank you!

JAMES: Alright?

40.

VO: Highly maverick move I'd say for the road trip.

He's voluntarily raised his own offer.

Let's hope that little bit of good karma sees James right with the vase at the auction.

But this pair are getting on swimmingly, and James has soon found something else nearby.

Oh!

JAMES: (SIGHS) They've both had the ears off, haven't they?

Do you know, a long time ago, I really desperately wanted one of these.

Oh...

They're carved out of a block of serpentine... MARIE: Are they?

JAMES: ..but are from Florence.

VO: It's a pair of figures of dogs, indeed modeled from the dark green mineral serpentine, and dating from the Victorian period, perhaps brought home from some lucky traveler's Grand Tour of Europe.

Marie has got £90 on the pair.

I really like them.

There is that damage.

Let me have a think on those.

VO: James has the Chinese vase in the bag, but he seems to have been struck by indecision with regard to the other items he's seen.

I like the decanter box.

I like the dogs but I think they're too much money because of the ears.

The dogs could be cheaper.

JAMES: Could they?

MARIE: Yes.

30?

40?

35?

OK!

JAMES: Deal.

MARIE: Done!

VO: And what about the portable liqueur casket he also liked?

Marie last offered a price of £45 on that.

And 45 on that, you've got a deal.

There you go.

MARIE: Thank you.

JAMES: Brilliant.

That's three.

VO: Three items indeed, and as if to complement James' doggy figures, someone else has come to bid him farewell.

Hello!

Hello!

What's your name?

That's my baby Paws.

There you go, say hello to James.

Hello!

You good boy.

VO: You're a good boy too, James.

You've been lovely, thank you so much.

MARIE: Thank you so much JAMES: Bye!

VO: Meanwhile, Anita has driven on to the London district of Battersea, otherwise known as Batt-ehr-see-ah.

Ha!

The area's most famous disused power station is often likened to an upturned table.

This well-heeled postcode seems a good place to start her morning.

And she's strolling off into her first shop of the day, the sizable Northcote Antiques Market, where she's meeting dealers Donald and Deanna.

Hi, folks, I'm Anita.

Hello!

Nice to meet you, Hi, Anita, Deanna.

Hello, I'm Donald, nice to meet you.

It's lovely to be here.

VO: Best get hunting, girl.

VO: And she's soon spotted a glittering little bauble.

I always think that silver and crystal is a lovely combination.

This is a little dish that would... ..possibly belong to a lady.

This possibly, it could have been an ashtray.

VO: It bears silver hallmarks though, dating it to 1909, though the marks have been slightly damaged by over-polishing.

Ticket price is £58.

Well, this would have belonged to rather a racy type of female, you know?

VO: Much like yourself Anita.

Dealer Donald doesn't know what he's in for.

Standby, boy.

It's had a bit of a knock, and also the hallmark has been rubbed.

You know what's coming, don't you?

I know exactly what's coming!

Can I tell you what I'd like to pay for that?

Sure.

I would like to pay £20 for it.

OK!

DONALD: Right, OK. ANITA: Is that... You haven't fallen down.

No, I haven't fallen down.

VO: He hasn't agreed to the offer either.

Less than half price is quite a discount.

I'd be tempted to offer it to you for about 30.

Erm... Could you come to 25?

That might give me a wee bit of a chance.

OK. Will we do that?

Only cuz we like you.

Aww, thank you so much, Donald.

VO: Anita's charm does her proud yet again... ..and she's got the racy little number for £25.

But she's really on fire this morning, and she's soon found something else.

I'm quite interested in this item here.

It's a bronzed censer.

I think that it's Oriental.

VO: Yes.

A censer is a vessel for burning incense.

The ticket price on this one is £35.

It's a good weight and I think it's got a bit of age about it.

I'd like to be getting it for around about £20, and I'll have a go at that.

See if I can get it 18, 20.

VO: Time to attract Deanna's attention.

How can I help you?

I fancy this wee pot.

The price that I'd like to pay would be round about 18, 20?

The stallholder is away at the moment.

Is it possible to talk to him?

Absolutely, absolutely, of course.

Yeah.

Erm, let me just try and get them on the phone.

VO: Deanna will call Peter, the dealer, who owns it.

Great phone.

Alright, here she is.

Hello, Peter, it's Anita from the Antiques Road Trip.

There was a little kind of brass pot, and I was wondering if you could come in the region of £18 to £20?

Is it possible, Peter?

VO: Going well?

It's still too much for me.

Can you come to, say, 22?

OK, let's go for 25, Peter.

VO: Smashing.

Peter knocks a tenner off the asking and Anita's got both ashtray and censer for a nice round £50.

Thank you very much, Deanna, it's been an absolute pleasure.

OK, bye bye then.

Thank you.

Thank you, Anita.

VO: Now James is still over in Wimbledon.

Wombles notwithstanding, the area is really synonymous with one thing.

VO: So it would be criminal if he didn't nip off to visit the most famous real estate in SW19, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Tennis mad James is in for a real treat today.

He's meeting the commercial manager of the club's museum, Ashley Jones.

Ashley?

Nice to meet you.

Hi, nice to see you.

Gosh.

You have no idea how excited I am.

VO: The club is of course home to the annual Wimbledon Championships, the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

And lately, the scene of a long-awaited British triumph.

Oh, there he is, Andy.

Gosh.

Our most recent British champion of course.

My hands were like this, just watching, oh, I couldn't believe it, but... What a time.

But anyway, let's have a look around.

OK. VO: As its name attests, the club originally played croquet when it was founded back in 1868.

Ashley's taking James to see an object that, oddly enough, caused the club to change its focus to lawn tennis and gave rise to one of the world's greatest sporting events.

So I've brought you to see this because this is why the championships exists.

In what way?

Well, the pony roller was donated to the club in 1872 when in fact it was a croquet club, to keep the croquet lawns flat.

OK. And then they adopted tennis in 1875, but in 1877 the pony roller broke, and it was going to cost £10 to fix it and the club couldn't afford it, so they decided to hold a little tournament for gentlemen that year.

VO: And that tournament was the first men's single tennis event played at Wimbledon, and it's from that that all the subsequent glory sprang.

Famously, players on court at Wimbledon must dress almost entirely in white, and this tradition also originates in the club's early days.

It has to be more than tradition that they wear white.

Was there a reason?

Yeah, there was a reason.

The gentlemen originally would wear the same clothes they wore for cricket, so the men were wearing white anyway, but the ladies would just wear whatever clothes they happened to wear on the day, so the style of dress at the time, and it was 4.9 kilos of clothing, so if you're running around on a warm summer's day like today and you... wearing that weight of clothing, JAMES: Yeah.

ASHLEY: ..you're going to sweat.

So the ladies switched to wearing white because white doesn't show the sweat so badly and so they still looked quite elegant when they came off court.

It was about looking attractive and healthy and fit, and therefore marriageable.

They obviously didn't realize that "love" means nothing in tennis!

Very good!

I have to say, there's an awful lot of "courting" going around here.

Come on.

VO: Look, I'll do the jokes, thanks.

There's one last place Ashley is going to take you, James, and it's the one that James has been desperately trying to get to for quite some time - the legendary Centre Court.

So here we are.

The place itself, the Centre Court.

Wow!

Gosh.

You know, so many thousands of people have and do.

I've queued up outside.

I've camped outside, trying to get into this very court.

VO: Whilst the other grass courts are open to play for members from mid-May, Centre Court and Number One Court are almost exclusively reserved for use during the Championships.

Setting foot within it is possibly a once in a lifetime experience.

So over here we've got the Royal Box and the players' Family Box right in front of it.

So that was Andy's box, wasn't it?

Yeah.

And he came up leaping over here.

That's right.

That's his mum's seat, isn't it?

That's where she was sitting.

Aw, my goodness.

VO: Wonderful.

But sadly for Ashley, now James has finally made it onto this hallowed ground, he seems quite... ..set.

But now I'm in here, do you know, you're not getting me out!

I'm just going to stay.

I've waited too long for this.

VO: Best alert security, eh, Ashley?

VO: Now, Anita's still about four miles away in Battersea, and she seems to be feeling very positive.

What I do know is that it's going to be another great adventure in London.

I love it!

VO: Marvelous.

She's en route to Eccles Road Antiques, and greeting dealer Helen.

Hello, I'm Anita.

Hello, I'm Helen, hello, nice to meet you.

It's lovely to be here.

VO: Introductions done then?

Time for a truffle about.

I quite like these.

These are what we call firedogs.

They would sit on either side of the hearth and you would lay your poker... ..the shovel and the brush there, so that your fire tools would lie across these, and these are very nice.

They're quality, they're ornate, they're possibly French.

VO: Ticket price is £75, but Anita's hoping that Helen might be able to do a deal.

ANITA: Helen?

HELEN: Yes?

I was having a wee look at these firedogs.

I think possibly 19th century?

They are French, they're definitely French, the French Empire, so yeah, sort of mid-19th century.

I'd like to buy them.

Can I offer a price?

Can I make an offer and you can tell me if...?

I can tell you to leave the shop!

You can do that if you want!

I would like to be paying around the 50 mark for these.

Can we do sort of 55?

HELEN: Yeah.

Let's do it.

ANITA: We'll do 55?

55 and I'll shake your hand.

Aw, thank you very much.

VO: A nice deal done, very amicably.

Helen's recommended that Anita take a look in the basement, where there's a lot of stock that's been in the shop for some time and on which a good deal might be struck.

Helen just said, "Good luck, you may be some time."

Maybe she thinks that a giant spider will capture me!

VO: Well, let's hope not, but something has captured Anita's heart.

That's quite a nice wee thing.

It's from the 1920s and it's a child's sliding folding chair.

Isn't it just so cute to see something like that in the miniature?

VO: Ticket price was £195 before it was confined to the gloom below stairs.

Do you know, I thought that wee child's chair was just absolutely lovely.

Aw, it's charming, isn't it?

Have you had that for a long time?

Yeah, since God was a boy, basically.

If this has been here since God was a boy... ..this chair is costing you money.

Yes, I take your point.

So you're going to make me an offer, aren't you?

Do, make me an offer and I'll see.

Do I need to be sitting?

Yes.

Can I buy it for 40 quid?

Yes.

VO: It does need a bit of a clean.

Helen's assistant, Mark, will be put to work.

Go for it, Mark.

Tea for the ladies.

I can see Mark has already started.

Yeah, that's what we like.

Nothing like spectator sport, is there?

Mind that wee bit at the side Mark!

VO: If you've quite finished Anita, it is time to get on the road.

ANITA: Bye bye!

HELEN: Bye bye.

Stick at that, Mark!

VO: And that brings their first hectic day's buying to an amiable close.

Night-night.

VO: But they're up with the larks the next morning and chirruping with enthusiasm, or at least Anita is.

James, James, wake up, look.

We're by the side of the Thames.

As long as we stay by the side of it and not in it, I'm happy.

What is with you about getting up so early?

It's just not natural.

VO: So far James has spent £120 on three lots - the Chinese blue and white vase, the two serpentine dogs and the mahogany liqueur case.

VO: While Anita has splashed out £145 on four lots - the silver and crystal ashtray, the Oriental censer, the child's leather chair and the pair of bronze firedogs.

It's lovely to get out in the morning, in the fresh air, get the wind in your hair if you've got any.

Eh, we'll have less of that!

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: Don't squabble!

Honestly.

VO: This morning they're aiming for Molesey in Surrey, which can be dated to the 7th century.

VO: On the banks of Old Father Thames, Molesey is a southwestern suburb of Central London.

Anita's jumping out of the car at a stunning local landmark - Hampton Court Palace.

That looks absolutely fantastic.

VO: We'll come back to you in due course, Anita, while James is driving on into the center of the town.

James is beginning his day in Hampton Court Emporium, an antiques center fit for a king.

He's meeting dealer Lesley.

(SHOP BELL RINGS) Good morning, James, I'm Lesley.

Nice to see you Lesley, hi.

VO: James is hoping to sniff out some bargains this morning.

Cor!

Oh, smell that!

VO: No thanks.

Jeez.

Tea tree oil.

VO: You're looking for antiques rather than unguents, James.

VO: Eurgh.

VO: He's soon spotted an unusual little item though.

What's this funny little ewer in here?

VO: A ewer is a type of pitcher.

This one modeled from gilt metal in a neoclassical style.

The dealer has a ticket price of £95 on it.

Oh.

A French inkwell.

Ah, now that's taken you by surprise.

The top of the jug hinges to reveal this gilt metal socle, and then inside you've got a clear glass inkwell, so it's a bit of a novelty.

What would you think?

I'd put 30 to 50 on that at auction.

Really?

Mm.

Hoping it might make a bit more.

VO: So it would need to be heavily discounted.

Lesley will call the dealer who owns it.

Yes, James, she'll come down to 60.

LESLEY: Bye.

JAMES: Thank her very much.

She did say last thing at a pinch, 55, as it's you.

OK, well that's... That's a fair price, it really is.

VO: But he's still not sure he can turn a profit on it, so he's soon back to Lesley for round two.

He's got a price in mind.

Could the dealer match it?

Can we push you down just a wee bit further?

He has got a price in mind which he's written on his hand.

What is your very, very b... Obviously we don't want you to lose money on it.

Right James... £45.

That's... VO: Snap!

Fantastic.

LESLEY: Shake.

JAMES: Brilliant.

VO: So James' rather unusual haggling method lands him a price that both he and the dealer are happy with.

Put her there then.

VO: Anita meanwhile is over in the rarefied environs of Hampton Court Palace... ..where she's meeting exhibition curator Sebastian Edwards.

Hi, I'm Anita.

Hello, Anita, welcome to Hampton Court.

Aw, what a splendid and wonderful building.

VO: The Palace has been shaped most notably by Cardinal Wolsey during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century, and later under William III, from 1689 to 1702.

I really can't wait to get inside.

VO: Today Anita's here to see a specific exhibition that Sebastian curates, and it's one with a rather lively premise.

The Secrets of the Royal Bedchamber?!

Exactly, we have a special exhibition just for you.

This sounds very interesting!

Come and have a look.

VO: I say!

The exhibition largely looks at the 17th and 18th centuries, a time when monarchs' bedrooms became almost public spaces, into which the great and good of the kingdom would vie to be invited.

The bedchamber of the king, or even queen, became the place where some of the nation's biggest intrigues were played out, and the monarch received members of the court actually lying in the royal bunk.

It was a real privilege to meet the king in the bedroom.

He was off his guard, he was relaxed, in theory, informal, and that's where everybody at court wanted to be.

VO: Anita's particularly interested in seeing a bed that belonged to the Mary of Modena, the wife of King James II.

It's the bed in which Mary gave birth in a very public fashion, poor old love.

And there were 70 witnesses around it, which included many important men of the kingdom.

Let's have a look at that!

Come through and see.

VO: James and Mary's son was born in this bed in 1688.

The nation in this period was Protestant, but James and Mary were Catholic, and the prospect of a Catholic heir to the throne caused a political crisis.

Many in government were keen to deny that the royal baby was a legitimate heir, so the king planned to crowd the birthing room with 70 important witnesses immediately after his son was born.

This includes ministers of state, the Archbishop of Canterbury, ambassadors...

He wants everybody to know that this is an absolutely regular birth and it is his child.

So it was very important that this child was seen to be the king's son?

But unfortunately it didn't work in this case.

VO: Despite the king's efforts, a lurid rumor spread that threw the parentage of the baby into public doubt.

The bed has a special name, the Warming Pan Bed, because there was a great story at the time that the baby was not hers, because the baby had died or there was no baby, and that a changeling, somebody else's child had been bought and slipped into the Palace in a warming pan, which is one of these great metal dishes on a stick that you'd put hot coals in to warm the bed, and it must have been a suitable container to hide a baby in.

VO: Of course the story wasn't true, but the suspicion surrounding the royal birth paved the way to a revolution.

In 1688, the forces of James' son-in-law, the Protestant William of Orange, invaded, and he became King William III alongside his wife.

James and Mary though fled to France, where they lived in exile.

And it all started on that bed?

All started in this bed, so the history of this nation was, the course of history changed in this bed.

VO: Indeed it did.

Anita's had a dizzying romp through 17th-century history this morning, but it's time for her to be on her way.

Do you know Sebastian, it's enough to make me want a wee lie down, but thank you for those stories.

Bye bye.

Bye.

VO: Now James is still back in East Molesey proper and wandering into Palace Antiques.

Oops, mind your feet, James.

That Bella's the shop's Dachshund.

I know how it is, girl.

James is also meeting dealer Ash - or is it Elm?

JAMES: Hi ASH: Hi, James.

Nice to see you.

Nice to meet you.

VO: James is looking for a final item, perhaps this little brass box for tapers or matches.

It's about 1850, embossed brass, provincial...

It could even be Dutch, something like that, and it would just hang next to the fireplace.

It's 150 years old and it's seven quid, so there'll be a bit of trade on that, but... That's the sort of thing that... ..might make 20 quid at auction.

Ash, can I borrow you for a second?

I know, last of the big spenders and all.

Would four quid be alright?

There's seven on it.

Yeah, go on.

No, actually, £5 James would be best on that.

JAMES: Five?

ASH: Yeah.

OK, I'll take it, thanks very much.

VO: He certainly seems to have overcome his indecisiveness, look at this!

Time to say goodbye to Bella.

Gosh, we have had some happy canines on this trip.

VO: Now Anita's only a short stroll away and heading into Bridge Road Antiques in search of her last buy of the day.

She's meeting dealer, David.

Hi, Dave.

Hello.

Hello, I'm Anita.

Oh, hello Anita, hi, nice to meet you.

Aw, it's lovely to meet you too.

To see you in the flesh, it's great.

VO: What's Anita on the lookout for today?

You like pretty things, don't you?

I like pretty things.

You can buy a mirror.

Oh, right.

Oh!

(LAUGHS) Sorry.

You old charmer.

VO: He is, isn't he?

I think we'll have to watch this one, Anita.

Too exotic?

VO: Maybe just a shade.

Could be a lampshade actually.

Not to be outdone by James' Wimbledon adventure yesterday, Anita's spotted something.

So I had a look at this old tennis racquet here.

Yes, I mean, this is a very old-fashioned racquet.

Beautiful, eh?

VO: It is indeed, a mid-20th century tennis racquet, fitted with a square wooden press to protect it.

Ticket price is £10.

Worth a whack, eh?

Could we take that off and could we maybe...test it?

We could, I'm sure we could.

Lordy, I hope this shop is well insured.

Thankfully they can't find a ball, so they're using a faux fur hat, naturellement.

We're just doing a wee bit of bat and ball.

I think I've got a better one.

Bat and hat, right?

OK. That was good!

That was good, I think that was very good.

VO: He would say that, wouldn't he?

Now careful with that hat, Anita, if you break it you have to buy it.

Speaking of which, are you planning to make any purchases, or just have another game with your best friend?

Would you like something else as well with it perhaps?

You know, sort of... Is there any other tennis-sy thing?

What about this?

There's a photograph, wasn't there, you were interested in?

That's quite nice, isn't it?

Look at that - the Surbiton Championships.

1904.

So it's sort of Edwardian.

VO: It's a set of photographs depicting players at Surbiton Tennis Club, dating from 1909.

Ticket price on that is £20.

Now what could good old sport David do on the prices of the racquet and the photos?

I'd like to buy that for about a fiver.

Would you?

Would you?

Ah-ha.

Cuz it's not going to make any money!

DAVID: (LAUGHS) It's not going to make any money in auction, but it's good for a bit of fun.

It's good for a bit of fun, it is.

VO: Deal done then at £5 on the racquet.

Aw, thank you.

Thank you, Anita.

VO: And the photos?

How about £10 for that?

Would that do it for you?

A fiver would do it.

Oh!

Alright then, we'll do that for you as well.

Will you?

The two of them for a tenner?

VO: All bought then.

Give us a kiss.

VO: Tongue sandwich.

That's love-all.

Bye bye!

VO: So now it's time for our duo to reveal their purchases to each other.

James will lead the charge.

There we go.

Aw, James, that is beautiful.

The glaze is marvelous.

It has age.

Yeah, it's got a great base to it, hasn't it?

A great backside.

Yeah.

VO: James, it seems, has been doing his homework.

I took a photograph of it and I sent it to my head of Chinese and she's come back and said it's 1775, 1780 Chinese.

VO: Well, I never.

It must be worth a couple of bob then, James?

Well, what it's worth and what it makes we know are two different things.

VO: Yeah.

James, I think these are all super buys.

Do you think, my darling, that you will be snapping at my heels?

It depends what's under there, doesn't it, eh?

VO: It certainly does.

Let's have a peek then.

Ohhh.

Wow.

James, I couldn't resist buying this, for my own wee international athlete.

That's brilliant.

I know that you loved Wimbledon and you had a great time there.

JAMES: Yeah.

ANITA: So it had to be bought.

VO: And what about the brass firedogs?

I like those.

ANITA: You like it?

JAMES: Yeah.

Yeah, how much did you pay for those?

I paid £50 for those.

That's a profit.

VO: You two are positive today.

So... Quite different items again.

Very different.

We'll just have to wait and see on the day, but nonetheless, I think we need a nice cup of tea after this.

We deserve it.

Definitely.

Come on.

VO: But after they've shared a mug of the good stuff, what do they really make of each other's buys, eh?

Anita's things, they're a good mix.

For me, the strongest lot is the pair of French chenets, and they should sail over £100.

The tennis lot is just great fun.

I've been to Wimbledon, so it was a very apt thing to buy and it was a bit of fun.

Well I've got a lot to worry about in the next auction.

That is a wonderful, wonderful pot.

He's lucky as well as being good.

I can see a bigger profit in James Lewis' stuff.

(GASPS) He's a devil!

VO: On this show, Anita and James have toured West London before leaving the smoke to head for their auction, which is in nearby Alresford in Hampshire.

The attractive small town of Alresford hosts a yearly watercress festival to celebrate local production of the peppery leaf.

Let's hope Anita and James can be as fresh and sprightly today as they head for Andrew Smith & Son's auctioneers.

Aww.

There we go.

ANITA: (CHUCKLES) Are you ready, darling?

Yeah, doesn't it look good?

VO: Best get inside then.

Today's auctioneer is Nick Jarrett.

Before he takes gavel in hand, what does he think of James and Anita's lots?

They've brought some very interesting items with them.

We've got hopes I think for the blue and white vase.

Hopefully somebody here will be attracted to it.

The child's chair is jolly nice.

Children's chairs are always popular.

Often they make more than the large ones, and it's a good example I think.

VO: All very encouraging.

Anita started this leg with £321.60.

She's spent £155 and has five lots in today's sale.

VO: While James began with £293.50.

He's spent £170 on the nose and also has five lots at auction.

The sale is about to begin.

First up is Anita's silver and crystal ashtray, or dish.

NICK: £10?

10 I have.

ANITA: Come on!

12 can I say?

12, 14, 16, 18, £20 and two, 25?

25, new bidder.

28, £30, and two?

At £30.

£30 I have, is that £30?

Have you done?

Yes!

I'm happy.

I'm happy.

Well done you.

Well done.

VO: It ekes out a £5 profit.

Not a bad start for her, but she will have to pay auction costs on that.

VO: Next is James' pair of Florentine dogs.

Will the buyers be straining at the leash?

A bid on the book at £30.

JAMES: Oh!

NICK: 32?

NICK: I'm out at £32.

JAMES: Come on!

Anybody else in?

35, 38, 42, 45, 48, £50, she's back in.

It was cheap, wasn't it?

55, 60?

At £55 then, still with the gentleman at 55.

All done, selling at 55.

Dear me.

I know, those other two missing ears were worth another £45!

VO: It's a decent profit, but not what he'd hoped for.

Gruff!

Now it's Anita's Oriental censer.

Does she scent a winner?

£30?

I'll take five on that.

NICK: 35.

At £35.

JAMES: Oh!

40 can I say now?

All done at 35.

Have you done?

Last chance.

Oh!

VO: Again, not the flyer she wanted, but a profit's not to be sniffed at.

Still, still no losses so far.

No loss, no loss.

VO: Now it's James' bargain little bronze taper holder.

I'm going to start you here, £32.

35 can I say now?

At £32.

Anybody else in at 32?

Go on!

At £32, have you done?

What can you say about that?

VO: It strikes right with someone and earns James a very nice markup.

One for Anita now, as her 1920s child's chair is up.

£50.

50 surely?

30 then?

30 I have.

32, 35, 38, 40.

And two, 45.

48, 50, and five.

60, and five, 70?

65 the gentleman's bid, yes?

£65.

Selling at 65.

VO: Another very nice profit for Anita.

Well done.

Profit in the furniture section.

Well... That isn't easy to do, well done you.

VO: Now it's James' novelty inkwell, modeled as an Etruscan jug.

£30 for it.

Can I say £30?

20?

Oh, no!

You're right!

NICK: Ten?

JAMES: What?!

10 I have, 12, 15, 18, 20, they're in now, 22.

Oh, it's running away, it's running away, it's running away.

Are you in at 28?

£30.

It's still a loss.

38, new bidder, and 40, two, and lady's bid at 45, all done.

There you are.

VO: It climbs up to what he paid for it, but that'll mean a loss after auction costs.

Now it's Anita's tennis themed lot.

Has Wimbledon fever followed them to Hampshire?

£5?

£5?

A pound if you like.

BOTH: (GASP) Boo!

Got a bid.

£1, two... Oh, thank you, darling.

..three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, £10.

Yeah.

Yes!

At £10 all done, at a tenner.

Yes!

Aw, wonderful.

VO: Thanks to the charming lady to Anita's right, that barely breaks even.

I think you owe her a glass of something.

Maybe... "deuce"?

Ha!

Now it's James' portable liqueur casket.

Will the punters be tempted to take a swig?

50 I have, thank you, I'll take a fiver on that.

At £50, gentleman's bid, 55 just in front.

60, and five, 70, five, 80, five, 90, five, 100, and 10, 120, 130, 140, 150?

140.

All done at 140?

Yeah!

Aw, well done James.

Good result, good result.

Are you happy now?

That's a brilliant result.

VO: A terrific result for James and he's definitely in the lead.

It's nice to see a wee smile on your face.

VO: Now, can Anita repeat the trick with her set of bronze firedogs?

£42.

45 can I say?

45 now, lady's bid.

48?

They're cheap.

They're cheap.

At £45.

NICK: Are you sure at 45?

JAMES: Oh, come on.

At £45 then.

No!

Oh, you poor thing.

Aw... VO: Aw, what a shame.

They didn't set the saleroom alight.

It's the excitement of the auction.

VO: There, there Anita.

Lastly, it's James' great hope - his Chinese blue and white vase.

We have got a phone bid, which is good, and I'm going to start you here at £400.

Yes!

420 can I say?

420?

VO: Blimey.

450?

470?

500.

Thank you.

And 20, 520, 550.

570.

600?

570 then.

At £570, are you done?

At 570, all done?

Well... VO: An enormous profit on the vase that sat unloved on a shelf for months.

What a spot, James.

Give him a wee clap.

(APPLAUSE) Thank you, thank you, thank you.

VO: Anita started this leg with £321.60.

After paying auction costs, she made a small loss of £3.30 and finishes today with £318.30.

VO: Whilst James began with £293.50.

After costs, he made a profit of...

Drum roll please.

(DRUM ROLL) VO: ..£520.44, giving him £813.94 to carry forwards.

VO: Although it does seem to have rather gone to his head.

I'm going in the back.

Right, OK.

There you are.

JAMES: (GROANS) OK, darling?

Come on then.

VO: Till next time, eh?

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, James is ready to strike.

I knew a few auctioneers who could use that.

VO: And Anita's feeling the force.

Do you like this?

Do I look good in this?

Yeah, yeah, it suits you.

(LIGHTSABER SWOOSH) subtitling@stv.tv