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.

VO: Yeah!

VO: On this Antiques Road Trip, two esteemed auctioneers are battling for fortune.

ANITA: There is always that element of luck that's involved James, and that's what makes it fun as well.

JAMES: Yeah.

VO: Anita Manning is a gabby Glasgow gal with an eye for quality and nerves of steel.

Look.

Ah!

Ah!

VO: Most of the time!

VO: Whilst James Lewis is a doughty, Derbyshire dandy, always keen to take a goggle at a potential bargain.

(LAUGHS EVILLY) Perfect for a classic car.

VO: Scary.

Both our game gavelmeisters started this road trip with £200.

VO: So far, Anita has managed to leverage her lolly up to a respectable £439.32.

VO: But James is in the lead, his wallet positively overfloweth.

He begins this leg with a whopping £971.94.

Well, I never did!

VO: Today they are driving a bonny blue beauty, the 1969 Volkswagen Beetle.

ANITA: You know, James, I'm quite happy to be driving through these Devonshire lanes, it's quite exciting, you never know what's going to come round the corner!

JAMES: Their concern is it's you!

VO: Very good, James.

VO: On this whole road trip, they began in Oxfordshire and will tour the sunny southern counties of England, before ending up in grand old smoky herself, London.

On today's leg, they're dawdling through delicious Devon, beginning in the city of Exeter and aiming for auction in the small town of Chudleigh.

ANITA: Now James, we've traveled a long way.

VO: You have.

They're just arriving in Exeter, Devonshire's handsome county town.

Seems a lively place to start their day but it looks like James has nodded off.

Tut, tut!

ANITA: Wakey-wakey, James.

Wakey-wakey.

JAMES: Oh!

This is just too nice.

What a lovely day.

Oh, blimey!

It's too nice for antique shopping.

No, no - mind on your work, on you go.

VO: Quite right, Anita.

OK, I'll head this way.

Have fun.

Bye.

VO: Anita's on her way to her first shop of the day, Otto Retro, where resides the very dapper dealer Lewis.

Hello.

LEWIS: Hiya.

I'm Anita.

Hi.

Nice to meet you.

And I love your shop.

VO: This shop specializes in 20th century retro pieces, quirky items which appeal to Anita's wild side.

Stand by.

ANITA: It's 20th century, it's vintage, it's kitsch, it's fun.

LEWIS: It's interesting.

It's interesting, it's interesting.

VO: And she's soon found something which packs a stylish punch.

ANITA: This - despite the fact that it looks a wee bit scruffy - is a very romantic item.

It's a suitcase, probably from the early 20th century, 1910, 1920, and it's made of leather, that's good, and these are quite sought after at the moment.

But what I like about this one is we've still got our original labels on them.

ANITA: Look at this - we've got one for the Royal Hotel in Windermere, we've got a French one here.

Bruges...

So this suitcase has traveled, it's taken someone on their holidays.

VO: Huh.

Ticket price is £60.

Lewis will be summoned.

I was just looking at this suitcase, and I fell in love with these wonderful stickers, original ones.

VO: And below it is another suitcase.

ANITA: This is nice.

LEWIS: This one...this one again probably very early 20th century, sort of 20s, 30s, probably colonial.

LEWIS: Made in China, when China was of quality.

VO: Ticket price on that is also £60 so £120 for the two.

But I love these.

I love these little Chinese tigers.

I love these.

LEWIS: It's beautiful, beautiful detailing.

When you go on your holidays, do you take one of them?

I do.

You are a man of style.

VO: She's buttering you up Lewis, guess what's coming?

ANITA: I'd like to buy the two of them for about 45 quid.

VO: Crikey Anita, that would be a discount.

Am I way out there?

Am I a wee bit out?

Quite a bit really.

Yeah.

Would 55 buy them?

I really, really couldn't do 55 on them.

I think probably the lowest I could really do on two suitcases like that would probably be 80.

Would 70 buy them?

Em... 75 would.

It's a deal Lewis.

Thank you very much.

That's lovely.

LEWIS: Thank you.

ANITA: I love them to bits.

VO: A good deal at £75 for the two.

ANITA: This is quite fun, this is a medical poster which is showing the injuries that you can get on ankles and knees.

It's in French so I don't know what it says.

ANITA: Medical items are very popular, people like them.

Look at these ligaments and tendons.

ANITA: They're scary.

I think I'll have a go at that.

VO: Ticket price is £25.

Lewis?

Lewis?

VO: But of course, Anita is going to ask Lewis for a discount.

Poor Lewis.

ANITA: Could I buy it for 10?

We could do 12 on it.

ANITA: Could do 12?

LEWIS: Yep.

Right, that's a deal done, thank you very much.

VO: So, she's packed her bags and she's off.

VO: Now James is elsewhere in Exeter and is wandering into McBains Antiques complex, where he's meeting dealer Aaron.

AARON: Good morning.

JAMES: Hello there.

Nice to see you.

You too.

How you doing?

Very well, very well.

I'm James.

I'm Aaron.

VO: Hello Aaron.

You seem a friendly fellow.

Best get browsing James.

VO: Look out, that's Tilly the Shih Tzu and James has also to meet another member of the family.

My dad Gordon.

JAMES: Gordon boss man.

VO: Gordie, lordy.

Soon enough, James has spotted someone else he is quite taken with, though she does seem a little worse for wear.

VO: It's a 20th century shop mannequin who has taken a bit of a knock on her bonce.

VO: Ticket price is £80.

I don't think it is her head that needs covering, James.

He is going to make a cheeky offer, stand by.

JAMES: I mean, if she could be something really silly like 20 quid or something.

She can be £40.

40.

VO: The damage is still a problem.

But he is having a brain wave.

A wig would do her.

If you could find me a wig you can have 35.

AARON: I do have a big bouffant wig kicking around I think.

Have you got one?

Really?

I do.

Yeah, I could go and grab it.

Hang on.

AARON: This is it.

James... Now, I think I've got one of these somewhere.

You've been to those 1970s dos, haven't you?

VO: Mmm, suits you.

JAMES: Here we go.

I'll give you 35 quid for that.

We can do it for 35.

Are you sure?

The wig for free.

You've got a deal, thank you very much.

VO: He's got the mannequin and wig together for £35.

And he's soon reflecting on another item elsewhere in the shop.

JAMES: It's a big two handled tray.

About 1900 in date.

VO: It is made of copper electroplated with silver.

JAMES: The fact that the copper is coming through, some people absolutely hate it, but other people actually like it, it's known as bleeding; it's where the copper comes through the Sheffield plate or the silver plating.

I can do that for £45 James.

Hello puss, what do you think?

Eh?

AARON: She's your lucky sign, James.

VO: Could be.

That's Jess, the shop's pussy.

What do you think Jess, I should buy it?

AARON: Jess says yes.

JAMES: I'll give you £30 for it.

Go on then.

Got a deal.

£30.

VO: On Jess's sage advice, James takes the tray and he's on his way.

VO: Now, Anita is back in the Beetle, and driving on to the town of Crediton in Devon.

She's going to spend the afternoon visiting a local collector, who can certainly provide her with some food for thought.

VO: She's meeting food historian and avid cookery book collector, Paul Cleave.

PAUL: Hello, come in.

Hello, I'm Anita.

It's lovely to be here.

Lovely to meet you and welcome.

Well, I love food, Paul.

Good.

And I know that you have one of the most wonderful collections of cookery books.

VO: Paul has been a cook book fanatic since his school days and has filled his house with a vast collection which tells the story of British grub throughout history.

VO: In the modern era, we're beset on all sides by celebrity chefs releasing cook books but this craze dates back further than you might think.

Paul is taking Anita to see a double volume cook book written by a chef who revolutionized high class cooking in the 20s and 30s.

VO: And became one of our first famous foodies.

PAUL: You've got the finer cooking by Marcel Boulestin, who ran a very smart restaurant in Covent Garden.

VO: Boulestin was a French native, who moved to Britain and had a huge influence on classy dining in the inter war years.

He even became Britain's first TV chef.

VO: As befits the period, the book Paul has is upstairs downstairs in cook book form.

VO: It was published in two volumes, one for the lady of the house and the other for her cook.

ANITA: There's no need to ask which one is which.

So, what's happening here is they're trying to bring the aristocratic lady, or the middle class lady, into the kitchen.

That's right.

So she'd know what was going on, she could issue orders to the cook to prepare a particular menu.

ANITA: What other information is in the lady's book?

Details really of menu composition, wines, the foods, what was in season at a particular time of year; everything that she would need to know, the background to her menu and successful entertaining.

VO: While the volume for below stairs was rather more practical.

ANITA: And the cook would refer to that one.

That's right.

She would refer to that very well used, very well worn gravy spattered copy.

VO: As the decades moved on towards the Second World War, British food continued to evolve.

PAUL: Really, the story of feeding Britain in the Second World War relied hugely on the role of women.

PAUL: Women at home making the best of very very limited ingredients, they were very important in keeping the morale of the country up through interesting food.

VO: And Paul has an item which proves that women in all tiers of society were involved.

Even at the very highest echelon.

ANITA: Ah.

So what have we got here?

Well here, just before the outbreak of the Second World War.

PAUL: A story about Princess Elizabeth, now the Queen of course.

Princess Elizabeth learns to cook.

And apparently she was given lessons by the chef at Buckingham Palace and was interested in her cookery lessons.

PAUL: She made cakes which were given as gifts to children's treats in distressed areas.

And the gifts bearing the statement: PAUL: This cake was made by Princess Elizabeth.

VO: God bless her.

But this subject seems to be getting to Anita.

ANITA: All this talk about food and recipes has made me a wee bit hungry.

Something smells good in here.

VO: Och, what a treat.

Paul's cooked up some of his favorite dishes from his books.

Paul, this is a lovely, lovely feast.

And this is all Devon fare?

All from Devon, the west country, and the books.

VO: Mm, lashings of lovely grub.

Don't dally too long Anita, there are still buys to be found.

VO: Oh she likes a scoff.

VO: Meanwhile, James is still back in Exeter and strolling off into Exeter Vintage Warehouse.

Alright mate?

VO: I don't think everyone's as keen on that hat as you are James.

He is meeting dealer Simon.

Hello there.

Hi, how are you doing?

Nice to meet you, I'm James.

Hi James.

JAMES: It's quite a big place.

Is it all yours, is it an antique center... SIMON: There's 3,500 square feet here James and it is pretty much all down to me.

VO: Blimey Simon.

You've got some ground to cover then James, best get on the prowl mate.

JAMES: I love this sort of piled up stuff.

Fingers crossed there might be something here.

VO: And in a flash, he has found a group of items that take his fancy.

JAMES: How about your cases?

VO: More luggage?

After Anita's buys this morning, eh?

Golly.

Well, they are quite sought after, but I can do you a deal.

Could we get them down to have a look?

VO: It is a collection four pieces of vintage luggage.

Two gentleman's suitcases, a lady's suitcase and a bag in a style known as a Gladstone.

They all date from between the mid 19th century and to around 1920.

James would possibly like to buy them all as one lot.

But what can Simon do on the price?

SIMON: You can see they have been there a while from the dust content.

Cor.

Blimey.

How about all four?

100 quid.

80 if it helps you.

JAMES: 60?

SIMON: I can't.

On a bad day they could make 50 quid.

How about 65?

Em... 75.

That is a fair price.

SIMON: It is.

Right, let me think.

VO: Now, though that's a great deal from Simon, he's still not sure he can turn a profit on them at auction, so he's browsing on.

(LAUGHS EVILLY) Perfect for a classic car.

VO: And after a thorough scout about, he's heading outside, where Simon is relaxing with his partner's children Oliver and Tegan.

That's quite fun.

Is that Egyptian do you think?

Not sure.

Just your tea table.

VO: Honestly, James.

Let these nice people have their tea break in peace.

The table at which they are eating is brass topped and decorated in the Egyptian style.

VO: Isn't that Simon good natured about having his coffee break hijacked?

Lovely man.

SIMON: We could do that for 30 quid.

It should be worth 30 quid, shouldn't it?

It's worth that all day long.

VO: James is also still keen on the collection of luggage.

He's going to make a final offer.

JAMES: So 60 for the luggage and 20 for the table, how about that?

JAMES: Is that alright?

SIMON: It's a deal.

JAMES: You've got a deal, brilliant.

SIMON: Well done.

JAMES: Thank you.

Well...

I guess we have to clear it now do we?

VO: I'm afraid so but James has spotted something else of Simon's he likes.

VO: You'll be lucky if you have your shirt on by the end of this Simon.

That is wonderful.

SIMON: I use it just to scare the customers with.

We usually put it under a chest of drawers and while they're looking, we turn it on, out comes the spider.

JAMES: I just thought, for Anita, that would just be perfect.

VO: Simon is generously going to allow James to take the spider away - not for auction, just for a little planned devilment when he catches up with Anita.

Honestly James.

JAMES: This rare breed of arachnid is now known as spider 'Jamesus Lewisus'.

VO: Yesssssss.

And with that tomfoolery, it's the end of their day.

Night night.

VO: But nothing can keep bargain-hounds of this caliber off the road for long.

Morning greets them back in the car and bickering as usual.

For goodness' sake woman!

You are going to kill us.

Oh calm down James.

VO: Yes James dear, calm down, calm down.

VO: So far, Anita's spent £87 on two lots: the two suitcases, and the French medical chart.

While James has been positively profligate by comparison, spending £145 on four lots: the cross-legged mannequin, the silver-plated tray, the Egyptian-style table, and his own job lot of luggage.

VO: They're driving along the Devon coast.

ANITA: James, I love the south coast and I really, really, really love the seaside.

The seaside brings out the wild-child in me.

JAMES: Does it?

Yes.

VO: Crikey, Moses.

VO: They're heading towards the Torquay area.

VO: The capital of the so-called English Riviera, Torquay is one of Britain's best-loved seaside resorts and Anita's dropping James off here.

ANITA: There you are James, this looks lovely.

JAMES: Doesn't it?

Very nice.

VO: We'll come back to you shortly, James.

Anita is motoring onwards to Ashburton, another pretty little Devonian town.

VO: Anita's aiming for Etcetera Antiques, where dealer Rob is ready to greet her.

Hello Rob.

ANITA: Hello, I'm Anita.

How are you?

I'm Rob, nice to meet you.

It is lovely to be here.

VO: Soon enough, Anita's alighted on an unusual little something.

That comes off.

VO: Careful now...

ROB: I think it is a ruler, not to measure but to actually draw... to rule lines, sometimes they're made of ebony and I think it's one of those, personally.

ANITA: I quite like it.

VO: Ticket price is £15.

What I'd like to pay for that is very, very, very, very little.

Is that sounding... We're somewhere close.

Because I want to get very, very much.

So we're not that far away are we?

We're not that far away.

Good, good, can that be bought for a fiver?

Em... no.

ANITA: (LAUGHS) ROB: We can get somewhere near if you buy something else.

Maybe.

OK.

I actually don't think that I'd have a great deal of difficulty with that because I've spotted something else that I like.

VO: Lead on, Anita.

ANITA: The other thing that drew my attention was this female bust here.

ANITA: I quite like the image.

She's an artistic lady, maybe from the early part of the 20th century.

VO: This bohemian babe is priced up at £30.

Is she, is she bronze?

Can I have a wee look?

ROB: Well no, unfortunately, she is not bronze.

She is actually a plaster model.

ANITA: Oh yeah.

It's not bronze price, so that's an advantage, isn't it?

VO: Music to Anita's ears then.

I would not be wanting to pay a lot of money for that either.

I guess we're coming to the haggling bit again.

ANITA: Was this, are we coming to haggling bit?

Yeah, felt like it to me, yeah.

VO: I like you, Rob.

ANITA: Could that be bought for a tenner and that bought for £5?

ROB: Em...

I don't think I can go down that low.

Being incredibly generous, I'm not known for my generosity to be honest with you.

I don't believe that.

We're going to go for £20 for both bits.

ANITA: Do you think I'll make a profit?

ROB: Em...

I mean, I don't need to make a big profit.

No, you need...

But I don't want to lose anything.

No.

But I don't want to upset you either, I want you to be happy when I walk out the door.

I'll be very happy when you walk out the door.

VO: Touché Rob.

OK, I think at £20, I can't get you down any further, can I?

ROB: No, you can't.

No, I can't.

Well, let's just go for a deal.

ANITA: I'm happy with that, I like both of these items.

VO: Excellent.

Rob stands firm at £20 for them and Anita's got another two items bagged.

VO: James is back in Torquay, where he's going to spend the morning exploring the subterranean wonder of a world-class archaeological site.

JAMES: Hello there.

Hi, I am Nick Powe.

I am the owner of Kents Cavern and we are here to show you around the caves and find some exciting stuff in there.

VO: This is a large cave complex with a truly ancient history.

NICK: Right, so you have to watch your head here.

NICK: Make sure you... JAMES: Oh wow.

VO: The stalactites and stalagmites of these limestone caves are a time capsule of ancient life which were formed over hundreds of thousands of millennia.

VO: Human beings have occupied the warm, sheltered caves for many thousands of years.

VO: The caves were first systematically excavated in the 19th century, and yielded up countless archaeological finds, which shed light on the early history of man, and continue to astound scientists to this day.

NICK: The earliest sort of modern finds in the caves are actually Roman coins, so we found... the Victorians, when they were excavating the caves, found these coins, so we know that the Romans were here, so that was about 2,000 years ago.

NICK: And then coming right through history there's evidence of people using the caves, but it wasn't until the 1820s, when a Roman Catholic priest, a chap called Father John MacEnery started to discover something very, very strange about the cave.

NICK: And he was finding bones of extinct animals: mammoths and woolly rhinos, and saber-toothed tigers, lying side by side next to stones that had been shaped by some kind of intelligent being.

VO: This intelligent being was of course a human.

At the time it was popularly supposed that human history stretched back only a few thousand years, but MacEnery's discovery showed that people had been around for very much longer than that.

VO: His finds led to the cave being carefully excavated in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today the cavern is recognized as one of the most important archaeological and paleontological sites in Britain.

Don't try saying that too quickly.

VO: Nick's taking James to see a copy of a find that has only recently revolutionized our understanding of early man.

This was discovered in Kents Cavern.

In the 19th century?

In the 1920s, this is... well it's a copy of the oldest piece of human bone found anywhere in Britain and it is a piece of human jawbone.

VO: In the last few years, new scientific analysis of the specimen has suggested that the jawbone is more than 40,000 years old.

While Nick has a copy, the real thing is nearby in Torquay Museum.

It's about 42,000 years old.

NICK: Just to put that into perspective, if we think of Stonehenge for example, Stonehenge is about 5,000 years old.

VO: This discovery suggests that modern humans were living in Britain much earlier than was previously thought.

NICK: It's the oldest human bone in the whole of northwestern Europe, comes from Torquay, which is pretty extraordinary really.

Isn't it just?

NICK: Yeah, so that's em... JAMES: Incredible.

VO: Almost 200 years after MacEnery's finds, the Cavern is still offering up its secrets of our ancient stone age past.

Do you know, it's been absolutely fantastic, I've had a great time, really enjoyed it, thank you very much, one last request: show me the way out because I'll get totally lost.

It is over here James.

Thanks very much.

NICK: Come on let's go, this way.

JAMES: Thank you.

NICK: There we go.

VO: Now, don't get lost James.

People tend to get stuck down here for quite a long while.

VO: Elsewhere in the fine county of Devon, Anita's driven on to the town of Bovey Tracey.

TINA: Hello Anita.

Hello.

How lovely to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

And you as well.

Lovely to meet you.

VO: This shop incorporates a little tearoom.

Hello girls.

ANITA: Are you having a lovely time ladies?

ALL: Yes.

VO: Anita has a plan this afternoon.

She's decided that she'd find to find some jewels.

ANITA: I'm continually drawn to jewelry cabinets because I love jewelry and I like buying it.

And I like to see a selection like that.

I'm going to ask Tina if she has any little groups of jewelry behind the counter.

VO: Might Tina have any hidden treasures which haven't been put on display?

ANITA: Tina.

TINA: Yes Anita.

Tina, I've been looking in your jewelry cabinet here.

ANITA: I wondered if you had anything behind the counter, anything that's fresh in?

I have a hidden little box I might be able to show you.

Yes!

Ah, now this is what I call very exciting.

I'll get my wee glass out.

VO: Anita's selecting a little group of rings: two nine carat gold pieces, a gold and platinum ring, and a 22 carat wedding band.

All of these items bear some damage or are a little tired in style.

She's aiming to build a lot that might appeal to a scrap gold dealer or a rag and bone man.

ANITA: When you're dealing with gold, which you know has to be recycled, and I sometimes think that that is a wonderful aspect of our business, in that we are the original recyclers.

ANITA: I'd like to make an offer on that little group.

ANITA: I'd like to be paying £25 on that wee lot.

You are happy at that?

Yeah.

That's great.

That's what I had in my mind.

Is that what you had in your mind?

Yes.

What a team we would make!

VO: Indeed.

Anita's happy with the lot of gold rings she thinks might sell for scrap.

But she's spotted a brooch - fashioned of a non-precious yellow metal that she's also like to throw in to the lot.

This is not for scrap.

I think it's because she just likes it to be honest.

See this wee thing here.

TINA: Yes.

ANITA: If we put that in with it... TINA: 30.

You're a very decisive woman.

VO: You are, Tina.

Let's go for £30 and let's shake on that again, £30, thank you very much.

VO: And with that, Anita has all her buys for auction.

VO: Now, James is back in the Beetle, and he's got some company.

Not quite sure how to break the news to Anita, that she's been replaced.

VO: He's hatching a plan to return to Exeter.

If he can figure out how to get there.

JAMES: Um... excuse me.

Hi.

JAMES: You couldn't tell me the right way to Exeter could you?

Go up to the top of the junction.

Oh, I do apologize.

That's quite alright.

She's showing a bit too much.

MAN: Turn right.

JAMES: Yeah.

You need to get down onto the A380.

VO: Thank you, sir.

Much obliged.

The windblown look certainly suits you.

VO: So why exactly are you going back to Exeter, James?

JAMES: I have a little plan and that is, the hotel Anita and I stayed in last night is littered with odd antiques here and there.

JAMES: So I had a word with the owner and she seems rather keen to sell the odd one.

VO: And so, back to Exeter... VO: ..and to Gipsy Hill Hotel.

VO: The owner's name is Grace, but she is a little camera shy...

So James is meeting the Duty Manager, Thierry.

Hello there.

Hi.

THIERRY: Hello.

JAMES: Hi, I'm James.

THIERRY@: Hi, I am Thierry.

VO: James is hoping that he might find a forgotten treasure amongst the hotel's knick-knacks and objets.

VO: Remembering the Chinese vase he made a bundle on in an earlier leg, James is keen on a pair of 19th century Chinese vases he's spotted.

At the moment, these are really doing OK.

So these are quite fashionable.

JAMES: They're Chinese and they are known as famille rose... of course being French, you will know family of pink.

JAMES: And we've got warriors and we've got these figures of the oriental court.

It's got a chunk out of that one.

Yeah, this one... JAMES: On the top there.

THIERRY: Yes.

Yeah but it's a small... in overall terms it could be worse.

VO: Oddly enough there's no ticket price because this is a hotel.

But what will James offer?

JAMES: One perfect; one damaged.

£100.

What do you think?

I'll go and find out for you.

Have a word, thank you.

I'll go and have a word.

VO: Thierry will go and ask the owner if £100 would buy them.

But James is having an uncharacteristic change of heart.

JAMES: I've come in at £100 because I want to be fair but do you know, I think even if he says yes to 100, I think I'm going to give him a bit more.

£150 probably.

JAMES: What do you think?

She said it's not enough, £100.

She said 150.

Oh did she?

JAMES: OK, I'm going to give you £180.

VO: Gosh, he must be feeling guilty.

JAMES: That's because it's not a shop, it's not a dealer situation.

So I'm taking a bit more of a risk but I'm hoping that they'll do well but I want you to feel that it's been fair as well.

VO: James also upped his own offer for the other Chinese vase he bought on an earlier leg of this trip.

JAMES: This is a rare thing for me, I'm going to give you 40.

VO: He's making a habit of this.

And he's certainly feeling confident about it.

JAMES: Thank you.

JAMES: That's great.

Thank you very much.

VO: So, both our pair have all their lots for auction.

Anita's caught up with James in Exeter, and they're ready to unveil their hauls.

Anita's up first.

I want to show you my wonderful pieces first of all.

Come on.

ANITA: I have a little plaster bust, early 20th century of an artistic lady.

OK. And I thought that it suited us quiet nicely.

VO: If you say so.

But I have to say...luggage?

ANITA: I know.

JAMES: Who buys luggage today?

VO: Eh, you do James... ANITA: These are things that cool dudes would buy... JAMES: Really?

Cool dudes buy leather luggage?

..as conversations... Yeah!

You've sold it to me, I now agree with you, that young, trendy men buy leather luggage, let me show you my lots.

JAMES: I'll start with that.

ANITA: Oh!

VO: Very droll James.

JAMES: A nice pile of leather luggage.

JAMES: Admit it, how young am I?

How trendy am I?

ANITA: I like these James.

JAMES: These were not owned by a dealer at all.

Right.

They were in the bar area of our hotel.

How much?

JAMES: £180.

£180.

Well... VO: Worried, Anita?

So is that all James?

JAMES: Uh-huh... No.

My star lot.

(DRUMROLL) Don't look.

JAMES: What do you think?

ANITA: Is that your new girlfriend?

JAMES: She's called Anita.

I just thought she reminded me of you.

ANITA: Thank you, darling.

James, take that afro off.

No.

Take off her wig so we can have a look at her bonny, bonny face.

Her bonny, bonny face has a big hole in the middle of her forehead.

VO: Of course, James has one last surprise for Anita.

Look.

Ah!

Ah!

Come on, come and have a look.

ANITA: James!

No!

No!

No!

No!

No!

JAMES: Anita, come...come back.

ANITA: No!

JAMES: Anita.

ANITA: No!

Come... VO: What do they really think of their rival's lots?

His vases, he's playing that old oriental card again and he's found them in the hotel.

My goodness, no place is safe with James Lewis about.

And as for his mannequin, that piece of old junk, ANITA: I mean she might have been a good looking bird at some point but now... VO: I'm sure she speaks very highly of you, Anita.

So, what do you think?

To the...other one - the other Anita?

VO: She's not saying.

Anita's things, well, what has she got?

JAMES: We've got the little ruler, the art nouveau bust, she's not going to lose anything.

JAMES: And the gold, my goodness, guaranteed profit.

VO: On this delightful Devon road trip, James and Anita began in Exeter, and are now motoring towards auction in the town of Chudleigh.

VO: And, indeed, to Chudleigh's town hall, wherein today's auction will take place.

Oh look, it's the town hall.

Ah yeah.

VO: Certainly is Anita.

VO: And presiding over this morning's sale is the auctioneer Michael Bowman.

Before battle commences, what does he make of Anita and James' buys?

MICHAEL: I think my favorite lot is the pair of Cantonese vases.

The showstopper in a sense would be the mannequin.

MICHAEL: It's the unmissable item, it reminded me of Phil Lynott from behind.

VO: Hey!

I like the cut of your jib, sir.

VO: On this leg Anita began with £439.32.

She spent £137 and has five lots in today's sale.

VO: While James began with a budget of £971.94.

He spent a total of £325 and also has five lots to show for it.

VO: The sale is about to begin.

Oh, the tension.

VO: First up, it's Anita's French medical chart.

Start me at £10 for the chart?

10 is there?

Five if you like?

MICHAEL: This medical chart.

Five bid, thank you, at £5.

MICHAEL: At five, at £5, only have one bid at five.

MICHAEL: At five... JAMES: Do do do do.

Selling.

At £5... That wasn't a good start James.

VO: Not very healthy.

Next it's another lot for Anita, as her two leather suitcases meet the crowd.

MICHAEL: £10 for the two.

JAMES: £10, £10... MICHAEL: £10 bid thank you.

£10.

At £10.

12.

15.

17.

20.

MICHAEL: At £20.

Gentleman's bid in the center at 20.

At £20.

No!

MICHAEL: At 20.

In the center at 20, all done?

At £20.

Slaughtered James.

20 quid!

VO: Oh, dear.

They're sent packing at a stinging loss.

See if they like yours better, I'm going to burst into floods of tears.

VO: So, with hopes that Anita's mascara is waterproof - it's James' own lot of luggage now.

Start me at £10 for the lot?

10 bid thank you.

MICHAEL: 12.

15.

17.

20.

22.

25.

27.

30.

32.

35.

37.

40.

42.

45.

At £45 in the center seated.

Well... MICHAEL: At £45, the gentleman's bid at 45, all done?

At £45...

Still pretty depressing, isn't it?

VO: Cheer up James.

VO: Now it's Anita's plaster bust of a bohemian lady.

10 bid thank you.

At £10.

10.

MICHAEL: At 10.

12.

15.

17.

20.

At £20, up on the stairs at 20.

MICHAEL: At £20.

Up on the stairs at 20, are we all done?

MICHAEL: I'm selling, at £20.

Well, that is a tiny, tiny blood transfusion after the blood bath.

VO: A profit!

Let's hope this is the lot that changes their fortunes.

VO: Now, will James' silver-plated tray shine?

Start me at £10 for the tray?

10 bid, 12.

15.

17.

20.

MICHAEL: At £20, back of the room, standing at 20.

What?

No way!

MICHAEL: £20.

22.

25.

27.

30.

32.

35.

MICHAEL: At £35, back of the room now at 35, gentleman's bid standing at 35, all done?

MICHAEL: At £35... VO: It does scrape a small profit, but he'll have to pay auction costs on that.

VO: Now, the lot that made such an impression on Michael the auctioneer.

It's the be-wigged mannequin.

At 10.

Is there 12 anywhere?

At £10 for this mannequin, 12.

MICHAEL: 15.

17.

20.

At £20.

Go on.

MICHAEL: On the stairs there at 20.

At £20.

Up on the stairs at 20.

MICHAEL: Are we all done?

At £20... D...aw!

VO: Surprise, surprise, no one else likes it as much as James does.

VO: Anita's cylindrical ruler is next.

Will it draw a straight line to a profit?

10 bid thank you, at £10.

At 10, 12.

JAMES: What are you in profit, 12, 12, £12.

15, at £15.

Trebled your money.

MICHAEL: At 15.

Back in the room now at 15, on my left at 15.

MICHAEL: Gentleman's bid at 15.

Are we all done?

MICHAEL: Selling at £15... VO: That does rule in her favor.

VO: Now it's James' Egyptian-style brass-topped table.

20 bid thank you, at £20 and five may I say?

MICHAEL: At £20.

Are we all done then at 20?

At £20, I am selling if there is no further bids at 20.

JAMES: No way.

MICHAEL: At £20.

VO: No need to throw your toys out of the pram James, it was a ghastly thing.

Although that is a loss after costs.

Bad boy.

VO: Now it's Anita's job lot of gold rings, along with a yellow metal brooch.

James fancied it.

Will the punters?

20 is there?

20 bid thank you, 25.

MICHAEL: 30, five, 40?

Five.

50?

Five.

60.

65.

VO: It's climbing.

100.

105.

110.

115.

JAMES: Here we go, here we go.

MICHAEL: 120.

Back of the room seated, at 120.

VO: And climbing!

140.

At 140, are we all sound at 140?

At £140... VO: A very nice profit pulls Anita back from the brink!

JAMES: (WHISTLES) JAMES: Wow.

ANITA: £140.

Well done.

VO: Now it's James' moneybags purchase: two Chinese vases, privately bought from a hotelier.

MICHAEL: At £50.

60.

MICHAEL: 70.

80.

90.

100.

110.

It's getting there James.

130.

140.

150.

MICHAEL: 160.

At 160.

No, no, no, no.

VO: Don't panic James.

ANITA: Don't panic.

I'm not panicking.

MICHAEL: 180.

190.

200.

210.

Telephone is still in.

MICHAEL: 220.

VO: It's got legs this one.

MICHAEL: 320.

340.

360.

ANITA: It's running, James, it's running.

MICHAEL: 380.

400.

400!

That's what I thought this would make.

VO: It is gathering momentum.

MICHAEL: 420, 480.

500.

Cor, 500, that's good now.

520.

540.

560.

Cor!

At 560 and I'm selling?

At £560... ANITA: Yes!

JAMES: Jeez.

VO: Look out!

He has more than trebled his money on that one.

Well...it's been a very odd day.

VO: It certainly has been an odd day.

Still, there we are.

Anita started this leg with £439.32.

After paying auction costs, she holds a small profit of £27 exactly, giving her £466.32 to carry onwards and upwards.

VO: Whilst James began with £971.94.

He made a smashing profit of £232.60, giving him a whopping £1,204.54, cash in hand.

Oh James, that was a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

Wasn't it just?

JAMES: That's all it needs, one star lot.

Go on.

Thank you.

VO: So let's hope there'll be more star lots on the next leg.

VO: Drive on!

VO: On the next Antiques Road Trip, Anita takes to the saddle.

ANITA: It would probably take my weight.

VO: And James encounters some wild beasts of his own.

JAMES: There's a bird sitting on a cat's head.

That's bonkers.

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