VO: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts...

I don't know what to do.

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

What a little diamond.

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

Back in the game.

Charlie!

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

Oh!

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

Oh!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

VO: Yeah.

VO: Welcome to the second installment of the battle of our connoisseurs of collectables, Trevanion and Laidlaw, that's auctioneers Paul and Christina.

CHRISTINA: Ah, this is the life, Paul Laidlaw.

This is like a heavenly dream, the sun is shining.

The daffodils are out.

Ah.

Is this what your world is like?

The sun is always like that?

Yeah.

VO: Sounds about right.

Our delightful duo seem to be getting on swimmingly in their shiny 1999 HMC Mk IV.

Yesterday, you made money.

You made money.

Small measure.

Well, better than I did.

This side of the fence ain't so rosy.

VO: Oh come on you pair, there's still a long way to go.

I have moved nowhere, you have moved nowhere but albeit in the wrong direction.

I go backwards.

It can be a psychological blow.

Alright, hang on a second, I think we can leave that there, can't we?

I am at neutral, I am at neutral, I am not in reverse, I am at neutral.

VO: Our duo both set off with £200 and after their first trip to auction, Christina's small lose of £17.16 means she has £182.84 today.

VO: Paul fared slightly better.

His £40.24 profit edged him in front, giving him £240.24 to splash.

If this was a parable it would be the tortoise and the snail.

VO: Slowly, slowly it may be but our pair are making good progress.

VO: On their trip this week, Paul and Christine will be covering over 600 miles, starting from Clare in Suffolk, through Worcestershire and the West Midlands and twisting up through Staffordshire before finishing up in Northwich in Cheshire.

Today they kick off in Tetbury in Gloucestershire and head north towards the auction in Evesham in Worcestershire.

VO: Welcome to Tetbury.

Formerly a thriving market town central to the area's wool trade, it now marks its history with an annual race where participants charge up a local hill carrying sacks of wool.

Right.

Come on then.

We've got shopping to do.

PAUL: Deary me.

VO: Gosh, they're keen this morning.

CHRISTINA: Top Banana, baby.

VO: Our pair are headed for Top Banana Antiques which has items from over 50 dealers.

Plenty to keep our experts occupied.

Good luck.

See you later.

And you.

Pair of miniature brass coal scuttles, circa 1920.

These are really sweet.

Useless for coal, obviously.

But nonetheless they are probably sort of little salts or something like that, in the shape of coal scuttles.

VO: Rather large for salts, Christina.

What's Paul up to?

Welcome to my world.

Step into my office.

Oh yes.

This is, you know, what lights my fire.

This floats my boat.

VO: Honestly, that boy and militaria.

A bit like Christina and silver.

CHRISTINA: Game bird letter opener, WMF, oh.

Oh that is interesting, OK, WMF, so WMF, was a German factory who I think opened in 1852, 1853.

And originally opened as a sort of metal ware repairing workshop but by 1900 I think they were the largest production, or largest producer of household metal wares.

And that is really lovely.

VO: She's taken by that letter opener.

Ticket price is £25.

That's a nice thing.

I'm going to need a basket soon, aren't I?

VO: Better still - manager, Dan.

Picked up those little scuttles there.

And that little letter knife there.

DAN: Right.

So, what would be your very best price on a pair of military brass coal scuttles, Dan the man?

Eh... Come on Dan the man, I need to win, I am losing.

We can do 28 for you on those.

28 on those and how much on my letter knife?

Eh, we can do 20 for you there.

28 and 20, £48.

Yes.

I am not sure those are going to make me a profit, and I really need to think about profit at the moment, but you could potentially do, if I said 15 on that would you hate me?

I wouldn't hate you but I wouldn't agree with you either.

How about 18?

Go on then?

16?

You are squeezing me for every penny.

17 and I'll... 17, brilliant.

£17, I am happy.

Thank you very much, Dan, you are a star.

VO: So Christina gets the silver letter opener for £17.

Meanwhile, Paul has dragged himself away from the militaria and cornered Julian for some advice on a corkscrew he's spotted.

PAUL: Now this is one of the more ingenious but most common of the Georgian designs.

Thomason's screw and it is a double action so that with one action you will wind the worm into the cork and then when it is fully screwed in, keep turning and it will withdraw the cork.

So none of this... Up here a pleasingly turned bone handle.

And this of course is for dusting the top of one's bottle.

It has been in the cellar for God knows how long, it comes out, it is all rather dusty, we don't want to taint our wine, dust that off, and away you go.

VO: It's nice but the ticket says £168.

Tell me this guy has got some big margin in there and he could discount that early.

JULIAN: 135 just so we get the day started.

It is no' enough...

I don't think it is dear, but I think it is still too dangerous for me, to be honest with you.

I am going to leave a cheeky little bid on that.

JULIAN: Right.

OK. PAUL: And it is cheeky, I'll stick 80 quid into that but I am going to keep walking and I am not really holding out much hope.

Give me a minute and we will see what we can do.

No hurry, no hurry.

VO: Glad to see you're taking things easy, Paul.

The bowels of the place.

VO: But Christina is hot on your heels.

Antiques heaven for the Laidlaw.

For me, antiques hell.

VO: Perhaps Julian can help with something a bit more Christina.

CHRISTINA: What is that?

That is actually fab, that is a French silver, 1890, it has got little French marks on the side you see.

CHRISTINA: Oh yeah.

And it literally is a snuff box.

What can you do that for?

I actually have 280, trades of 240.

However, I wouldn't normally do this, but I'll do 100 quid.

CHRISTINA: £100?

JULIAN: £100.

That is pretty much most of all the money I have got left.

Any way you can nudge it under the 100?

Because three figures really scare me.

I never ever spend that sort of money, I mean 90... £95 and you are mad if you don't buy it.

CHRISTINA: £95?

Yeah.

Job done.

Marvelous.

I think I love you.

Thank you.

I am just completely in love with this thing.

It is smashing.

£95.

I've just spent £95.

I've just spend £95.

VO: Indeed she has.

Leaving her with just £70 and a lot of shopping to do.

Oh, I am a bit hot, I'm really hot.

VO: That's what taking risks feels like but will parting with most of her money in her bid to catch Paul pay off come the auction?

Only time will tell, Christina.

Meanwhile, Paul has clocked a rusty dress sword with price of £120.

Julian, how are you doing?

Hi Paul.

Sword, hanging in your stairwell to the basement.

Is there traction in that?

Tell me that has been sitting in here for a while, getting rustier and it can be cheap.

Are we still talking with the corkscrew as well?

Oh, I like the way you think.

Different vendors but still the more we spend the more traction we have got.

It just helps.

OK, I would be interested in buying both but I am only offering you 50 quid for the rusty little boy's type sword.

OK, this happens to belong to my manager.

If you can just give me a couple of seconds... PAUL: Hell yeah.

Then we will come back to you.

You know, a couple of minutes!

If you can do the business.

JULIAN: We will see what we can do.

PAUL: I'll leave that with you.

Fingers crossed, I'd say the longer he is away the better because the immediate response is generally, you are having a laugh.

VO: There is a chance Paul knows something about this sword, he's just not letting on.

Dan the man is saying 80 quid.

You are saying 80 on the other, that is like 160.

80 on that?

Mm-hm.

But obviously I have a bit of an uphill battle with the corkscrew.

No messing around one and a half on the two.

I think that is a good deal.

Good man.

VO: Paul's not messing about - that's £150 for his two items in the first shop.

So come on, tell us what you know about this sword then.

Well, this is called a levy blade, very slender dress piece.

If this was plain, we would be no further forward, but oh no, it's etched.

We have a whole host of scrolls and battle honors running all the way up that fuller, terminating in the royal cipher of King George V. It is centered by a cartouche with the initials MHIJ, and those are the initials of the officer that wore this sword.

How many are unique to an identifiable individual?

I don't know, one in a 100.

That is a good thing.

Worth the money?

It remains to be seen.

But I think so.

VO: After a successful first shop for all, Christina is weaving her way through a quiet Cotswold valley.

She's on her way to the site of a magnificent mansion.

It was the brainchild of affluent Victorian gentleman, William Leigh, who was inspired by his new found Catholic faith to build a mansion.

But a series of misfortunes meant his masterpiece remains incomplete after 140 years.

TERRY: Hello.

Hello, you must be Terry.

Yes, welcome to Woodchester.

Come on in.

Thank you so much, thank you, wow, I can't wait.

VO: After inheriting his father's fortune at the age of 13, Leigh was educated at Eton and Oxford but it wasn't until after his conversion into the Roman Catholic faith in his early 40s that he moved to Gloucestershire to build Woodchester Mansion.

This wasn't just to be a family home and as a staunch Catholic, Leigh began building work with a monastery and a church.

TERRY: This is where the family would have expected to be several times a day.

And as a very devote family this would have been really the heart of the house?

Yes and the religious orders would have been conducted by people coming up from the monastery that he built at the bottom of the valley.

VO: To capture the scale of his faith he turned to pre-eminent architect and fellow convert, Augustus Pugin, who was considered the leader of gothic revival, a movement which expressed faith through the arts.

Although Pugin resigned the commission, work continued in this manner and it is understood the final architect based his work largely on Pugin's designs.

TERRY: This is a glorious bit of the building.

Victorian gothic was about lifting your eyes to heaven and this is what you do in here.

And when you look up to heaven you see these magnificent, beautiful carved bosses up in the top, on the carved top of the pillars.

VO: Driven by his quest to expand Catholicism in Victorian England Leigh focused on the monastery and church, waiting for their completion before starting on the mansion.

By this time, nearly 10 years after he began on the estate, signs of financial strain started to show.

TERRY: So this would have been the family's dining room.

And this is a room in the house where we can really see everything to do with how you build and make great big buildings that the Victorians were building but it goes way back to the medieval period, exactly the same engineering techniques.

VO: Stonemasons were given space to create arches, doorways and fireplaces on each of the levels before any of the floors were installed.

But in Woodchester Mansion, the day when those floors were laid, never came - leaving a unique view of the work behind the building.

TERRY: It is very instructive because you understand how this works, you can go into Canterbury, Gloucester, Westminster Abbey, any of the cathedrals, and they are all working exactly the same way because one of the geniuses that drove Victorian gothic revival architecture was to ape the glories of medieval lofty buildings.

VO: The time and love lavished on the religious buildings took their toll and ultimately old age, ill health, and a lack of funds hampered the final years of work and the building remained incomplete at William's death in 1873.

The entire estate passed to his son Willie.

TERRY: Shortly after his dad died, Willie Leigh did write to the architects and say "Can you tell me what this is going to cost to complete?"

CHRISTINA: Right.

And I am afraid the answer he got was £8,000 to complete it, £6,000 to pull it down and put you up a new one.

VO: The next two generations of the family struggled with financial strain and the mansion was sold in the early 1920s.

Although he never realized his dream, a trust was created in 1989 to preserve the house and ensure that it remains a dramatic memorial to William Leigh's faith and vision.

VO: Meanwhile, with two pieces under his belt already, VO: Paul is on his way to Stroud with £90.24 burning a hole in his pocket.

The antiques store is housed in a former industrial building packed with two floors of antiques which certainly gives Paul a chance to stretch his legs, but has he come up with anything that takes his fancy?

PAUL: Victorian, gentleman's walking cane.

No, none of that.

Stop telling me lies, Paul.

It originated in South Africa.

This is probably what the Zulu would call iron wood.

These staffs were carried almost as a badge of rank by Zulu chiefs and that's the common form of such - a shaft, a pommel and then this spiral decoration.

Sometimes the pommel is modeled as a fist.

You get variations on the theme.

If you hold it up to the light, you will see, primitively, but charmingly scratched into the pommel the date 1884, and the initials IY.

Um, don't you just love this stuff?

The price on that, £40.

History.

History for four £10 notes.

VO: Well that was a find.

Paul seems to be in the swing of it now and believe it or not he seems to be making a quick dash towards another item of a military persuasion.

PAUL: Check out my friend.

I like that but I am deeply frustrated by it.

Described as a 19th century original watercolor.

I can't argue with that but it is way more than a 19th century water color because that, I think, is a not half bad portrait of an officer of the British army of the middle years of the 19th century.

1840, 1850.

At the moment, all I can tell you is he almost certainly an infantry officer about 1840, 1850 and that's it.

My biggest issue is it has lost its integrity in so far as that is in a new frame.

Antique to guild, yes but nevertheless new.

So my issues, the later frame, no further detail about the subject and then a price of £85.

VO: A few things to talk about then.

Perhaps time to involve assistant manager, Andy.

On the one hand, we have got this rustic cane.

Yup.

On the other, we have got the 19th century portrait.

How flexible can you guys be on price with these?

ANDY: 40 at the moment.

Yeah.

I could go to 25 on that.

OK.

I like the way you think.

Um, this is the biggy, could that be cheap or does that have to be a lot of money?

I could do 60 on that.

That is not going to cut it, I thought you would maybe go there.

Can I make you an offer on that?

ANDY: Fire away.

I think it is worth 30 to 60 quid under the hammer.

Is that dead in the water or is there any chance?

I'll do 40 on the painting.

Stick in hand I am going to try and beat you down some more.

20 quid, and 35 and I will buy the two things.

OK. Yeah, we will go with that.

PAUL: Good man.

No problem at all.

Two things out of nowhere that's great.

Yes, good, good.

I'm delighted with them.

VO: Thanks to Andy's generous £70 discount Paul gets the Zulu staff for £20 and the portrait for £35.

VO: Well, it's been a productive day - time for our chaps to get some rest.

Nighty night.

VO: Next day and curiosity is getting the better of Christina.

I saw you looking at that corkscrew.

Did you get that?

Oh my God, you would be so bad at poker.

Did you buy that?

No.

Not at all.

Definitely not.

We really need to play cards.

VO: Cor, Paul was busy yesterday as he grabbed a dress sword, a 19th century corkscrew, a portrait of a British Army officer and a 19th century carved Zulu staff for a total of £205, leaving him with £35.24 left to spend.

VO: Christina picked up a French silver snuff box and letter knife for a total of £112 so has £70.84 for the day ahead.

Oh, don't lie down, horse, stand up.

Seriously, is that an omen or something?

It is going to rain.

The horses lie... Oh no maybe that is cows.

VO: Good weather or not - Christina is on her way to the gorgeous Cotswolds town of Winchcombe.

Once home to a Benedictine abbey that was once a site of pilgrimage.

And in the 17th century the town was home to the first man to write a list of British birds.

Winchcombe antiques center is housed in this grade 2 listed building and Christina is being shown around by owner, Richard.

I come to you with very empty pockets, Richard.

That's not good.

I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, already.

VO: There's nothing quite like laying your cards on the table to get things off to a good start.

Really beautiful.

Again, it has got about three figures more than my budget, sadly.

CHRISTINA: That is quite nice.

That is very nice.

Little brass and copper bucket, OK, I am a bit worried about this price tag already.

VO: Ticket price of £69 - well at least you would have a pound or two left over.

Expensive for a bucket, isn't it?

Has it got a hole in it?

It has got a hole in it!

RICHARD: Oh come on, really?

CHRISTINA: Yeah.

RICHARD: Did you just put that in there?

Look.

RICHARD: It is coal in that, so no coal is going to get through that hole.

Dust might.

What could you do on that?

That is quite smart.

The very best death on it, is, I should think £40.

I like that, you can see it is obviously hand-beaten which is quite nice.

These rivets are lovely.

OK, I will carry my bucket around, let's keep wandering.

RICHARD: Alright.

Show me the rest of your wares, Richard.

CHRISTINA: Right, let's have a look in these cabinets, I know I said I was going to stay clear... Do you mind if I put my bucket down?

RICHARD: Yeah, no, feel free.

CHRISTINA: Pop it down just there.

CHRISTINA: Oh, that is pretty.

The vesta case.

With a sort of little Ruskin plaque on it, that would have been, it looks like it was silver plate at one point but someone has polished it off.

RICHARD: Looks like it's been polished off.

VO: Christina's found a matchbox holder with a ticket price of £58.

These were popular, not to carry around but to conceal ugly matchboxes in a decorative sleeve.

So it's time to strike a deal.

CHRISTINA: So, I would be looking at securing potentially both of those for £40.

Yeah, can't do it, basically.

What can you do?

What can you do me for those two?

This one as I say, I need to speak to the owner about that.

And your bucket?

With a hole in it.

Beautiful bucket.

CHRISTINA: With a hole in it.

30 is the absolute bottom.

See what you can get that for.

RICHARD: OK. VO: After some discussion with the dealer on the phone, Richard's willing to let the matchbox holder go for £49.

Let negotiations commence.

CHRISTINA: £50 for the two.

Did we say that?

What did we say?

No, no, no.

Me being nice, 60 for the two.

You know that is good deal.

VO: That's a £67 discount, but would leave Christine just over £10 with one shop still to go so she's playing hard to get.

55?

No, no, no, come on, 60.

Because that is 49 and that is working out as £11.

58 and I'll shake your hand now.

You are that desperate for the £2?

Yes.

Every penny counts.

Thank you very much, Richard, well done.

£2 for the hole.

VO: So a copper bucket and matchbox holder for £58 leaves Christina with just over £10.

VO: Meanwhile, Paul is winding his way through the country roads of Gloucestershire en route to a grand and historic castle with royal connections spanning over 1,000 years.

Good morning.

Is it Derek?

It is.

Good to see you.

That is as fine and entrance...

It's quite impressive, isn't it?

Welcome to Sudeley castle.

VO: Sudeley castle is famous as it was the home of a great number of kings and queens.

From Edward IV, through to Charles I, there is an illustrious list of monarchs including Richard III and Henry VIII.

However, it is perhaps a lesser known member of royalty who can claim to have left the biggest legacy here at Sudeley.

Tell me more.

Well Katherine Parr's possibly our most famous inhabitant.

I see.

As every school boy knows, she is the last of Henry's wives, the one that survives Henry.

And that's how she is often dismissed.

But she is much, much more than that.

VO: Born in 1512 Katherine Parr was widowed twice before the age of 30 and became Henry's sixth wife in 1543.

She was regarded as an accomplished woman, with an intellect that the king clearly valued.

She ran the country when Henry was attacking the French.

She looked after the young Elizabeth, later Elizabeth I and Lady Jane Grey.

She was trusted with their upbringing.

She was an intellectual powerhouse, very important religiously.

And for that time, unheard of, she actually wrote and published books which we have copies of down here.

My word!

You say unheard... literally unheard of?

No woman was allowed to publish.

Is that a fact?

And here we have a queen of England writing her own books, religious tracks, and getting them published.

And we have three copies of different books that she wrote.

VO: Katherine Parr was a groundbreaking individual of the age.

Not only writing in her own name, the religious nature of her text put her at odds with the king on many occasions.

But Henry maintained his respect for her making her regent when he left to fight in France and entrusting her to raise the future queen.

This isn't just another castle, when you paint this picture of Parr, bringing up her step-daughter within these walls and then Parr the intellectual, the publisher, it is inevitable that's formative on Elizabeth.

Very much a strong independent thinking woman.

Very much a strong independent thinking woman but she had one unfortunate blind spot.

Thomas Seymour.

VO: After the death of King Henry, Katherine was within a month married to her old flame who became the new owner of Sudeley Castle - the notorious Thomas Seymour.

VO: History remembers Seymour as a power hungry individual but letters from Parr to him show the clear affection she had towards her fourth husband.

I can say nothing but as my Lady of Suffolk saith God is a marvelous man.

In her that is yours to serve and obey during her life, Katherine the Queen.

Still signing herself Katherine the Queen though she is technically not a queen any longer.

PAUL: It moves me beyond belief to think that the hand of Katherine Parr lent on that document as she wrote.

That's an astonishing document and yet you get the sophistication in the prose as it were and indeed the love.

VO: Katherine fell pregnant aged 36 and gave birth to a daughter but Katherine died just seven days later.

VO: She was buried at Sudeley and her service was the first time protestant funeral rites were said in English.

This first is perhaps fitting for a queen who wrote so strongly on religious matters.

And is a true testament to a pioneer who deserves a reputation far greater than simply being remembered as the last of Henry's wives.

VO: Meanwhile, Christina is making her way to the historic town of Brackley in Northamptonshire.

VO: Brackley antiques center been open for 15 years and it seems Christina is making a welcome return to old ground.

I have been here before.

I am sure I have, this is certainly jogging some memories and it is huge so I better crack on.

VO: She's not kidding - there's over 30,000 square feet of shop floor here.

It's underneath a supermarket.

So, lots to see and plenty that would catch the eye of a certain Mr Laidlaw.

His knowledge is quite amazing.

Literally he could pick up this piece of paper and go (MIMICS PAUL) "I happen to know that that piece of paper "was used by Nelson the night before the battle of Trafalgar.

"And £1.50, a pound it is.

Fantastic.

Auction?

20, 30, £40,000 later.

VO: Now Christina, you're starting to sound bitter, love.

He has the Midas touch and I do not have a good Scottish accent.

VO: Blimey - that was supposed to be a Scottish accent?

Perhaps you should stick to hunting out antiques, girl.

Remind me what you have left to spend, Christina?

Oh, £12.

Why did I only leave myself with £12?

VO: Too late to worry about that now.

Time to look for a little help.

Thankfully, Penny is on hand and you know what they say - look after pennies and ha, ha, well never mind.

I am looking at some lovely things and if you are thinking that it is nowhere near my price bracket, and my price bracket is about £10 then just steer me away.

OK. OK?

Alright?

Will do.

Ready?

Ready to steer?

Ready to steer.

OK. £34 on it.

Is that steer or is that OK?

I think that is a steer, I'm afraid.

The other thing that I saw was this little bamboo cabinet here.

Oh yeah.

Are we thinking that might be a goer?

No, sadly, sadly another steer I think I am afraid, afraid so.

VO: Oh dear, I'm sensing a theme here, Christina.

CHRISTINA: What about something... Would something like this be alright?

What do you think on that?

What has she got on it?

PENNY: Yeah, let's take these off and have a little look.

CHRISTINA: That would be really quite useful for a trader or a dealer, that is like a table top cabinet, isn't it?

PENNY: A table top so that's the way it needs to go, isn't it?

CHRISTINA: Yeah, like that, and you could stand here and if you were, for example, a jewelry dealer or with some small bits of silver, you could open it up like that, couldn't you and then?

PENNY: And hand them the picked item, yeah.

CHRISTINA: Yeah, it is a good strong thing, isn't it?

VO: Ticket price says £35 - will it be another steer?

I literally have £12 left.

Do you think she would be open to that sort of offer?

Yes, I know the dealer and I know she'd... Do you think?

Yeah, I am sure she will.

CHRISTINA: Really?

PENNY: Yeah.

CHRISTINA: Is she going to kill you?

Hopefully not.

Penny, I am very grateful.

PENNY: You're welcome.

CHRISTINA: £12.

It is a deal.

VO: £12 for the display cabinet and Christina's purchases are complete.

VO: But the same cannot be said for Mr Laidlaw, who has arrived in the northern Cotswold town of Chipping Campden.

VO: Stuart House Antiques has been around for 27 years and the shop - including its vast selection of ceramics - is overseen by owner Jim.

Good afternoon.

Hi Paul.

PAUL: Jim?

JIM: Yeah, Jim.

Good to see you, sir.

I like your taste in jackets.

Ah yes, I like yours.

VO: Sartorial elegance aside, Paul is off to the task of trying to uncover something glamorous that he can sell auction.

Jim, I know it is a daft question, sitting in there, is that a cheapy, Jim?

Is it a cheapy?

JIM: Yes.

How cheap?

JIM: Tenner.

PAUL: Not cheap enough, Jim.

PAUL: Can it be a fiver?

Just a wee throw away piece.

Good man, thank you very much, Jim.

VO: My word that was a quick deal.

Paul clearly couldn't wait - so what is it that made you so keen, Paul?

That is no ordinary bracelet strap because it's marked with patent numbers and so on and also the word 'army'.

So it ain't a granny watch strap after all.

It is actually a trench watch strap.

VO: The First World War was largely responsible for wrist watches becoming the timepiece of choice as it was easier for soldiers to check in a hurry than a pocket watch.

And now he's on to another military themed item to go with it.

Jim, how are you doing?

If I may, I would like to buy the little watch strap and that badge there, the LG and the wreath.

A tenner the pair?

I'll do you a deal on that, aye.

You are a good man, Jim, I'll shake your hand.

PAUL: You are a gentleman.

VO: Swift business.

The military badge makes purchase number two here.

And Paul's planning to combine the two together into a single lot.

All for a total of £10.

VO: As well as his military lot Paul's picked up the dress sword, corkscrew, 19th century portrait and a Zulu staff.

Spending a total of £215.

VO: Christina spent £182 on a letter opener, silver snuff box, copper bucket, matchbox holder and display cabinet.

So let's see what our antiques aces think of each other's objects.

I think in this instance, I think we have both been complete creatures of habit, haven't we?

I mean looking at what he has bought, it has just got Paul Laidlaw written all over it.

In the round, interesting little group of purchases there.

Anything that is scaring the pants off me?

Nah.

Me, on the other hand... Yeah, I mean, militaria, and wine related ephemera.

That is Paul Laidlaw, isn't it?

I think I've got the stronger hand here.

VO: Well, we shall see.

VO: After starting off in the Gloucestershire town of Tetbury this leg concludes at auction in Evesham in Worcestershire.

Right, here we go.

Second auction.

Yeah.

Oh, I've got the nerves again.

Have you?

The knee is not going yet but it will.

CHRISTINA: I love auctions but I know that you have absolutely stuck within your comfort zone, you have only bought stuff that you know full well is going to make you a lot of money.

PAUL: No, no.

VO: Today's battle ground is Littleton Auctions.

Crikey, it's clear you two have been let loose in the countryside.

PAUL: The car is now actually considerably heavier than it was when we started out.

Did I do that?

Really?

Did we do that?

CHRISTINA: Where is your navigation skills?

VO: Before the off, auctioneer Martin Homer has some thoughts on our expert's offerings.

The Thomason brass barrel double action cork screw is very collectable and I think we will see a lot of interest in that.

Nice little French snuff box, which again, is very collectable.

I think of the 10 lots we have got today, I think we will do quite well with them.

VO: Our dueling duo are both presenting five lots.

So if you're all quite settled in let's get this show on the road.

AUCTIONEER: £20 anywhere?

Give me 10 then?

VO: First up is Christina's letter opener.

There we are, nice piece there, you can see that picture, bid me on that, where shall we go?

20 I am bid, thank you, the room has it at 20, I'll take two.

At £20 are we done?

22 I've got.

At 22 and five sir?

25.

At £25, all done then at the back of the room at 25, are we done then?

At £25, fair warning at 25.

Oh, net, net!

25.

CHRISTINA: Internet!

27.

Thank you.

VO: Blimey Christina, well spotted.

30 at the back.

£30, the room has it at 30, all done, £30, fair warning at £30.

You took five years off that poor auctioneer's life, you verbally assaulted him there.

Internet!

Oi!

VO: Well always nice to get involved, isn't it?

Paul's double action corkscrew is up next.

Where shall we go with that?

£100 for it?

Looking for £100.

PAUL: Should be.

Go 50 for it then, come on.

Surely £50?

CHRISTINA: Internet is straight in at £50.

CHRISTINA: There we go.

Straight away, go on.

At 50, I will take five, 55.

60 on the net.

Five.

At 65 in the room.

Give us 70 now.

75.

I have not even broken even yet.

£80 I have got.

In the room at 80 and five.

90 on the net.

Net is now at 90.

At £90.

Have you got five?

At £90.

Come on.

Come on, come on.

Selling at £90.

Yup.

Cheap corkscrew.

Cheap corkscrew.

VO: Not what you were hoping for but still a profit, Paul.

Christina fought hard to secure a good price for her copper and brass bucket - was it worth it?

Got some interest on commission, I can start that off at £50.

Bid is with me at £50.

How much?

At £50, I am looking for 55 now.

At £50 the bid is here.

55, 60.

Five, 70.

Five, 80.

Oh my God.

AUCTIONEER: You out?

At £80, the bid is still with me, on the book at 80.

At £80, we all done?

This never happens to me.

£80.

You just got 80 quid for that.

VO: You might not believe it, Christina, but that holey bucket has done the business with a £71 profit.

Oh my word.

This is what winning feels like?

VO: Paul will be hoping to close the gap with his military lot.

On commission with me at 10.

Commission at £10.

10.

12 I have got.

Back to me at 15.

17.

Back to me at 20.

You out?

At 20.

Are we done then?

And I am selling at £20.

PAUL: No money.

CHRISTINA: Well done.

It is alright, small step.

Well done.

VO: Despite a 100% profit for Paul, Christina is still out in the lead on today's auction - and it's her display cabinet up next.

On the net at 20.

Are you joking?

22.

25.

At 27.

CHRISTINA: What is happening to me?

£30.

32.

At 32 with you, sir.

Net comes in at 35.

37.

At 37.

40 on the net.

45 sir?

45 in the room.

I was just trying to spend the money.

50 on the net.

At £50 and I am selling at £50.

I am really sorry.

VO: It seems to be Christina's lucky day.

Paul is pinning his hopes of a comeback on his 19th century portrait.

I have some interest on this one, and I can start this at £100 on commission.

£100?!

I'm back in the game.

See!

£100.

Looking for 110 now.

Yeah, I am looking for 110 as well.

110.

120.

130.

See!

140.

With me on the book at £140.

CHRISTINA: £100 clear profit.

AUCTIONEER: £140.

That's brilliant.

Well done.

VO: That fantastic profit brings our experts almost neck and neck.

Next up is Christina's matchbox holder.

I have got commission interest, I can go in at £35 on this.

Straight in, you are clear.

£45, 50.

Same as the book but you take preference, it is in the room at 50.

Fair warning at £50.

VO: I'm afraid that's a loss after auction costs.

Which leaves the door open for Paul and his Zulu staff.

For £30 start me then, come on surely?

30 I am bid, thank you sir, at £30 in the room.

PAUL: The net flashed for a second, two net bidders.

37, 40.

Net is running with this.

The net is running with it.

We will sit and relax for a minute while they... 55 on the internet, ladies and gentleman, looking for 60 now.

Are we done then?

Fair warning at £55.

No, new bidder in the room, comes into the room at £60.

Good God, bless you.

Really?

No.

Come on net.

65 on the net.

At 65, £70.

Back in the room.

Good man.

At £70, the room has it at 70 and I'm selling at 70.

Sold at £70.

VO: Paul has turned it around and moves ahead but Christina has one item left - her silver snuff box.

What shall we say, £30 to start me?

CHRISTINA: Aargh!

AUCTIONEER: Looking for £30.

Oh no.

The net's in.

The net is off.

PAUL: The net has just taken off.

I can't watch.

50.

On the internet at 50.

At 50.

Comes back into the room at 55.

Quite rightly so, it is a lovely thing.

Yes.

At 55, in the room, are we all done, ladies and gentlemen?

CHRISTINA: Oh my God.

AUCTIONEER: £55.

Sold, 55.

Like a dagger through my heart.

VO: That's a tough one to take.

And Paul still has his dress sword to go.

AUCTIONEER: I have got some interest on this on the book and I can start this at £50.

No way, you are joking, it is a country mile off, that is what I am telling you.

The net is running now with this, 75, 80.

CHRISTINA: 85, 95.

100.

Oh, I am redundant.

VO: The internet bidders have come alive.

170.

170 ladies and gentlemen on the internet, at £170.

Are we done then?

Fair warning and I will sell at £170, all done?

Sold at £170.

Well done.

VO: What a fantastic way to end the auction as Paul completes his comeback with his second three figure profit of the day.

Wow.

I am done.

I resign.

Has anyone resigned after two days?

Have they?

Here we go, that's me.

VO: Christina started this leg with £182.84.

After auctions costs are deducted she's made £35.30 in profit.

Taking her total to £218.14.

VO: After auction costs Paul made £186.80 profit taking the day with a total of £427.04.

Wow.

CHRISTINA: Goodness me.

PAUL: Look at that filthy car, where is ours?

I will drive because then I will take responsibility.

You will drive because you are taking it to have it valeted.

VO: Cheerio till next time.

VO: Next time, the pressure gets to our experts as Christina gets overwhelmed.

Chocka chocka chocka block, isn't it?

VO: And the badgering begins.

Christina, how long is this going to take?

I am done.

Come on.

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