Voiceover (VO): The nation's favorite antiques experts, £200 each and one big challenge.

Testing.

Testing.

VO: Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK?

I love women that do deals!

VO: The aim is trade up and hope each antique turns a profit, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

There can only be one winner.

I shouldn't have got too excited.

VO: So will it be the highway to success, or the B-road to bankruptcy?

Don't faint, hold him.

Hold him.

Where's the chair?

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

VO: Starting the road trip this week - David Harper and Anita Manning.

Their classic car of choice, a 1971 Mark IV Triumph Spitfire.

I might need to just slam the brakes on every now and again, DAVID: Anita, just to test them.

ANITA: Well, warn me.

DAVID: (LAUGHS) VO: David Harper is the reigning champion.

A devil of an antiques dealer, he's champing at the bit to start afresh and give it his all.

80 quid?

80 quid?

That is robbery.

Robbery?

I might call the police I think.

Anita Manning wasn't so fortunate, she came fourth last series, but as Scotland's first female auctioneer, she knows her stuff and is one to watch.

Throw me out the shop, throw me out the shop.

That is shocking, young lady.

VO: Both experts begin with £200.

At the end of each leg of their journey, they'll face one another at auction as they fight to make a profit.

I'm happy, I'm happy.

VO: This week's road trip, an eventful escapade east to west across England's breathtaking south coast.

From Dover to Bideford in North Devon.

Today's leg begins in Dover, ending up for their very first auction in Heathfield, East Sussex.

But before getting down to business, David and Anita are taking in one of Britain's most iconic views.

DAVID: Come on, madam.

ANITA: OK, darling.

DAVID: Whoa.

ANITA: Wow, Look at that.

Isn't that marvelous, the White Cliffs of Dover.

I've never been to the White Cliffs of Dover, ever.

You must have been on a ferry at some point?

I've never been stood underneath them.

ANITA: Business, David.

DAVID: Yes.

ANITA: 200 quid.

DAVID: Mm.

We're buying in the south of England.

have you bought here before?

On occasions.

Right.

It could be dear.

It could be, because it's a bit touristy.

I'm desperate to get stuck into some antique dealing.

VO: David's from North Yorkshire, while Anita's based in Glasgow.

So being this far south is well out of their comfort Zone.

Down here, dealers are notoriously tough.

Well, have a lovely time.

OK.

This is very interesting.

And don't buy anything good!

Ho-ho!

Yes.

VO: David's dropping Anita off in Dover and she's keen to do a bit of sightseeing.

DAVID: Cheerio.

ANITA: Bye!

VO: But David's not hanging about, he's motoring straight to his first shop.

It's a brisk eight-mile journey north up the coast to a little town called Deal, where David will of course be looking to net a cracking deal.

Ha!

Hi there.

Oh, hello there, pleased to meet you I'm Carol Yvonne.

DAVID: Carol Yvonne?

CAROL: Yes.

That's a long one!

VO: Something attracts David's interest super smartish.

Hallmarked, Birmingham Z, what's that 1924?

1924 I think.

They're nicely weighted.

They are a pair, aren't they?

Yes, they are a pair.

Now they're very art nouveau, really, in shape, although they're just trickling into the art deco period.

VO: Art nouveau or "New Art" has been described as the first 20th century modern style.

It was the first design movement to stop looking backwards in history for ideas, instead taking inspiration from the world around it.

Sinuous, elongated curvy lines, like the ones we see on these vases, were a signature look.

Their price tag is £98.

DAVID: Is this husband?

CAROL: It is.

Nice to meet you.

Hello, nice to meet you too.

A pair of trumpet vases what would the best trade be?

The absolute death is 40 quid.

40 quid trade.

Well, they don't seem dear, do they?

DAVID: Carol, I'll have those.

CAROL: You will?

I will.

Thank you very much indeed.

They're wonderful.

Wonderful.

VO: In Dover, Anita's indulging in some history.

This unassuming building holds one of Britain's key archaeological sites, which is 1,800 years old.

It's filled with ancient antiques, and on this road trip, that's not to be missed.

Ah, Brian, hello.

I'm Anita.

Anita, good to meet you.

VO: Curator or the Roman House, Brian Philip, will show Anita the fruits of a painstaking excavation.

This began in 1971 after the site was first discovered under the proposed location for a multistorey car park.

I can see a painted room here, isn't that wonderful?

Yes, you're looking down on the series of rooms of a major Roman hotel for official visitors.

It's going to be the emperor when he visits, crosses the channel, he's going to stay here.

VO: Built in 200AD, this hotel was for the Roman top brass as they traveled to and from the continent.

The archaeological dig discovered six rooms where the inside walls had been covered in brightly colored paintings.

It's their partial survival that makes this house remarkable.

They're the best preserved almost anywhere outside Rome or Pompeii.

I can still see these lovely rust or iron reds.

I can see the shape of the panels, almost window frame shape of these panels.

VO: Why so much of these paintings survive is down to the fate of the hotel.

Plans for a Roman Fort in AD 270 led to it being partly demolished and buried in the new structure's foundations.

Because of this elaborate decoration, it would have been a luxurious place to stay?

They were expecting Mediterranean standards here in the quality of the building, the paintings and of the entertainment.

Well, I can just imagine myself in that luxury, perhaps invited along as a dancing girl.

VO: You never know, Anita.

Emperor Septimius Severus might have given YOU the thumbs up.

The archaeological teams also recreated the look of the house from their finds.

Tell me, do these motifs have any special significance?

They can all be related back to the god Bacchus, the Roman god of wine.

There's a bacchic wand, there's the grape vines, the pair of fronds here and the motifs tend to be replicated around the circumference of the room.

VO: There was another exciting discovery, an elaborate central heating system called a hypocaust.

Can you tell me how the central heating system would work?

It's a fairly simple firing technique, you just need a small fire placed in each of these arches.

It needs topping up every hour, and the hot air is drawn in underneath the floors and then up inside the walls to heat the whole of the building.

And keep everything nice and toasty.

VO: Back in Deal, David's still very much on an art nouveau tangent.

This time, candlesticks.

Very flamboyant and very stylish, but you can tell quite quickly that they're very new, but it doesn't really matter at £22.

They're an interior designers' dream.

VO: Original art nouveau candlesticks had pride of place in a well to do Victorian or Edwardian household.

Often as part of a dining table centerpiece.

Candles, oil and gas lamps were the only lighting available for most homes until the arrival of electricity at the end of the First World War.

They're quite modern, aren't they?

Yes, they are.

They are reproduction.

Are they absolute brand spankers?

Yes, they are.

Did you buy them as new ones?

Yes.

They might make a little cheeky lot in a saleroom.

They might do alright.

They couldn't be a fiver, could they?

I can do them for that.

You can do them for a fiver?

CAROL: Yeah, OK. DAVID: Go on then, another one.

CAROL: Done.

DAVID: Thank you very much.

DAVID: Brilliant.

CAROL: OK.

I might as well go home now, I've done everything I need to do.

VO: Meanwhile, someone else has arrived in Deal, all ready to start shopping.

I'm not going to let myself get carried away.

At least I'll try not to let myself get carried away.

So be very careful, this is my first shop, first go at it, be careful, Anita.

That's my advice to myself.

VO: Anita's chosen shop is a little left field.

Sam, oh, I love your shop.

VO: Owner Sam Jacques is a vintage clothing specialist.

But he does have a few antique gems thrown in here and there.

SAM: I will say one thing.

ANITA: Yeah?

Top hats go for a lot of money.

ANITA: (LAUGHS) It's true!

# We're a couple of swells # Make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh.

# VO: When the first top hat was born in Britain in 1797, it caused a near riot.

Passers-by panicked, women fainted and children screamed.

Despite this, it became the most sophisticated hat in fashion.

This top hat is French, which is rather apt as they invented the design.

I forgot to tell you, it's got its hat box as well.

Oh, right.

It's a mess, but it's got the hat box.

Could I see the hat box down?

This box is as tatty as tatty as tatty.

My French accent won't be very good.

The shop was in the Place du Theatre.

I mean, I think that makes it fun with that.

£8?

SAM: (INHALES DEEPLY) I know... Sam, throw me out the shop, throw me out the shop.

That is shocking, young lady.

I know, throw me out.

I can't do it for eight, you know, it's very old and it's Victorian, and it is beautiful.

What about having the top hat and taking the bowler as well, the bowler box.

Let me see them down.

(WHISPERS) He's trying to make a deal.

This box is lovely.

And this bowler is in good condition.

VO: The Bowler hat was an English invention.

It was first created in 1850 for a Sir William Cooke, as a hard hat for his gamekeepers.

But eventually it became the head gear for every professional British gent.

For the bowler and the top hat, Sam wants £35.

If you could come to £20, and £20 cash.

I've got that and I've got a wee chance.

So between us we would be doing not too badly.

What do you think?

20 quid?

20 quid?

20 quid.

22 and you've got a deal.

Let's go halfway, 21's a lucky number.

21.

That's wonderful.

VO: As the day draws to an end, it's time for David and Anita to meet up and head forth and multiply.

David, still not letting me see what you've bought?

I am not, but I'm going to have a peep in your bag when you're at the bar.

It's time for us now to head off to Margate.

I'm looking forward to it.

If the sun's shining we'll have a pokey hat.

A pokey hat.

What's a pokey hat?

An ice cream cone.

On we go!

VO: Rest well, you two.

There's still an awful lot of shopping to be done tomorrow.

A new day of buying beckons for our antiques aficionados.

I love these coast roads for driving classic cars.

You can't beat them, they're all twisty and windy.

VO: Out of their original pot of £200 each, both experts have bought two lots.

Anita has spent £21 while David has spent £45.

Our duo are going their separate ways to make the best of the shops.

David is motoring 22 miles along the coast to Herne Bay.

His chosen stop-off point has a rich past.

It was an extremely popular seaside resort in the late Victorian era with regular steam boats running here from London.

But no time for sightseeing, there's booty to be bought.

This place is massive.

It's right up my street, really my... (DEEP TONES) ..cup of tea.

VO: Flat!

David's chosen an emporium that used to be a cinema and is filled with collectables, toys and furniture.

And there's one thing that strikes a chord with David instantly.

Good style.

It's a bit on the grimy side so it's a good auction piece.

It's the kind of thing that would slip into an auction and look like it's just come out of a house sale and dealers and private buyers love to find things that have just come out of a private house, that maybe haven't been on the market for a very long time.

VO: This clock is known as a four glass mantle clock.

The mechanism needs winding once a week and it should strike the hours and half hours.

Hm!

That's if it works, of course!

(DULL CLANGING) Painful!

Not good.

Not great.

But it would get better with a little bit of treatment so again, it's a good auction piece made from brass enamel columns pretending to be an 18th century piece but it isn't, it's more likely 1920s, 1950s.

Priced at 75 quid it's not an expensive clock by any means.

VO: Anita's quest will begin in Margate.

A short 15-mile trip around the coast from Deal.

A busy seaside resort for 250 years, Margate had Londoners flocking here in the 1700s, as sea bathing was seen as the best cure for tuberculosis.

But no seaside antics for Anita, she needs to bag some antiques.

I was looking for an Aladdin's Cave and I think I've found it.

VO: Yep, there's plenty to see, both upstairs and down, with antiques galore.

I'm going to go and find the owner of the shop because I want him to open a couple of cabinets and I think I should focus on the small things.

VO: Shop owner Ronnie Scott, not the club owner, is the chap to see if Anita wants a deal.

But beware!

He's very tough.

I think he's lovely.

What's his name?

Henry?

Yes.

He's quite nice.

What do you think?

I think he's probably Spanish.

And not terribly old, Ron.

Not a million years old I wouldn't think.

Maybe not 20 years old?

I think maybe a bit older than that maybe '50s or '60s.

40 or 50 years.

Yeah, ah-ha.

VO: This leather horse is more likely to be English.

And I remember them as a child, around the pony club camp days.

You practice saddling up.

He's yours for £30.

Right, can we keep him out and have a wee think about him?

Certainly.

VO: Meanwhile, David's looking at a tilt-top table.

Charlie Hanson picked up one of these in the first week of the competition, and made a £30 profit on it, but they're very different.

For those of you who don't remember, tilt-top tables are useful as they can be stowed away pretty swiftly.

And if you look on the inside you can see where for 200 years, that top has been sitting on that base and that base has marked the top.

Had it been in absolutely original worn and beautifully patinated condition, that's £200, £300, £400 worth of table.

10 years ago it would have been double that.

But this one has been over-restored and it is... Oh!

Ridiculous!

20 quid.

Absolutely a bargain of a lifetime.

I'll put that on my list.

VO: Something with a spot of sparkle has caught Anita's eye.

A tea service, comprising a teapot, a sugar and a cream.

These aren't terribly popular, but this has got a wee sort of arts and crafts look about it, which I quite like.

VO: Pewter is a mix of tin, copper and lead.

This tea service is a pale imitation of designs created for London's famous department store Liberty and Co, founded in the late 19th century.

Pewter arts and crafts items are extremely sought-after, if they have the Liberty name.

Unfortunately this one from the 1930s is mass-produced and priced at £35.

Can I buy this for £10?

You haven't got a chance in hell, I'm afraid.

Have I not got a chance in hell?

No.

I'm really sorry, I don't want you to think I'm being rude to you.

I'll give you the best trade price 25 quid cash and carry.

Not just for this - that's for all three pieces.

£25, it's peanuts.

It's too dear for me at that.

Well, I'm afraid you'll have to leave it, then.

VO: Oh, dear, this isn't going well, Anita.

Time to try a diversionary tactic.

Let's look at the horse.

I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll have a deal with you, yeah?

The tea set and the horse, £45.

It's a bargain, can't go wrong.

15 on each.

30 quid?

It's not possible.

I'll take one more bid, £40 quid and I'll shake your hand.

Absolutely the last word.

40 quid?

£35.

That is 35.

Put your hand there - £35.

Go on, do it for us!

£40 is the best I can do.

£35.

I'll toss you for 35 or 40.

Heads 40, tails 35.

So it's heads 40, tails 35.

Ah-ha.

Heads 40!

Get your money out, girl.

OK, we'll take a chance anyway.

Good show.

Thanks very much.

I know.

I'll tell you something it's been great fun.

Good, good.

VO: In Herne Bay, David's list of potential purchases is getting longer.

A pair of rather nice chandelier light fittings here priced at 80.

A few loose bits of brass here and there.

Date-wise, it's not ancient.

I would probably think it's mid 20th century.

But it doesn't really matter with lights.

These things new cost an absolute fortune, FORTUNE!

Can be hundreds of pounds.

This is a different being altogether.

That's very grand, very kind of French-looking.

Looking at the fittings it's probably 1950s.

The glass is fabulously etched.

Ah, now there's a massive problem - a big break in the side.

(SIGHS) That new would be £500, £600 or £700 potentially.

It's very good quality.

But that break could just kill the job.

Now private buyers would probably be put off.

A trade buyer like me or an interior designer could live with it.

For the money, even if that's 80 quid on it's own, for the money it's an absolute bargain.

So they're very, very good potentials.

VO: Time for David, methinks, to get a price on his chiming clock, Georgian tilt table and the two glass hanging lanterns.

Chris Ifield is the man in charge, so here's hoping he's in a generous mood.

Enamel clock, £75 quid on it - what's the trade on that?

If you're looking at buying a few things I'd do a deal with you but for the moment £70.

Oh, he's too hard, this one, isn't he?

Well, I'll try you with a few more bits.

What about that table there?

Yet, again, the price is for nothing, £20.

I'll maybe knock a fiver off that and knock a fiver off that.

15, 70.

What's that, £85, innit?

45, was it?

No, no.

No chance.

Are you sure?

No, 85 is where we are at the moment, so unless you find something else.

The more you buy the more I'll bring it down.

It looks like I'll have to buy the whole shop to get any sort of discount.

If you can, that would really help us.

These two here, Chris.

80 for the pair, is it?

That's right, yeah.

VO: Along with the table and the clock, Chris is looking for £165.

I'm going to be miles away.

We're going to be miles away.

That's alright, it don't hurt.

You can offer.

80 quid.

80 quid that is... ..that is like... That's robbery.

Robbery?

I'll call the police, I think!

I think, we come to £165, something like...

I could come out something like 140.

I can't do it, Chris.

What I'll do is £120 for the whole lot.

And that is it.

I am finished.

Really, are you dead at that?

£120, that is it for the whole lot.

That is absolute bargain for you, that is.

How about 100 or 120 on a spin of a coin, how's that?

Go on, then.

VO: Careful, David, tossing a coin didn't work out so well for Anita.

Alright.

Do you want to call?

Tails never fails.

Heads.

Sorry, mate, but it's been an absolute pleasure.

Thank you very much indeed.

That's alright no worries.

VO: So that's £40 for the clock, £10 for the table and £25 each for the lanterns.

Wow!

Whilst it's game, set and match in the shopping stakes for David, Anita wants to take advantage of another buying session.

She's heading 17 miles west to the city of Canterbury.

It's most renowned for Geoffrey Chaucer's medieval Canterbury Tales.

But the only tale on the horizon here today is about a glamorous lady from Glasgow and her quest for quality antiques.

What a beautiful, charming shop.

I can't wait to have a look round.

Is it OK if I have a look round?

Please do.

Will I leave my bonnet here?

We'll sell that for you.

VO: Keith and Veronica Reeves's boutique is home to quite an upmarket range of jasperware, porcelain, jewelry, silver and collectables, all of which may be a little rich for Anita's diet.

I can't afford quality.

The things that you have, quite frankly, are very beautiful things which I can't afford.

But maybe you can help me here - something that looks the part but maybe isn't quite?

That's me!

Oh, no!

I look the part but I'm not quite.

VO: What could fit Anita's bill is a selection of Alfred Meakin dinnerware.

On your Alfred Meakin here you've got £60 on that.

VO: Alfred Meakin was a Stoke-on-Trent pottery company producing pretty ironstone china and granite ware from the 1870s.

It even designed the china used on the Flying Scotsman train.

This 24-piece set is from the 1950s and is art deco in style.

But £60 isn't what Anita wants to pay, so she's about to get cheeky.

Don't faint hold him, hold him!

KEITH: Where's the chair?

ANITA: Where's the chair?

I would be looking to buy that in the region of £25.

I know that it's not dear.

Yeah, go on.

Aw...

Thank you very much.

I'm very pleased with that.

It's very nice.

Lots of it.

And I think that I've got it at a price where fingers crossed I'll make a profit.

VO: David's back on the road.

He's taking a little educational detour.

He's on a 17-mile trip from Herne Bay to Broadstairs.

David is visiting the Dickens House which commemorates Charles Dickens' association with Broadstairs.

Although some of his stories dealt with the gritty realism of life in Victorian London, he adored the seaside beauty of this pretty town.

A large part of his legacy was written not far from this museum.

Curator Lee Ault has agreed to show him some of the novelist's prized possessions.

We've got pictures and we've got portraits all over the walls here, Lee, haven't we?

Obviously all relating to Dickens.

Well, these are some of the fill-in prints that were put in the bound first editions of the books and they're by Hablot Knight Browne, or Phiz.

Phiz!

Yes, very famous.

Yes, very famous.

One of Dickens' favorite illustrators, I think.

VO: The house originally belonged to Mary Pearson Strong, who Dickens would often take tea with.

He also based one of his most colorful characters on her, from David Copperfield.

This is the famous parlor which we know Dickens sat in with Mary Pearson Strong, the lady that lived here who he immortalized as Betsey Trotwood.

She used to get up mid-sentence and go out and hit the donkey boys.

Which of course he witnessed and included.

Yes, he said, you know, he just found it hilarious.

Well, wouldn't you just?

VO: Dickens lived and wrote in a house overlooking the shore for many years.

Summer holidays with the family were a favorite.

He even described the town as "our watering place".

Not surprisingly, many of his personal letters were from Broadstairs.

He used to write on average about 12 to 14 letters a day.

Did he really?

Who to?

Friends, acquaintances...

Some of these are to his friend Beard, but you will notice the signature on some of them vary, some of them have just got the plain CD.

Now, would that make a difference?

Would that mean he was just an acquaintance of yours, or a very good friend.

Would that determine how he signed?

LEE: CD was just a good friend.

DAVID: OK. Lee has a special treat in store for furniture-lover David - Charles Dickens' very own much-loved sideboard.

I love the handles, don't you just think that?

Oh, they're wonderful handles.

He bought this and several other pieces of furniture, so the story goes, just a few weeks before he married Catherine Hogarth.

And I just love the way he didn't take Catherine with him to choose the furniture.

Fantastic!

I like the sound of him.

VO: Dickens died in 1870, aged 58.

Although married to Catherine Hogarth, who bore him 10 children, his will of £93,000 - over four million in today's money - was to be the subject of controversy.

Where did all the money go to?

Well, having spent 15 years keeping his mistress quiet and never saying a word about Ellen Ternan, the first person mentioned in the will is Ellen.

The mistress.

The mistress, who he leaves £1,000 to.

A lot of money.

So it must have been a bit of a shock then, at the reading of the will, when the mistress gets herself a grand.

Well, Catherine knew about the mistress, because Dickens, not long after he'd first met Catherine, had purchased a bracelet from Asprey's the jewelers.

Very posh.

Very posh.

And it was accidentally sent to Catherine.

Excellent!

What a dreadful mistake.

VO: Despite Dickens' turbulent love life, novels such as Nicholas Nickleby, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations are still as relevant as they were 140 years ago.

An incredible accolade for any writer.

There have been highs and lows for both our experts as they've cashed in their bargaining chips in a hodge-podge of shops on the south coast.

Heads.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

VO: Now it's show and tell time in Canterbury.

Are you ready?

Can I reveal first?

ANITA: On you go.

DAVID: OK. My first purchase.

Ready?

VO: It's David's trumpet vases.

They've got a bit of an art nouveau flow to them.

It's late for art nouveau.

They're in good condition.

Yes, a few little dings here and there.

Yeah, that's smashing.

These look interesting.

Now these, I know that you're going to know that they're not period.

They're not, er, er... of their time.

The style is absolutely gorgeous, bang on 1900.

ANITA: Tell me how much!

DAVID: Right, OK. We've got to get down to the dirty business.

Alright, OK.

The pair of trumpet vases in silver... ..40.

Right.

That's good.

And the pair of art nouveau-style, absolutely a steal a fiver.

That's alright.

VO: Next, the bowler and top hat combo.

Try it on.

My head's much too big, I'm afraid.

Look, it sits... We're a couple of swells.

We're a couple of somethings, I'm quite sure.

I bought them both for £21.

It's not too bad.

There we go.

So you've bought a piece of furniture.

It's a Georgian table.

Now, I valued that at a tenner.

(WHISPERS) A tenner!

Come on, Anita, that's got to make a profit.

You can't get much cheaper than that.

He's not Victorian but I think he's maybe 30, 40, 50 years old.

ANITA: His name's Henry.

DAVID: Really?

DAVID: That'll help him!

ANITA: And I am hoping he is Champion The Wonder Horse.

VO: David's not so sure, Anita.

I bought a tea set.

Right.

And I know they're not popular but, coming from Glasgow, I like the arts and crafts period and I ended up paying £40 for the two of them.

Again, I'm going to struggle.

Now then, get ready for this little baby.

Oh, that's what I would call a big cracker.

It's a big lump of decoration, isn't it?

It's lovely, but how much did you pay for it?

I paid for that... 25, 10... You're not going to tell me another £10?

No.

No.

Four times £40.

£40.

That is an absolute bargain.

Do you think so?

VO: Now, Anita's Meakinware at £25.

I think that that's going to look absolutely lovely on a dinner table.

I love that handle.

That is screaming art deco.

A couple of crackers.

Oh, yeah, those look good.

They're probably mid to late 20th century.

They're going to have 20 to 40 years on them.

ANITA: They've got the look.

DAVID: They have.

And they've got the price, Anita.

Oh, no.

OK. ANITA: How much?

DAVID: £25 each.

Ah-ha!

That's OK. Well done.

I'm not speaking to you.

Well, it's been a lovely experience, our first trip out.

Great characters and a wonderful part of the world.

It's been fun.

VO: That was all a bit sugary sweet, wasn't it?

I bet there's more to it than meets the eye.

After having a good look at Anita's items, I think they're all kind of staple antique dealing stock.

The Meakinware, there's nothing wrong with it, but these things don't sell so much these days.

I think David has made some wonderful buys.

Absolutely wonderful.

I mean, that clock for £40!

How did he do that?

The thing I really disliked was that awful, terrible, leather horse.

But bizarrely, that's probably the only thing that she has a chance of making some good money on because bonkers people sometimes buy bonkers items.

And that thing is just utterly, totally bonkers.

I think he's done very, very well.

(GASPS) My goodness!

VO: So far, our dynamic duo have romped through the eastern corner of England's south coast.

It's the final leg of the journey as David and Anita head for the auction showdown in Heathfield.

This is where Anita and David will first face each other at auction.

Heathfield is a handsome market town.

In Victorian times, there was a cottage industry of chicken fattening to make them plumptious for the pot.

Today, the town is most famous for its annual agricultural show.

But for our two experts, the focus is antiques and profits.

Here we go, David!

Come on, you.

VO: Watson's Auctioneers, in business since 1874, hold a weekly general sale.

There's a bit of everything, but country furniture and collectables do well here.

Peter Hobden has 30 years experience as an auctioneer, and there's one thing that really tickles his fancy.

David's clock is a very nice clock and we get a lot of people here who buy clocks and are interested in clocks and I think it will sell very well.

Probably £80 to £120.

VO: David has splashed a considerable £145 on six lots.

The trumpet vases, the art nouveau reproduction candlesticks, the Georgian tilt-top table, the fancy clock, and the two glass lanterns.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate that.

Cheers, David.

VO: While Anita has gone a wee bit canny, spending just £86 on five lots.

The top hat, the bowler, the Liberty-style pewter tea service, Henry the wonder horse, and the Alfred Meakin dinnerware.

That's wonderful.

VO: But as ever with an auction, it's completely unpredictable.

So eyes to the front.

Time to begin.

DAVID: You're up first.

ANITA: Wish me luck, darling.

I don't.

I mean, I do.

Did I say that loud?

VO: Making its mark first, Anita's top hat.

At £10, I am bid 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 25, 28.

Oh, yes!

£28, £30.

Hey!

At £28... ANITA: Yes!

DAVID: Well done, you.

I'm happy.

I'm happy.

VO: A cracking first lot and an excellent start for Anita.

That's a very good start.

That's a great start.

It is.

VO: Now for David's trumpet vases.

PETER: £40?

DAVID: Go on, get in there.

30, £30?

20 bid, thank you.

£20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32.

Come on.

At 32, 35 on the book.

38, 40, 42.

ANITA: He has bids on the book.

DAVID: Good.

48, 50.

At £50... A small profit, but OK... DAVID: Yeah.

ANITA: They've wiped their face.

VO: Indeed they have, giving David a touch of profit before commission.

Well, they could have been my big disaster.

VO: Enter Anita's bowler hat, but does it have enough umph to impress the crowd?

There's a nice bowler hat, there.

Lovely!

I like the box, I must say.

30 for this lot?

30?

20?

I've got only 10.

£10 I've bid, 10.

Come on!

12, 14, 16, 18.

£18, 20, 22?

PETER: At £22, make it 25.

ANITA: Yes!

25, 28.

At £28 this time, in the very center.

At £28...

Yes, 28!

Phew!

I am happy.

VO: So you should be, Anita.

I think the pretty box helped BOWL them over.

Sorry!

I'm a mad hatter!

No.

VO: Moving on, David's art nouveau-style candlesticks.

Good-looking pair of candlesticks, what do you say to those?

PETER: £30?

DAVID: That'd be nice.

30, £20?

Somebody start me at 10 for them?

£10 I've got.

12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28.

£28, 30, 32... £30.

In the hat, then, at £30... That was a good buy.

DAVID: That was fantastic.

ANITA: That was a good buy.

Fantastic.

VO: A stunning profit for a reproduction, perhaps thanks to the persuasive auctioneer.

I like him, don't you?

Oh, yes.

Well done, darling.

Thank you.

VO: On display now, Anita's arts and crafts-style tea set.

A pewter tea service.

Come on.

A nice three-piece one there.

What do we say for that one?

30.

£30?

20?

Anybody start me at 10, then?

£10.

Oh, come on!

Please, please... 12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

£20.

At £20... ANITA: Oh, well, level pegging.

DAVID: Thereabouts.

VO: Unfortunately, that will turn a small loss after commission.

I shouldn't have got too excited.

VO: Next up, the simpler of David's glass lanterns.

And what do we say for that one?

40?

Go on.

Get in there.

30?

20 I'm bid.

£20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35, 38, 40, 42.

At £42.

Lady's bid at £42.

£45 now?

Last time at £42.

DAVID: Ouch.

ANITA: Are you happy enough?

No, you're not happy with that one?

I'm not happy.

VO: Oh, no, don't be like that, David.

It's still a profit and that's the name of the game.

ANITA: Not bad.

DAVID: It's alright.

VO: Now for the elaborate brass and etched glass lantern.

A statement piece which could go either way.

And what do we say for that one?

£50?

50?

30?

DAVID: Oh, come on.

PETER: 20 I am bid, £20, 22, 25, 28, 30.

32, 35, 38... Keep it going.

42, 45.

At £45.

48, 50, 55.

60, 65, 70, 75, 80.

£80.

At £80.

85, 90... Come on.

At £90, going to sell it.

At £90...

Thank you.

Not bad.

Well done, David, well done.

VO: That's a strong £65 profit before commission, putting David way out in front.

Not bad.

You're my good luck charm, I think.

I hope not!

VO: Absolutely, Anita.

Here's hoping Henry can gallop homewards with a profit.

Right, this could be the one for you.

This is it.

This is it.

And what do we say for this one?

£40?

40?

30?

PETER: £30?

DAVID: Oh!

20 I'm bid.

£20, At £20, 22, 25, 28, £28.

30 now.

30.

At £30.

At 30, take two?

Not too bad.

Not too bad.

Not bad.

You've done alright.

It's still a £10 profit, always better than a loss.

You're not down, Anita, you're not losing money currently.

VO: Furniture is popular at this saleroom, but does David's Georgian tilt-top table have the umph to clean up?

80?

50?

Get in there 50.

Start me at £30?

30 I am bid, £30.

Oh, come on.

You've done well.

It doesn't deserve that.

32, 35, 38, 40, 42, 45, 48, 50.

At £50, 55...

It's still cheap.

60 on the book.

At £60... That's excellent.

I'm going to sell it on the book.

Selling away at £60... That's excellent.

VO: You are a good sport, Anita, considering that's another strong profit for your enemy, David.

£50 before commission, not bad.

I'm very pleased that you've made all these profits because I think that it might lead you to a false sense of security.

VO: That's more like it.

You tell him, Anita.

Here's hoping your art deco dinnerware can increase your takings, eh?

Hold it up.

Nice shape, lovely pattern.

Beautiful, beautiful.

A beautiful pattern.

£20 bid, at 20.

22, 25.

At £25, At £25, lady's bid on the right...

He's trying.

He is.

He is trying.

£25... Oh.

OK. A little bit of commission off that.

So a tiny loss.

VO: Despite its pretty lines, it just didn't have what it takes.

ANITA: Aw, never mind.

But you're still into profit overall.

Just.

ANITA: Just.

DAVID: You've done alright.

It's our first sale, we're kind of finding our feet.

I know.

VO: That's all very well for you to say, you're romping ahead.

The final lot is David's clock, it's an interesting piece, but will it coin in the bids?

Good luck, David.

Thank you, you're very kind.

There we are, nice pretty clock there, what do we say for this one?

£150?

Go on.

PETER: £100?

DAVID: Go on.

£100?

50 I'm bid, £50 bid.

Bid only at 50.

60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 110, 120.

Come on, come on.

At 120.

130 now.

Last time at £130... £130.

It's still good profit.

I'm delighted.

I'm delighted.

VO: And no wonder, £90 profit, eh?

Well done, David.

That's not bad.

And profit, Anita.

VO: Out of her original purse of £200, after paying commission, Anita has made a profit of £21.92, giving her a total of £221.92 to shop with from tomorrow.

But first past the post is David.

Out of his £200, after paying the auction costs, he's made an amazing £186.16 profit, giving him a bumper £386.16 to start the proceedings on the next leg of the journey.

OK, David, are you pleased with today's auction?

I am.

I'm happy.

I'm very happy.

But it's one of many, a long, old journey.

ANITA: Are we ready to roll?

DAVID: I think we're ready to roll.

ANITA: These seats are boiling.

It's roasting my bum.

VO: Too much information.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, our experts both fall fowl of the tough southern dealers.

How about 80 quid all in?

No.

Can't be done.

He said, "I think we should end this conversation now."

And they both find time for a bit of R&R.

DAVID: Let's be having you.

ANITA: Too cold!

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