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

I've got it, I've got it.

VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car... Ooh!

VO: ..and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Argh!

VO: The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

Doubled up there!

VO: There'll be worthy winners... £1,700.

SERHAT: Yeah!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

Oh, no!

VO: Will it be the high road to glory... Loving it, loving it, loving it.

VO: ..or the slow road to disaster?

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

VO: Whatever next?

Good morning!

We're on the sunny south coast of England, with dynamic dealer Irita Marriott and antiques aficionado - ha-ha - James Braxton.

Come on, baby.

Let's go party.

VO: Yeah!

It's the perfect weather for antique hunting, and their chariot of choice is the 1968 Volvo 1800s.

Cor!

This is first time me driving this car with the roof open.

It's lovely, isn't it?

IRITA: It is so good!

JAMES: You drive very well, Irita.

IRITA: Oh, thank you!

I need a car with six gears and a turbo button.

IRITA: That's me!

VO: This fast and furious pair are on the third leg of their trip.

You're a real gentleman.

Thank you, thank you.

And you're very...you're very gung ho.

You get on.

JAMES: I think there's a lovely expression that we have is "seize the nettle" - ie... JAMES: ..ie, you just get on and do it.

You don't worry about the consequences, you just go for it.

IRITA: Just go and do it.

JAMES: Yeah.

VO: That bravery has been paying off so far.

They both started with £200 on the first leg, and Irita has been making steady profits, filling her piggy with the healthy sum of £409.52.

But James still has a commanding lead, with £614.50 in his bank, leaving his piggy squealing with joy!

You're snapping at my heels again.

Er, I'm still £200 behind, OK?

I'm not... JAMES: That's alright though.

..that close to your heels.

VO: It's all to play for on this leg.

Our expert shoppers are on a coast-hugging odyssey.

Starting in Kent, they're motoring along the shoreline through East Sussex and Hampshire, before our final face-off in Devon, God's country.

This is a lovely day for sitting in the garden, isn't it?

In a rattan chair and having a cup of tea, or a Pimm's.

Are you inviting me around?

No, we're too far away... IRITA: No?

No?!

We're too far away... What do you mean, no?

JAMES: Too far...too... James!

You know, well, the beach is nearer.

VO: Awkward!

Better move on.

Our first stop of the day is in Lewes, the county seat of East Sussex.

And it's a two-for-one at the Emporium Antiques Centre, where Michele and her two trusty assistants are running the shop.

Must be related.

James and Irita both have wads of cash they're going to splash and there's lots of delightful goodies for them to rummage through, in here.

# GROOVY MUSIC VO: What's this, then?

I think this is the first time ever that I've looked at a chair and I'm actually thinking, "I might buy this".

The actual chair is oak and it is beautifully carved.

But the upholstery, it doesn't really go, and I don't think the two actually started life together.

VO: Probably one to leave behind then.

Is James having better luck?

We've got a nice decorative pair of mirrors here.

Rather unusual.

Gilt-framed.

There's lots, lots going on, and I like busy things.

And this is, er, decorated on the inside.

You see, this is not surface painted, so it's on the underside, and it's a technique known as verre eglomise, it has a French name.

so they're painted in reverse.

I'd say they're 1920s, '30s era.

So, we've got sort of slightly Pliny's Doves here around a fish pond with goldfish in it.

And then we've got shepherd, shepherdess, a sort of suitor here, a young suitor.

And their price tag - 150.

You know, if they can be bought for less, I'm definitely in the market.

I like them.

They're decorative, they're unusual.

I'm going to speak to Michele about these.

VO: Yeah.

He's not wasting time.

Has Irita spotted anything else?

IRITA: Oh, I love a good picture frame.

This has a real style to it.

I love it!

Now...this is an interesting material.

This early plastic is called bois durci and...

Excuse me if the pronunciation of that is not correct.

VO: C'est bois durci!

I think the interesting fact about this is that the main material of making it is blood.

VO: Yeah, but not just any old blood.

Bois durci was patented by the French in 1855, and it was made by combining wood dust and animal blood collected from the Paris slaughterhouses.

Charmant!

IRITA: But I just love it.

It's the style of it.

It's got the neoclassical detail in the middle, and the birds.

It is not completely black, cuz usually, wherever you see this sort of material, it is all in black.

Well, it is priced at £23, it is no money.

I think that should be a possibility.

Let me pop it back there and go and see what else I can find.

VO: You never know what you'll stumble over in an antique shop.

Ha!

IRITA: Nice, very nice.

JAMES: Ah, how are you doing?

IRITA: Spying on you.

Spying!

Now you remind me, you look up there, you're sort of Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let your hair down... Well, let me flip my hair so you can climb up and join me up here, James!

What's it like in the rarefied high parts of the shop?

I can see, I can see everything.

Everything.

I was watching you from up here... VO: While Irita takes the high road, James continues to hunt on the low road.

Ah!

I like that.

I really like that.

It's got a lovely silver-plated tray here.

I imagine it's a silver-plated tray cos it has a price tag of 78.

If it was silver, it might have a one in front of it.

It's got quite a traditional edge to it, sometimes known as a piecrust edge.

And it's got these rather nice scrolling rocci, you know, this is a Rococo motif.

So it's a stylized rocks and foliage.

You're probably not going to use it to eat your supper in front of the television, but it's great for drinks.

You know, if you've got the space.

So I'm going to ask Michele about that and look, you know, everywhere I look in this place, there's...there's an opportunity.

And here, a barometer, £35.

Now why on earth is it £35?

There must be something wrong with it.

What about the thermometer?

No, it's reading over 55 degrees centigrade.

We'd all be frazzled, I think, by now.

So, obviously, the mercury has gone in there.

But £35 for a barometer?

I will go and see Michele with the tray...and the barometer, and I will merely buy on price.

VO: Time to get your wallet out, James.

Michele, I've had great fun.

There's so many alternatives in this place.

I've got this big tray, it's got £78 on it.

The barometer has 35 on it.

I'm undecided.

I only want to buy one item.

Ah.

What could the tray be?

Best price for this... 65?

I'll take the tray.

I...I won't take the barometer.

VO: How about those mirrors, then?

£150.

How much could they be?

Erm, 125.

125 - that's very good.

125, 65, 185, 190.

VO: Yeah.

That leaves James with £424.50.

JAMES: That's very kind.

Thank you.

VO: He'll have those purchases sent on to the saleroom, as you do.

Meanwhile, Irita is still on the prowl.

Look out!

IRITA: I like the look of that.

Oh!

So stylish!

The pen that comes with it has got nothing to do with the stand at all.

I'm not interested in that part.

We've got something that I would refer to as a "mantique".

Antique used by men.

It would be probably on your desk, and it has a beautiful little inkwell, and I love the mechanism.

It is just fantastic, the way the lid works.

And on the other side, a propelling calendar.

So you've got...two little nibbles on the side which, by moving, can change the date.

So even though this was made in the 1920s or so, you can still use it now.

Cor!

£240!

If I tell Michele that I don't want the pen...maybe there could be some magic done.

I think it is all price depending here, so I'm going to go and talk to Michele and see what she can do.

IRITA: Michele?

MICHELE: Hello.

Hiya!

MICHELE: Hi.

IRITA: What a shop!

MICHELE: Great.

It's fantastic.

It is that good that I could not choose.

There were too many good things to pick from.

This is one of them.

£240, and it's a little desk stand, but it comes with a pen.

Not too fussed about the pen, because the pen's actually got nothing to do with the stand.

It could be 150.

OK. Then, also upstairs, there was a black frame.

MICHELE: Yeah.

IRITA: Em, that was priced at 23, so that's OK.

So I owe you £173.

VO: That leaves Irita £236.52 to go on with.

VO: Bye bye, Lewes.

Hello, sun and sea!

VO: James has made his way to Brighton, one of the first seaside resorts in England.

In the 19th century, tourism was booming.

This led to massive investment in the town, including two piers, and a magnificent aquarium.

James is meeting manager Neil Harris as the aquarium prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

JAMES: Hello!

NEIL: Hi, James.

JAMES: Hello.

NEIL: Nice to meet you... JAMES: Hi, Neil.

Welcome to Sea Life Brighton, and the world's oldest operating aquarium.

Fabulous.

I can't wait to see what's inside.

Sure, come on in, let's take a look.

Thank you.

VO: The 19th century was an age of scientific discovery, with Victorians just beginning to explore the oceans.

It brought on a new fascination for the alien world below the waterline, and people flocked to see the exotic exhibits on display.

JAMES: I must say, Neil, what an impressive building.

It looks more like a cathedral than an aquarium.

Yeah, isn't it wonderful?

This is our Victorian arcades, and this is the original Victorian arches... JAMES: Wow!

NEIL: ..from 1872.

Well, if you want something done, get the Victorians to do it.

Yeah, absolutely.

And they spared no expense, spending £133,000 back in 1872, which is the equivalent of about £5.5 million in today's money... JAMES: Wow!

So that was a lot of money to spend on an aquarium, er, back then.

One of those incredible Victorian entrepreneurial investments.

VO: As the oldest operating aquarium in the world, it has undergone many changes over the past 150 years, and not just to the building itself.

It is funny, coming from that Victorian, sort of, very Victorian architecture, sort of fusion, Palace of Westminster, suddenly to this very modern tunnel.

Have the animals changed since it was first a Victorian aquarium?

NEIL: Yeah, hugely.

So historically, aquariums were purposely built for entertainment, and creating that wow factor for people.

So there'd be very different animals, you know, back then.

In the late '60s, the tank around us now used to house dolphins... JAMES: Right.

NEIL: ..em, and the dolphins used to perform daily... JAMES: Yeah.

..on several occasions each day.

And obviously the change in public attitudes around that meant that, you know, the creatures have evolved with that.

We're now very much focused on the education, rather than entertainment.

VO: It was the birth of the environmental movement in the '60s which saw concern and awareness start to grow over the negative aspects of keeping mammals in captivity for entertainment.

In 1991, when Sea Life took over the aquarium, they instantly looked to rehabilitate and release their captive dolphins back into the wild.

And today they continue to lead the field with their Breed, Rescue and Protect program.

JAMES: So, we've got this lovely turtle coming over... Yeah.

..us.

So how many turtles have you got here?

NEIL: So we have two green sea turtles... JAMES: Yeah.

NEIL: ..Gulliver and Lulu.

Of which they're the oldest captive sea turtles in any aquarium in the world, so they're very special.

JAMES: Wow.

NEIL: Em, and you know, we love them to bits.

Our guests love them to bits as well... JAMES: Yeah.

..they're very popular.

And we can actually get up close and personal to them now, so you can see... Oh, fabulous.

NEIL: ..how large they are right in person.

Well, lead on.

NEIL: Let's go.

VO: The two octogenarian sea turtles were originally rescued from America and came to Sea Life Brighton two decades ago.

And lucky old James is about to give them their daily scrub, with marine specialist, Monica.

James, are you ready for some scrubbing?

JAMES: Yes, I am, Monica.

Great, you can...

I'm your new assistant, at the ready.

When's our first client coming?

MONICA: Eh, she's Lulu.

JAMES: I'll get scrubbing.

MONICA: Hello!

JAMES: Hello, Lulu!

Hello!

Quite likes this old brush, don't you, Lulu, eh?

She weighs 170kg.

It's quite a big lady.

Well, it's very nice to meet somebody heavier than myself.

JAMES: That's very good.

MONICA: (LAUGHS) JAMES: (LAUGHS) Like us all, Lulu is more interested in the red cabbage than the brush!

What do they say?

Never work with children and animals!

Well, thank you.

I much enjoyed it.

We always enjoy a scrub of our turtle... ..with someone's company.

JAMES: Available any time!

VO: If you're offering, my back could do with a scrub too.

No?

Alright, never mind.

VO: Elsewhere, Irita's back in the Volvo.

IRITA: Woohoo!

VO: She's southbound, from Lewes, to join James in Brighton.

I feel like I need to be at the seaside with the roof open and the sun out, get some fish and chips.

VO: Fish and chips will have to wait.

First, Irita's stopping off at Eclectic Antiques in upmarket Hove.

Inside, dealer Dan has a cornucopia of collectables for Irita to dig through.

She still has £236.52 to spend.

Ooh, hello!

This is the first shop that I have walked in and I have seen things that just screams, "me".

We've got a pair of Austrian Vienna copy vases and the size helps.

The one thing that doesn't help, that I noticed, is the damage at the back.

Porcelain can be restored, but that costs.

Let's have a look.

Have they actually got a mark on the base?

Because that always helps.

Let's have a look on the other one.

Yes, we have Austria, just as I thought, right on the bottom.

And just as I tipped it over, I noticed the price tag.

A pair of Vienna-style campana vases, £170.

A little more than I would like to pay, but they are definitely a possibility.

VO: 170 smackers would certainly dent the old budget.

Is there anything else to be found?

IRITA: Ooh, look at this.

I love anything with cherubs.

This would look fantastic in your house, with a nice, beautiful plant on the top, with these beautiful, hand-painted cherub panels that are made out of porcelain.

100% French, there's no doubt about that whatsoever.

Everything about it screams "French".

There is quite a bit of damage on it, so it would need a lot of loving care.

I do not know the price of it, but I will definitely be asking how much it can be.

VO: OK, time to get dealer Dan involved, I think.

Dan, can I have you for a minute, please?

Absolutely.

Yes?

There are two things that have really caught my eye.

DAN: Yes?

One is the plant stand... DAN: Mm-hm.

..and the second one is the pair of vases there.

IRITA: I have 236... DAN: Yes.

..pounds and 52 pence.

And I am willing to give you... DAN: Yes?

..230 of those and keep hold of £6.52 for the two things.

I would say yes.

IRITA: Would you?

Yes.

VO: Very generous!

So that's 130 on the urns, and 100 on the plant pot stand.

IRITA: I'll pop the money down there... DAN: OK. IRITA: ..and I'll grab this before you change your mind.

DAN: Oh, go quickly, then... And I'm going to do a runner!

Go quickly!

Hope to see you next time.

IRITA: Thank you.

Bye bye!

VO: That leaves Irita with £6.52, and time on her hands.

Ah!

This is the life to lead.

Look at that!

Sat on the seaside, eating fish and chips, Brighton Pier in the background.

Oh!

What's not to love?

VO: Er, aren't you forgetting something... IRITA: Mm!

VO: ..or someone?

I'd better go and get James.

He'll be waiting for me.

VO: Good idea.

I hope you've saved him some chips.

I like to cycle to the pub, or the shop, or something like that.

That just gave me an image that I can't erase now.

JAMES: What?

IRITA: Em, you in Lycra.

I look more like a walrus on land.

VO: And on that note, I bid you nighty night!

VO: It's another wonderful day on England's south coast.

We're in Hampshire this morning and new beginnings are in the air.

Spring is springing, and I love it when the green is that sort of yellowy-green.

It's very new green, isn't it?

Lightly blushed, and then it will become harder and darker, and then it'll fall.

How poetic!

VO: Oh, he does have a way with words - and with antiques.

Yesterday, James bought a pair of 1920s wall mirrors and a silver-plated serving tray... You're probably not going to use it to eat your supper.

VO: ..leaving him with £424.50 to play with.

However, Irita burned through her money, buying a photo frame, a pair of pedestal urns, a French plant pot stand, and a silver table-top desk stand.

Oh!

So stylish!

VO: Her, or the stand?

Leaving her with only £6.52.

Do you reckon you could spend every penny you've got?

Uh, well, it's like a game of cards, isn't it?

You can only play the hand that you're given.

Ugh.

VO: It's time to place your bets, James.

VO: After dropping off Irita, he's driving on to Emsworth, home to Emsworth Antiques Etc.

The very sharply-dressed Michael is minding the shop today.

Nice bow tie, Michael.

Up to 25 sellers display their wares in here...so there should be more than enough for James to get stuck into.

Ah!

Now there's one thing I like, is novelty.

This is very unusual.

It's a beer bottle, which has been filled with a mixture of sand and crushed shell, so I think it has very much a naval element, which is then qualified by, we've got this lovely knot.

Inside, we've got paper labels of the maker's favorite tipple.

And then what makes it an item to buy is you've got a rather nice verse here, which is dated, London, 1891.

And the verse reads, "I've several good reasons for drinking... "One has just entered my head.

"If a man can't drink while he's living, "how the hell can he drink when he's dead?"

It's priced at £20.

Michael?

MICHAEL: Yeah?

Hello there.

JAMES: Hello.

Michael, I like this item.

It's a novelty.

It is fun, isn't it?

Oh, here we are, we've got more on the bottom.

I haven't seen that.

MICHAEL: Oh, right.

It says "Alex Spragen, of 43 Beacon Road, "Fulham, London, and 13th of April 1891" and he's written, "Tempus Fugit OK".

That's lovely.

JAMES: I'll give you 20 quid for that.

MICHAEL: Thanks very much.

Thank you.

VO: That leaves him with £404.50 to spend.

Time to motor on to his next shop.

VO: Irita is 10 miles away in Portsmouth, home of the Royal Navy.

She's here to learn about a Victorian pioneer of the temperance movement, called Aggie Weston, who came to be known as "the sailor's friend".

Chris New, CEO of the Aggie Weston charity, is meeting her by the HMS Warrior.

IRITA: What an incredible ship!

CHRIS: She is absolutely stunning, isn't she?

And she's the sort of ship that was around when Aggie Weston first started her ministry.

How did she get involved with the navy side of things?

CHRIS: Well, it actually started with the army.

She was a very, er, capable Sunday school teacher.

She was given all the unmanageable children by the other Sunday school teachers and they loved her.

They really bonded with her.

And as they grew up, of course, they became young men.

They had nothing to do at the weekend, apart from drink beer, get into trouble.

So she opened up a coffee shop for them, and used to bring them in at the weekends, and spend time with them.

The Somerset Militia was an Army Reserve unit that did its annual training in Bath, and the young soldiers were barracked in the pubs.

Similar problem, nothing to do at the weekend, apart from drink beer and get in trouble.

So she invited them to join at her open house, her coffee shop.

Some of those soldiers then decided to join the regular army, and that meant deploying.

And many of them didn't have family members who were literate, so they asked Aggie if she would write to them, and, of course, she said yes.

CHRIS: So one of these soldiers was deployed to India on board the Royal Navy troop ship, HMS Crocodile.

He was reading his letters on the way out to India, and one of the sailors on board saw him reading these letters and said, "Who are they from?"

"Aggie."

"Oh, will she write to me?"

Well, of course, Aggie said yes.

Then some more sailors saw these letters and asked Aggie if she would write to them.

VO: Aggie's list of pen pals grew rapidly and, unable to stay on top of it alone, she started publishing a monthly newsletter, which she called Ashore and Afloat, with an eventual monthly circulation of 750,000.

This led to her having contacts all over the navy, and that then helped her doing her work with the temperance movement, helping sailors to give up excessive drinking.

VO: Alcohol and the Royal Navy have a storied history.

Even today, they have a toast for each day of the week.

However, at the time, excessive drinking was seen as a problem, and sailors had few options when ashore that didn't involve heading to the many dockside taverns.

This included some of the 4,000 young boys the navy were training.

Distressed to see the lads heading to the pub, Aggie began to use her influence to promote abstinence, by encouraging sailors to sign a pledge giving up alcohol.

CHRIS: So, we're now on board HMS Warrior, and you can imagine sailors on this ship reading their copies of Ashore and Afloat.

So Aggie has now built up quite a reputation in Devonport, and she was invited on board a number of ships because the captains didn't want their sailors to be drunk.

And she would have been in a situation just like this, standing up on a high point, addressing over 600 sailors.

How was she received on board?

Well, actually, remarkably well, considering in those periods, you know, it was not normal for women to go on board ship and address a ship's company.

Typically, around 100 sailors per ship came forward and signed the temperance log.

Why was there such a drinking problem among sailors?

Well, when we go down below, you'll see what the accommodation was like, and the only option to being on board was to go ashore, and the only entertainment there was pubs.

VO: Soon, Aggie opened her first pub without beer that would go on to be known as The Sailor's Rest.

Are you saying that this is where they've spent literally 24 hours a day, and this was their living room, their dining room, and their bedroom, with the hammocks?

It was.

The hammocks would have been lined up on these hooks all the way across the beams, so you could have had about 500 people sleeping on this deck.

And you can understand now why the sailors had to get off the ship when it was in base port, and why they needed to have somewhere else to go.

She was incredibly successful with her attempt... She was.

She was an amazing woman.

To do that in the Victorian era was quite remarkable.

I admire her for that.

VO: Aggie dedicated her life to helping the sailors of the Royal Navy, and her hard work led to the Sailor's Rests becoming a phenomenon with a presence in all the main naval bases, including several abroad.

When she died, she was the first woman to be buried with full naval honors.

Her legacy lives on today through the charity that bears her name, and she'll forever be known as "the sailor's friend".

VO: Back on the road, James is putting the Volvo through its paces and soaking up the sunshine.

Is it always sunny in Hampshire?

Especially along the coast.

Isn't it lovely?

VO: Sure is.

James is en route to join Irita in Portsmouth.

Just a stone's throw from the sea wall, in a historic dockside inn, is Sally Antiques.

VO: Sprawling across four floors, there are plenty of goodies for James to rummage through, as he tries to stay ahead of Irita.

We've got here under these...this rather nice glazed case here, a sort of weather station.

It's called a barograph.

The first thing I notice is the brightness of the gold.

And then I notice a maker's name here, Finnigans of Manchester.

Now Finnigans were like...

They were a top luxury goods maker.

And this barograph records pressure.

So we have a drum here, which has a sort of paper roll, that you...you put round the drum.

And you do this weekly, and this would rise and fall with the pressure, and record, and this mechanically rotated round.

So you would have a weather record of the week.

Fortunately for me, it hasn't got a price tag, so, you know, there may be opportunity.

VO: While James carries on looking, let's find out what Irita's up to half a mile away in Southsea.

VO: She has an appointment at Parmiters Antiques.

This quirky little shop is owned by Ian, and he deals in the eccentric and unusual.

But with only £6.52 to spend, Irita must be hoping he deals in the inexpensive too.

Oh, look at this!

It's a little tiny Tunbridge Wells box.

Tunbridge Ware was actually made in Tunbridge Wells, which is in Kent.

VO: Tunbridge Ware represents Britain's earliest form of souvenir.

Wealthy tourists would visit Tunbridge Wells to take the waters, and return with these intricately inlaid keepsakes.

Like an 18th century version of today's fridge magnets - sort of.

It's got something inside.

Oh, it's one of the puzzle boxes!

It's basically a little box, travel box, with a puzzle inside.

And you've got different geometric pieces that you need to arrange to fill the box.

If Ian sells me this for £6.52, I'll be over the moon.

Right, let me go and see Ian and see can I buy this.

Ian, what a fantastic shop.

I had a great look around.

IAN: Cool.

IRITA: I found some great treasures in there... IAN: Cool.

..and one of them was this little Tunbridge Ware box.

Now do you think there is a chance that I could buy this for my whole entire £6.52?

Go on.

Pretty face beats old money every time.

IRITA: Thank you, Ian!

Let me give you every single penny I have.

You're very generous.

I will pop it there for you and thank you very much.

I greatly appreciate it.

IAN: Thank you.

IRITA: And we will see you soon.

See you.

Bye.

IRITA: Bye!

VO: And with her final item, Irita's all spent up.

Back at Sally Antiques.... Great staircase.

VO: ..James is still scouring the shop's four floors.

Look at that.

Now, remember, all that glistens may not be gold.

It could also be copper.

Well, ooh!

Blimey, O'Reilly!

Whew.

Just steady yourself.

Now bring it in for the big lift.

Hoi!

VO: That passes the Braxton weight test.

Here's an extraordinary piece.

We've got a big, er...known as fish kettles.

And you would poach fish in it.

And you know, the size of it, I would say it was for salmon.

Probably 10 or 15 pound wild salmon, and then it would have been served by a chef at the table.

It's a lovely item and, my goodness, that is heavy.

Imagine that with a salmon in it, as well.

That's a workout.

VO: But with no price tag, it's time to get owner Ross over.

JAMES: Now, that's the man, Ross.

Come over here.

ROSS: Right.

JAMES: I believe this is one of your lovely items, is it?

It is indeed, it's one of my favorites, James.

JAMES: Oh... Oh, rubbish, Ross!

ROSS: Hard to part JAMES: I found it... ROSS: ..with a thing as beautiful as that... JAMES: I rescued it, it was neglected beneath a table.

Price-wise, would 150 buy it, Ross?

ROSS: Oh, 150 is a bit keen, I'm afraid.

Can you sharpen your pencil a little bit?

I was thinking 170.

I see a chink of opportunity.

160, Ross.

160, you've got a deal.

Great.

Thank you.

That's really kind.

And I saw something else in the back.

ROSS: Yep.

JAMES: Eh, a sort of weather station, a barograph.

We could probably do that for 120.

Could you do 80 on it?

I think we're going to meet in the middle again, are we?

JAMES: 90 then.

90, you've got a deal.

Thanks a lot, Ross.

So that is 250.

It's all there for you.

Thank you very much indeed.

Pleasure.

Thank you, James.

VO: And with those final purchases made, James is done.

After a big day of shopping, our adventurous antiquarians are reunited in the Volvo.

James, I've got empty pockets.

VO: They've both splashed the cash on this leg.

None of us has suffered a big loss yet.

Yet.

JAMES: Yet.

VO: But will they sink or swim at auction?

Time now for some shut-eye.

VO: It's auction day.

James and Irita are in Dorset this morning.

IRITA: Now, the rain has arrived.

JAMES: It has, hasn't it?

Oh!

Dear, oh, dear.

These low seats, they don't get any easier, do they?

VO: After a jaunt along the coastline from East Sussex to Hampshire, they've made their way to Wimborne... ..parking up at the model town for a spot of iPad auction action.

IRITA: I'm the giant!

I'll invade this village!

(LAUGHTER) VO: Meanwhile, their purchases have been sent north, to a much sunnier Newport, Shropshire, and Brettells Auctioneers.

With bidders on phone and online, they'll all go under the hammer of auctioneer Gemima Brettell.

Final warning!

Sold away then, for £20.

VO: James shelled out £460 for his five items.

What does Gemima think of his chances?

So these wall mirrors, erm, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm going to be quite biased with these, cuz these are absolutely glorious, and they would look absolutely stunning on my wall.

Erm, but, er, obviously they're going to have to look stunning on somebody else's wall instead.

VO: While Irita also went for broke, spending £409.52 for her five lots.

So we've got the Tunbridge Ware box.

Erm, nice thing, good following.

The only issue - there is a few conditions on the top, so it may not be a high flyer.

VO: Thanks, Gemima.

Lovely weather, isn't it?

Oh, yeah.

Blowing a storm.

Let's hope the auction doesn't blow like a storm... VO: First, the beer bottle will start proceedings.

Start me in, quickly, for a tenner.

10 now bid.

At 10 now.

Come in at 12 if you want to go.

At 10 now, where's 12?

Bid it in, bid it now.

At 10 now, are you coming in at 12 anywhere?

Lovely thing, this.

At 12 now bid.

At £12, quickly coming in at 15.

Oh, we've got a bit of a battle here.

GEMIMA: At 15 now, 18?

IRITA: Oh, 15... GEMIMA: At £15... JAMES: 15?

GEMIMA: ..£15 bid now... That is so cheap, James!

Quickly!

At £15 bid now, once... IRITA: Come on!

..twice, third and final warning.

I'm asking you, press that button quickly.

Sold away then, this time for £15.

VO: Mm.

Not the best start... ..but could be worse.

A small loss.

A small loss... IRITA: That's cheap!

JAMES: ..in the grand scheme of things.

VO: Irita's up next with her Tunbridge Ware box.

GEMIMA: £10.

IRITA: Come on!

10... GEMIMA: 10 now bid.

At 12.

At 12 now... That was a bit too long for my liking for a tenner!

GEMIMA: ..15 bid.

At £15 now... IRITA: Oh, 15.

GEMIMA: Coming in at 18... JAMES: Yeah.

..wanna go?

At 15 now.

Where's 18?

Press that button.

GEMIMA: 18 bid, just in the nick of time.

£18.

£18 bid now.

Don't miss it for a bid.

GEMIMA: 20.

At £20... IRITA: £20!

JAMES: £20, that's still a good profit...

It's struggling.

At £20 now.

Are you coming in at two?

Press it.

Don't be shy.

At £20 then, final warning.

I am selling it, last chance... Sold away then for £20.

(GAVEL) VO: That's better!

Irita's in the money already.

IRITA: £20!

JAMES: £20.

Well, that's a good profit isn't it?

VO: Can James' silver-plated tray serve up profits?

JAMES: What's she going to start at?

GEMIMA: ..at £48.

IRITA: £48... GEMIMA: At 48, 48 now.

Coming in at 50 anywhere?

At 48, 48 now.

50 bid now.

55 now bid.

55.

GEMIMA: Coming in at 60 if you wanna go...

Here we go, here we go!

At 55 then, once.

At 55 then, twice.

Press that button quickly.

At 55 for the third and final time.

I ask.

I sell away this time for £55.

(GAVEL) VO: Disappointing.

But there's still time to claw it back.

Sometimes you've got to move with the market, haven't you?

And you clearly haven't!

I have moved with the market, just down!

VO: Onwards, and it's Irita's silver table top desk stand next.

A nice thing, this.

So starting in at £55.

At 55.

55 now.

Are you coming in at 60?

Bid it in.

Bid it now.

At 55 now... Got a long way to go!

GEMIMA: At 55 then... IRITA: James!

GEMIMA: ..sell.

At 55 then, final... IRITA: No!

JAMES: Don't sell it.

GEMIMA: ..warning.

Last chance... No!

..away, this time for £55.

VO: Someone's got a bargain there.

Can't believe it!

I can't believe you - laughing!

(BLOWS) VO: They're both under pressure.

It's James' barograph now.

I've got 50 bid.

At 50, it's bid.

At £50 bid.

At £50 bid now.

Coming in at five if you want to go.

At £50 bid.

At £50 bid now, where's five?

At £50 bid.

Are you coming in on my right?

You've got to press that button... She seems too settled at 50... GEMIMA: At £50, any more interest?

JAMES: We want 55, 60... At £55 now, coming in at five if you want to go.

Don't be shy.

I'm going to sell.

Bid it in, bid it now, bid it quick.

Sold away then, this time for £50.

(GAVEL) VO: That's a shame.

Nice item, that.

More money down the drain.

You will make it up next time!

VO: Another big ticket, this.

It's Irita's pedestal urns.

I can start the bidding in at £55.

At £55.

At 55 now.

Coming in at 60 anywhere?

60 now bid.

JAMES: 60... GEMIMA: At £60 bid now... Come on!

Keep moving!

JAMES: Well done!

Got a long way to go!

GEMIMA: ..for it surely.

At £60 bid now, once.

At £60 then, twice, and the third time I ask today.

Press the button now quickly.

I'm selling away then for £60.

(GAVEL) VO: They weren't earners... ..were they?

When it rains, it pours.

I can't believe that... JAMES: Don't worry, don't worry.

Don't dwell on it, you've got another two lots.

VO: Hopefully, James' 1920s wall mirrors can do the business.

In at 55.

65.

£70 bid.

At £70 bid now.

Coming in at five now.

80.

At £80 bid now, coming in at 90... JAMES: 80.

IRITA: Oh.

GEMIMA: £80 bid, £80 now, five... IRITA: See?

You're moving!

GEMIMA: ..90...

There's actually bids coming in!

..now, coming in at five if you want to go.

At £90 now, where's five?

At £90 now.

Are you coming in at five?

Now bid.

We're at 95.

100 here.

At 100 with me.

100... IRITA: Woo!

JAMES: ..with her!

110 against me now.

At 110 now bid... Keep going, you've got a long way to go.

..110.

At 120 for me.

At 120 now, are you coming in at 130 for you?

GEMIMA: At 130 now bid, now.

At 130.

At 130 now... You're in profit!

GEMIMA: At 130 then, final warning.

Bid it in, bid it now, seems to have gone quiet.

At 130 then, final warning, once.

Twice.

Third and final time now today.

I sell away, this time for £130.

VO: Ha!

Some money in your pocket, Mr Braxton.

You made a profit.

Small profit, but a profit... Small profit.

VO: Irita's turn now, with her French plant pot stand up next.

Nice thing this and I can start the bidding in at 32.

32?!

GEMIMA: 38.

£40.

42.

45... JAMES: She's going.

..48.

£50.

55... Keep going, girl!

..60 bid now.

That's...that's 70 bid now.

80 bid now.

85.

90...

Lights are flashing at me here.

110.

120.

130.

140.

Surely, 150?

Woo!

No?

At 140 then, once.

Are you coming in, quickly... IRITA: No, no, no.

Keep going!

Keep going... At 140, twice.

At 140 for the third and final time.

VO: That's what we like to see.

A tidy profit there.

Well done, well done... IRITA: 140, I'll take it!

JAMES: That is good.

Well done...

I'm...I'm happy with that.

VO: James' last chance to make some money, with his copper fish kettle up now.

Start the bidding in at £48.

At 48.

48 now.

Coming in at 50 anywhere?

GEMIMA: 50 bid now.

At £50 bid now.

Five... JAMES: Don't stop.

GEMIMA: ..55 now bid... IRITA: Go on.

GEMIMA: ..60... IRITA: Keep going.

GEMIMA: ..and five.

Well, you're moving... ..you're moving the right way.

Bid.

At £70 bid now.

Five now bid.

IRITA: Come on... 75, 75 now.

Coming in at 80...

There's...there's a bit of competition... At 75.

75 now, where's 80?

Bid it in, bid it now, bid it quick.

At 75 now, are you coming in?

One more.

Go on... JAMES: Come on!

Sure?

IRITA: Come on.

GEMIMA: At 75 then.

Final warning.

IRITA: No!

JAMES: Don't final... GEMIMA: Once, twice... Come on, keep going.

Third time I ask.

Sold away this time for £75.

VO: Ah, well.

There's always next time.

Oh, dear!

That's a big loss.

VO: Irita's bois durci photo frame is our final lot of the day.

30 bid.

Two.

At 32 now bid.. 32.

GEMIMA: Coming in at five if you want to go.

At 32.

32, where's five... IRITA: It's profit!

..quickly.

Now 32.

32.

Where's five?

35 now bid.

35 now, coming in at eight if you want to go.

At 35 then.

I'm going to sell.

Final warning.

Bid it in, bid it now, bid it quick.

At 35, I ask you one more time.

Sold away then.

No...

This time, are we done?

Seems to have gone quiet.

Selling then, for £35.

VO: A small profit is nothing to sniff at today.

You are the leading lady.

You've done well on that one.

I love to celebrate a win, but this isn't the kind of win that I like to celebrate.

I think it's more tea than champagne.

Come on.

At least the sun's coming out.

VO: Yeah, hard luck for James today though, as he's £193.50 worse off after saleroom fees, and his piggy is left with £421.

But it wasn't a great outing for Irita either, as she made a loss of £155.32 after costs, leaving her piggy with £254.20.

I can tell you one thing, James.

I am taking you back towards Somerset... Somerset.

..where we started, to find our luck again.

JAMES: Yeah.

IRITA: Are you ready?

JAMES: We need to rediscover it.

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