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

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

I'm on fire - yes!

Sold - going, going, gone.

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

But it's no mean feat.

50p!

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

Be a good profit.

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

Ooh!

Oh!

Yes!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's the fourth leg of the road trip for James Braxton and fledgling Road Tripper Helen Hall.

Nice hair.

HELEN (HH): Lovely sunny day.

JAMES (JB): It is glorious, isn't it?

There's not been a single day where we've had to have the roof up actually, has there?

It's been so good.

VO: Rock 'n' roll memorabilia expert Helen has been making quite a noise on this trip.

(WHISTLE BLOWS) (HORN PARPS) HH: Nice.

VO: And James has been trying to spend as little as possible.

You said about 20 on that.

I thought I said 30 actually.

JB: Did you say 30?

DEALER: I did.

VO: They're cruising the countryside in a 1974 E Type Jaguar.

JB: So are you going to change anything about your purchases this time?

HH: I mean, I didn't make a healthy profit last time but I didn't make a loss.

So er... Oh yeah, come on, remind me of that big profit.

£1.30.

Woo-hoo!

Wa-hoo!

That is a triumph.

VO: It is.

In fact Helen's been triumphant on two of the last three auctions.

All done at £50.

Well done, well done.

VO: But thanks to a few shrewd buys James is marginally ahead.

AUCTIONEER: At home for £90.

(GAVEL) You see, you can't keep a good man down, Helen.

VO: James started the trip with £200 and after the three auctions has seen his money wilt to just £194.68.

Helen started her road trip with the same amount but she too has watched her cash shrivel to £185.30, meaning there's just £9.38 between them.

I'm just going to stick with what I'm doing.

I don't know what that is but I'm gonna stick with it.

VO: You tell him Helen!

Our friendly rivals are on a journey of over 500 miles from Oswestry in Shropshire, through Wales and southern England, before ending their road trip in the county town of Lewes in East Sussex.

On this fourth leg of the road trip they begin in Wallingford in Oxfordshire before heading to auction in Wokingham in Berkshire.

There used to be a castle here that was built by William the Conqueror and was used as a royal residence until it was destroyed following the civil war.

Whilst the castle may be gone, our duo will hope that the bargains are not.

HH: Here we are.

JB: Looks very good, doesn't it?

HH: That's lovely, lovely building.

VO: They're starting the new day shopping in the same place - the Lamb Arcade Antique Centre.

This looks very good doesn't it?

Right.

Oh, yeah, I think we can find some good things in here.

Silver.

You stay down here, I'm going to go upstairs.

VO: The place has goods from over 40 dealers for our pair to choose from.

Ooh.

VO: So they should be spoiled for choice.

So I made a £1.30 profit last time.

Megabucks.

Mega!

VO: Look, a modest profit, but a profit no less.

But James is determined to stay in front.

Sorry, you find me in sunglasses because I have been weepy.

Helen is really closing the gap and if I don't pull something out of the bag she is definitely going to leapfrog me and Mrs Rock And Pop is going to take the day.

VO: Sounds like he's feeling the pressure.

I wonder if he can find anything in this section, run by dealer David.

Can I have a rootle through here?

Yeah, I think most of those are ladies though.

There's no such thing these days David, we're all metrosexual!

Yeah, alright then, I'll take your word for it!

VO: What are you going on about James!

You've got some nice things in here.

It's a pencil so it would have been held possibly on a fob, a racing pencil, might have been held on a chain here.

Sterling silver 925, so 925 parts... M & Co. Now M might stand for Mordan & Company.

Sampson?

So the silversmith Sampson Mordan.

VO: It doesn't look much like a pencil, because the part used for writing is missing.

The real value is in the silver, and the maker.

It's just an interesting thing and produced in enormous quantity, luxury goods makers, late Victorian period, Edwardian period.

Lots of money around, lots of luxury goods makers providing the wealthy with presents.

And it's survived, you know.

That's over 100 years old, it's been bashed around and used again.

Essentially the action's there - just need a clever fellow just to reintroduce the pencil and it'll be back in service.

VO: Sounds like he quite likes that.

18 - you chancer eh?

See, smiling.

He knows.

Er... could you do something like 10 or 12 on that?

I think I could do 10 on it.

JB: 10?

DEALER: Yeah.

10, you've got yourself a deal, mate.

Thank you.

Thank you very much indeed David.

VO: It's a confident opening buy for James.

I wonder if Helen's ready to buy something downstairs.

HH: Oh, look at this - what a great color.

Very in vogue this season, yellow, isn't it?

And they are asparagus plates.

So I guess the jug is for the butter, hot... Well, that is what I have, or hollandaise maybe and then...

So there's your asparagus plate, put the sauce into the little dish there.

They're lovely, I like those.

Age-wise, I mean they're probably '50s or '60s, something...

Probably 50s.

Something like that.

But I like those a lot.

Only cuz I like asparagus.

VO: There are eight pieces in this Sarraguemine asparagus set, but is it worth the £58 ticket price?

How many asparagus eaters will we have at auction?

HH: I don't know.

VO: Huh!

That sounds like quite a niche market Helen - are you sure about this?

I'll have a think about that one.

VO: One to consider maybe.

It seems Helen also has her eye on a piece of silver in one of the cabinets.

Little silver matchbook holder and, you know, the style of it is very art deco and I just kind of...

I like that style, so that's why it appealed to me.

VO: It looks like continental silver and is priced at £58, but with just a few pounds between her and James, Helen will want an even better price from dealer Siobhan.

I mean, I'd like to start at an offer of 25.

No... How do you feel?

That's too low.

Can't do that.

Can't do that at all.

I wish.

OK, erm... 30?

I can do 35.

35.

Oh!

How about 32?

I'll do 33.

33?

OK, I'll think about that one.

DEALER: OK. HH: 33.

VO: I guess a pound could make all the difference at auction.

There was something else in your shop that I really liked, the asparagus set.

Oh, that is lovely.

And I'd like to go in at what I went in on that as well at 25.

But... er... yep.

DEALER: Erm... no.

HH: Let's start at 25.

I tell you what we'll do - I can do the same as the, um, piece of silver.

HH: OK, at 33.

DEALER: Yeah.

OK. Alright.

DEALER: 66.

66, altogether.

Alright, let's do it.

DEALER: OK. HH: 66 for the two.

DEALER: Brilliant.

HH: Brilliant.

Alright.

HH: Thank you very much.

DEALER: Thank you.

VO: With Helen making her first purchase of the day, has James found anything else upstairs he likes?

JB: That's a nice bin isn't it?

DEALER: Yeah.

It looks sort of '50s, doesn't it?

How much has he got on it?

42.

Somebody doing up a kitchen, it'd be quite fun sort of retro look.

Depends what... how, nice flour bin or something for a baker.

Is something like that at auction going to make a tenner?

I don't know any more.

I'm going through this sort of buying crisis!

VO: Come on!

Pull yourself together, James!

If David offered that for 15 or 20 quid, would it only make 15 or 20?

It's quite unusual because it is a large size.

David, what could be your best/worst on this?

You know, best for you, worst for me.

Well, erm...

I think the best I can do on it is 20... JB: 20?

DEALER: 20, yeah.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Let the man finish, eh?

That's less than half price but James isn't finished there.

Look at that tin.

Look, leading confectioners - that's a great tin, isn't it?

That is straight out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Batger & Co Ltd, 44 South Side, Clapham Common, London.

It's worth buying for the address, isn't it?

DEALER: Oh yeah.

What a beautiful tin that is.

Brings back memories, that does.

It's great, isn't it?

The old sweet shops.

Jersey toffees, seven pounds of them.

Cor, that's half a stone.

Even better - I can probably put that in with that.

You wouldn't?

DEALER: Yeah.

JB: What, for the same price?

DEALER: For the same price.

JB: You are a lovely man, David.

And you've got to be able to do something with that.

Go on, I'll buy that.

I don't know what to buy any more so I'm just clutching at straws anyway.

That's lovely David, look at that.

Look at that.

That's just a visual treat, really, isn't it?

VO: I think it's what you call a BOGOF - buy one, get one free - spending £30 in total here on the two tins and the silver pencil.

And whilst James appears quite unsure about what he's buying, Helen seems a lot more confident.

The thing that's grabbing me is this...

There's a lovely onyx and pearl brooch in here.

DEALER: 15-karat onyx and pearl.

HH: OK, I think it's really pretty.

DEALER: It looks like a mourning brooch, probably... DEALER: late Victorian.

HH: A mourning brooch, yeah.

Yeah.

It certainly looks Victorian or Edwardian at least, doesn't it?

I think it's lovely.

VO: After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria wore black for the rest of her life.

It set in motion a trend whereby people marked the death of a loved one by wearing a black piece of jewelry.

HH: It reminds me a little bit of the jewelry designer Kenneth Jay Lane, who does a lot of costume jewelry.

Oh right.

And I like it and I have a cuff of his that would go HH: rather nicely with this.

DEALER: Oh, there you are.

VO: Are you shopping for yourself or auction?!

Now the dealer is not here today.

No, she never is.

DEALER: So we negotiate for her.

HH: OK, so you can do deals.

I mean, I would like to make an offer of 30.

DEALER: (GASPS) HH: And see where we get to.

I don't think she'd even consider that.

Yeah, it was lowball.

You've got to try.

VO: It's got a ticket price of £68.

I guess if you don't ask, you don't get.

She's wanting what your very best price would be.

DEALER: 55.

HH: (MOUTHS) Would you do 50?

She can't do any better than 55.

OK, thanks Pat.

Bye.

That's £13 off - that's not a bad discount.

Yeah, I know.

OK, I'll do it, I'll do it.

I'll do it.

DEALER: OK. (THEY CHUCKLE) 55 it is, alright.

OK, thank you very much.

VO: Helen's on fire today, spending £121 in her first shop on the asparagus set, the silver matchbox holder, and the gold brooch.

And here's Johnny!

Or is it James?

Ha!

VO: Lordy!

HH: Oh, it's Jack Nicholson.

It is, I'm just... AKA James Braxton.

I'm just bringing out that scary Joker look.

Yeah, you need to be a bit more crazy with the hair.

I've whipped back from the Mediterranean specially to do this shopping today, leaving the lovelies on the Riviera.

HH: Yeah.

JB: Helen, I bought you these.

Oh, wow!

They are super.

Will they go... Reputedly, reputedly worn by Annie Lennox.

HH: (LAUGHS) VO: Oh Lordy.

Oh wow!

Yeah, I like those.

They're very cool.

Do you think we'll look good in the Jag in these?

Very good.

I will be the Jack.

I'll be Annie.

OK.

Anyway, where are you off to?

Off to Henley.

Bizarrely, so am I.

Let's go together.

Glasses on James, come on.

JB: Glasses on.

HH: Come on.

JB: OK, off we hop.

HH: Right, let's go.

VO: Our famous, or should I say infamous, duo's next stop is Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.

Henley-on-Thames is a world-renowned center for rowing.

Like many towns built by a river, Henley's early prosperity came from its ability to trade with London and further afield by river.

Whilst James heads into town to do some shopping, Helen is at the River and Rowing Museum, which tells the remarkable story of British rowing, from its very humble beginnings to Olympic gold medal success.

She's meeting Paul Manor from the museum to find out more.

HH: Hello.

PAUL: Hi there.

You must be Paul.

Welcome to the River and Rowing Museum.

I'm Helen, thank you for having us.

And into the main rowing gallery here.

VO: Henley is well known as home to the Regatta and the Oxford versus Cambridge boat race, but it's also home to the world's oldest boat race, the Doggett's Coat and Badge.

HH: Aha!

What's this?

Well, this is a great story that goes right the way back to the origins of rowing.

This is what's called the Doggett's Coat and Badge.

It's the oldest continuously competed for race in the world, starting in 1715, still rowed for today.

Wow!

London Bridge to Chelsea and it goes back to the time of a Mr Doggett.

And Mr Doggett was an actor and late at night, dispute, couldn't get someone to take him up river.

Eventually somebody did, they got talking and he put down the money for a wager that's competed for still by half a dozen scullers on the Thames.

VO: The Doggett is traditionally raced by apprentice watermen.

These were the people who transferred passengers across and along the river.

The aim was to attract more trade for the newly qualified watermen, in addition to winning the coveted watermen's red coat with silver badge.

The oldest competitive sporting event in the world.

Continuously competed for.

HH: Really?

PAUL: So Olympics took a break for a couple of thousand years.

PAUL: This one hasn't.

HH: Yep.

VO: After the Doggett, many other races followed, but none were more famous than the illustrious Oxford versus Cambridge boat race.

And here is the boat from the very first boat race that was held here in Henley in 1829.

Oh the first Oxford-Cambridge boat race boat?

Absolutely.

OK, right.

And this is the Oxford boat that won the race.

Wow, that is a big old boat isn't it?

Yeah.

Well, you think of the effort to pull that along.

Wow, the first boat.

That is great.

What a great thing for the museum to have.

HH: That's lovely.

PAUL: Absolutely.

Yes.

I can see a hole in it there.

No.

Am I allowed...

There's a hole and a little light coming through!

Yep.

VO: Oh Helen, I don't think it's been on the water for quite a while!

It wasn't just at the boat race where British rowers were making an impact as Olympic success beckoned.

This is the Sydney Four which Sir Steve won his fifth gold medal in in Sydney.

Wow!

Wow, that gives me goosebumps actually.

And look at the difference between this boat and that massive Oxford-Cambridge boat over there.

PAUL: Absolutely.

HH: I mean, yeah, technology.

Two or three really big contrasts.

The most obvious is that that was a wooden boat and this is a modern boat using modern materials.

VO: The River and Rowing Museum traces the story of Olympic gold medal success back to a simple boat race which started 300 years ago.

It's a story which Helen seems quite inspired by, perhaps a little too inspired!

Go, girl!

(CHEERING) Helen Hall takes gold!

VO: I suspect it's a bit harder than that, Helen!

James has set sail for another shop.

He's over at Tudor House Antiques, and I'm sure he's been here before.

Hello.

Hey, how're you?

Haven't seen you for ages.

I know.

Five years ago... Five years ago, must have been.

..with Mr Stacey in my MG. That's right, that's right.

Yeah.

I must have made a profit, did I?

So back...

I don't think so.

JB: Lost... Lost a fortune.

DEALER: No, no.

VO: And you've been losing some of your fortune this time too.

Dealer Dave's shop is jam-packed with all manner of treasures.

Is James going to spend big to keep his lead over Helen?

Well, they say if you want to get ahead, get a hat...

I see one size fits all, does it, Dave?

DEALER: I reckon.

JB: Rather fun.

VO: Er, maybe not!

Let's just stick to finding antiques, shall we?

This dear shop is the accumulation of lots of goodies, isn't it?

Everything in vast quantities.

We've got fireplaces, we've got architectural terracotta.

It's great stock, isn't it?

I love these - this is real Victorian, architectural terracotta.

It's a terracotta, you know, look - what do we associate terracotta with?

Terracotta flower pots, so it's of that sort of clay but it is incredibly strong.

This would have been a sort of ridge tile, your roof ridge there and your roofs would go off either side.

You'd have probably had one at the end and one at the back.

VO: What size is your house then, James?!

JB: It's a very splendid cultural item.

Little snail.

You know, had we been in France that would have gone in the pot with a little dash of garlic and butter and everybody would have been very happy wouldn't we?

VO: Yeah, everyone except the snail.

I'd love to buy it for 30, I bet you he is going to ask 40-50 isn't he?

He might chance his arm at 100.

VO: There's only one way to find out.

Now Dave, what are the prices of your, you - what are they - they are sort of ridge tiles are they?

Yes, they are, they are but they are not just ridge tiles, they are fantastic, beautiful ridge tiles, aren't they?

And I would like to get £50 each for those.

Including the big one?

Yeah.

What about 30 quid for that one?

VO: If looks could kill, eh?

DEALER: What about 35?

There you go.

JB: 35.

DEALER: 35.

It's same...

It's spectacular.

It is impressive, isn't it?

It is.

Yeah, yeah.

Now I know, Dave, you got that for free so... DEALER: (CHUCKLES) I had to climb 50 foot up a wall...

I know.

And take it off of a ridge roof, ridge tile roof.

Look at the man - can you believe it, viewer?

Can you believe it?

VO: I hope he got permission first!

DEALER: You can't wrong at 35 quid for that.

Dave, £30 for that, come on, we all want to go home.

It's all getting hot.

The barbecue coals... DEALER: Actually you're right.

JB: ..are cooling.

You're right, it's nearly pub o'clock isn't it?

It is pub o'clock.

Come on, four o'clock.

Alright, £30 for that.

Thank you Dave.

You make life very easy.

You're gonna spend another £150 today aren't you?

Course I am.

But not with you, Dave.

VO: Cheeky!

Lucky he did the deal first - £30 on the terracotta ridge tile.

Thank you Dave.

VO: As the shops close it's time to sleep, perchance to dream.

Maybe of profits.

It's day two of the road trip in a noteworthy part of Surrey.

JB: Very famous estate round here, isn't there?

St George's Hill.

HH: St George's Hill, yeah, home of former Beatle John Lennon, and Ringo Starr had house on there as well at one point too.

So how did you get on yesterday?

JB: Er, fine, I have got three items.

HH: Oh, OK.

I have spent about 110 quid actually.

JB: Really?

HH: What happened?

Yeah.

VO: Actually Helen spent an impressive £121 yesterday, on the silver matchbox holder, asparagus bowl and gold brooch, leaving her £64.30 to spend today.

Megabucks!

Mega.

VO: James spent just £60 on the flour and toffee tins, silver pencil and the terracotta tile, leaving him a juicy £134.60 today.

Alright Jack?

Thank you, Dave.

VO: Helen's at the wheel as they head for Weybridge in Surrey.

But before the shopping begins, Helen is dropping James off at Brooklands Museum.

It's home to a rather special aeroplane.

HH: Here you go, James.

I'm so jealous.

JB: Look at that.

HH: That's not even funny.

It's like being on the set of some '70s Bond movie, arriving in this at Concorde, James.

JB: Well, this Bond is off.

Bye.

HH: Oh!

Have a great day.

Bye.

JB: Have a good day.

VO: For over 30 years, Concorde has represented the pinnacle of luxurious transport, flying from London to New York in just three hours 20 minutes.

But in 2003 the aeroplanes flew for the last time.

James is meeting Mike Banister, a pilot who flew Concorde on her final day of service.

Captain Mike Banister.

Morning, James.

Welcome to the Brooklands Concorde.

Thank you.

Why is Concorde here in Brooklands?

Well, actually every Concorde's been here in Brooklands, because a third of every Concorde ever built was made here at Brooklands, even the ones that carried the French logo on the tail.

VO: By the mid 20th century jet engine aeroplanes had overtaken ocean liners as the fastest way to cross the Atlantic.

In the late '50s Britain and France decided to work together on a new form of supersonic travel.

It led to the birth of Concorde, which dramatically reduced the crossing time.

MIKE: Of course the Americans and the Russians tried to build a supersonic airliner and both of them failed, so the British and the French got it right by working in close collaboration and pulling on the best of both sets of scientists, technologists and designers.

JB: And this was all too with the backdrop of the space race presumably?

Well, that was all going on, in fact I was lucky enough to spend some time with Neil Armstrong and one of the things he said over dinner was, "You really should realize the technology "behind the Concorde program is just the same level "as the technology behind the Apollo program."

It was as difficult to put a man on the moon as it was to get 100 passengers flying at twice the speed of sound across the Atlantic.

VO: Concorde had room for just 100 passengers and was considered the height of opulent travel.

The plane travels so fast it actually stretches between six and 10 inches due to the heat during flight.

Now Mike, had I been coming in here while the flight was in service, when would I have got my glass of champagne?

As soon as you sat down.

JB: Really?

MIKE: Or whatever you wanted.

VO: At over £6,000 a ticket, Concorde was mainly used by politicians, celebrities and leaders of business, such as Richard Branson.

Its most frequent flyer was an oil executive, who clocked up almost 70 round trips a year.

You could do in two days what would otherwise take three or four and you could do in three days what would otherwise take five because you're traveling so quickly.

It's difficult to comprehend 1,350 miles an hour but it's twice the speed of sound, it's faster than the Earth rotates, you take off in London at 11am and arrive in New York at 9.20 and it felt like it.

It felt like 9.20 in the morning.

Yeah.

You're on the edge of space where the sky got darker, where you could see the curvature of the Earth.

The designers really got it right.

It's an aeroplane that is full of superlatives and the customers appreciated that.

VO: James is in for a real treat because it's time to go up front and visit the flight deck.

Look at all those buttons.

Oh, it's a bit of a struggle to get in but once in it's rather nice, isn't it?

It is very comfy once you're in here.

The other thing that is unusual about the flight deck is it's all knobs and dials, still.

Modern aeroplanes and even modern cars have a lot of TV screens.

Yes, you'd expect that to be electronic, JB: wouldn't you?

MIKE: Yeah.

The reason for that, of course, is that was the technology available at the time of the design in the '50s and 60s and when we came into service it worked, so if it ain't broke don't fix it.

VO: At the turn of the millennium, passenger demand for Concorde began to fall.

Rising maintenance costs made it uneconomical to run and in 2003 she flew for the last time.

JB: Absolutely fabulous.

Mike, thank you, it's been an absolute delight.

JB: (LAUGHS) MIKE: It's a great pleasure, we here Brooklands love showing off our toys.

VO: It's been a fantastic visit for James and there's one more treat in store.

Yes, I bet you never thought you'd be hanging out of a Concorde drinking champagne!

JB: I didn't.

I didn't.

(THEY CHUCKLE) MIKE: The only way to fly.

VO: Hold on tight James!

VO: Helen meanwhile is making a flying visit to a little shop called Antiquado to hopefully find her first bargain of the day.

Oh, hi, I'm Jason.

Hiya, nice to me you.

How are you?

Yeah cool thanks.

Nice shop you've got here.

VO: This place has only been open a few months, so there could be some hidden gems to be uncovered.

But they'll need to be at the right price to interest our Helen.

I actually spent quite a bit yesterday.

Oops.

So, I've only got about £75 left.

No pressure, no pressure.

VO: Do try and keep up Helen, you've actually got £64.30.

Gramophone.

This is actually a Morning Glory horn.

This is the only thing I know about gramophones, that this is called a Morning Glory horn because of the shape of the horn, like the morning glory flower.

That is why.

VO: An interesting item, but it seems like Helen's moved on to something else.

This Royal Doulton dish has caught my eye a little bit.

I mean, Royal Doulton is collectable, it's a decent name and there are a lot of collectors out there for Doulton.

This is a slightly later piece perhaps and, er, perhaps not as skilled in the decoration as you see on a lot of Royal Doulton but it's pretty.

He's got 40 quid on it.

I would want to pay a lot less than that for it, really.

If I was buying this at auction I think I would pay, like, 10 to 20 quid for it, something like that.

OK, fair enough.

So that means I need to buy it for no more than 10 quid.

DEALER: Really?

HH: Yeah.

11.

Would you do that?

11?

DEALER: Yeah.

HH: Go on then.

It's a nice number innit?

HH: Yeah, alright.

DEALER: OK. 11 quid.

Yeah, alright, brilliant.

HH: 11 quid.

There you go.

DEALER: You got it.

HH: That was easy wasn't it?

VO: That's a stroke of luck - he must be in a good mood.

Quick, before he changes his mind.

VO: James meanwhile has made his way down to Walton-On-Thames.

He seems to be looking for divine intervention in his efforts to beat Helen at the next auction, so he's popped into Antique Church Furnishings.

When does the next service start?

(CHUCKLES) Hello.

James Braxton.

Nice to meet you.

Lawrence Skilling.

What a fascinating place you have here.

VO: This place has all manner of interesting objects salvaged from church clearances.

Some from vicars who are looking to downsize or renovate their church.

JB: Look at this.

Now what is this interesting thing here?

DEALER: I was afraid you might ask that.

The best I can come up with is that it is an early 19th century wafer box for holy wafers.

That's quite sweet isn't it?

Interesting little box really.

VO: It's inscribed, "St George the Martyr, Southwark, 1834."

It also shows some signs of damage.

DEALER: Well anyway, that's £30.

Polish up a treat I'm sure.

What a shame... Quite possibly real silver.

What a shame somebody's really scratched that.

It's a nice thing and it's got a good story, so that's interesting.

VO: Quite James.

It sounds like he's keen on that, despite the damage.

Anything else take your fancy, boy?

So a sort of memorial plaque, I've sold lots of these over the years.

Well, they used to fetch very little - 10 or £15 and these were awarded to people from the Great War who fell in the Great War and along with your medals that you posthumously received this was your death plaque.

How much could that be, Lawrence?

Well, it has to be more than 10 or £15 because the plaque itself is...

Represents a lot of care and attention.

30 quid?

I'd take 40.

So we've got this, you said about 20 on that.

I thought I said 30 actually.

Did you say 30?

I did.

Yeah, aha.

VO: He did James, pay attention now!

Really?

Cor that's far too much for that.

Well look at it.

Look how old it is, it's nearly 200 years old.

Needs a bit of a polish.

40, 30.

What about 55 for the two?

Yeah, 55.

Alright.

I think that would be fair.

Bish bosh.

Thank you very much indeed Lawrence.

That's really kind.

VO: Might those two be the blessed miracle James needs to catch up with Helen?

£55 spent on the wafer box and bronze plaque.

Helen meanwhile is still in Addleston and has popped along to D'eyncourt Antiques.

HH: Hello.

DEALER: Hello.

HH: Are you Maureen?

DEALER: I am.

Hi Maureen.

I'm Helen.

How are you?

Nice to meet you.

VO: I'm Tim.

With four items purchased already, might Helen find something else to complete her haul?

A joke arm, we could put that out the back of the Jag couldn't we?

VO: It probably costs an arm and a leg.

Perhaps something else will wet your whistle.

What have we got in here?

These are fun.

These are old air-raid whistles.

So in London when they had all the air raids and all the sirens would go off, and you would have wardens for the air raids who would go round with bells and these really loud rattles and whistles just to get everyone down into the Tubes and everywhere else when there was an air raid going on.

And they've got ARP written on them which was air raid... What was it..?

Precautions.

Air raid precautions.

Do you mind if I have a look at the whistles?

Would you be able to open up the cabinet?

DEALER: Yeah, sure.

HH: Is that alright?

DEALER: Yeah.

Fine.

HH: OK, brilliant.

Thank you.

VO: Hm, she seems to quite like those.

Yeah, so I... Hm, do I buy one or two?

To pair or not - that's the question.

VO: It's a very good question.

I've got to take these to auction, Maureen.

Right.

So I've got to try and make a profit on them.

Yeah.

So, between us girls...

I've got to earn a living.

Yeah, there is that as well.

(THEY LAUGH) Erm, would you take eight quid for one?

Er...

I'd take 10.

You'd take 10.

Right, I haven't got much money left, see, cuz I've overspent already, so I've got to be a bit careful.

VO: Careful?

You've got £53 left!

So do I take... That's what they always say when they come in.

Yeah, I know.

I know.

VO: Maureen's standing her ground alright.

I'll take one, I'll take that one with the string.

Alright, OK. At 10 then.

Alright.

OK, I think it is a really fun thing and I don't see them very often.

Brilliant, thank you, deal.

VO: As the whistle blows at the end of another day's shopping it's time... (WHISTLE BLOWS) VO: ..to reveal all.

Oof, I'm ready for that drink, James.

A nice cool drink.

I know.

It's lovely.

Again, by the river.

HH: Yeah.

JB: Isn't it fun?

VO: I'm glad you've made an effort, but can we begin?

HH: OK, I'm building it up actually.

Go on.

HH: There we go!

JB: Look at this.

Blimey, a glory!

Erm, this Royal Doulton dish, I kind of like it.

JB: Yeah.

HH: Sort of, again, art deco, '30s kind of design.

Almost looks like one of those shaving bowls, doesn't it?

HH: It does a bit, doesn't it?

JB: Yeah.

11 quid for that.

Royal Doulton... JB: That's jolly good, isn't it?

30s.

And this is my, erm... air-raid whistle.

JB: Isn't that lovely?

HH: Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

HH: So it's got the ARP... JB: And with the lovely braided thing.

HH: Yep.

JB: ARP.

ARP - Air Raid Precautions.

Yep.

So in London you have the air raid wardens with their bells and their - what are they - rattles, like football rattles and their whistles.

JB: Yeah.

HH: Shall I blow it?

JB: Er... HH: We're in a pub.

Everyone's gonna have a heart attack.

Yeah.

No, no.

OK, I won't blow it but it is very loud.

Save it for later, we might draw attention to ourselves.

HH: So there you go.

JB: It is fun.

HH: It's good innit?

JB: How much did that cost you?

Tenner.

JB: I think that's very nice.

HH: Which I think it's worth.

VO: He seems impressed, but what will Helen think of James's items?

But I bought funny things.

Oh.

Things that I wouldn't normally buy.

My nice, er... memorial plaque, sort of death plaque.

This is Great War but rather nice.

They've given it this fabulous frame.

This poor fellow Frederick Walter, who is that mark, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

Well remembered, well done.

Blimey O'Riley.

They didn't make it easy for them did they?

No.

JB: That should make a good profit.

HH: Yeah.

JB: That's not a bad price, 35.

HH: Yeah.

JB: I went to an ecclesiastical reclamation yard and it's a wafer box.

Oh, nice.

But I quite like it because it's... That is nice.

St George the martyr, Southwark, 1834.

And it is beautifully engraved, except some vandal scratched it.

That is nice, very nice.

Hmm.

We've both enjoyed our time on the river and I know you're going to take up the oars so...

Yes, I am.

Cheers to that.

Fruit juice for us both only now.

Athletes.

Cheers.

VO: Er, before you start training for the next Olympics, tell us what you really think.

I think he's not quite got over the shock of the last auction, you see, so he's just...

He's clutching at straws.

After being summarily thrashed at the auction I seem to have lost my way in the wilderness of the antique world and I...

I didn't know what to buy.

I'm feeling good, feeling good about my things, yeah, I'm quite happy.

Quite happy with my purchases.

VO: Good, because it's time to head to the town of Wokingham in Berkshire for today's auction.

In the 16th century, Wokingham was well known as a producer of quality silk.

Demand for labor was so high that a local bylaw stated that anyone unemployed must take up work in the silk trade or face imprisonment.

Ha!

Our silky-smooth operators have just arrived at the auction house.

Get ready, James.

I'm going to catch you.

Oh, no, you're not.

I'm going to fend you off, Helen.

Oh!

Look at that spring, eh!

VO: Martin and Poole have been conducting auctions in Wokingham for over 150 years.

Today's master of ceremonies is auctioneer Pascal McNamara.

What does he think of our experts' purchases?

What we like in auctions is to have something for everybody and I think we certainly have that today.

The wafer box is very interesting.

We do have a price range on that, 30 to 50, so I think it may make more 50 than 30.

The mourning brooch is very nice also, it's very pretty, very somber of course.

Lovely craftsmanship on that... ..so I think it will go quite well also and it should make the price on that.

You know, it is the luck of the draw, really, so let's see.

VO: James began this fourth leg of the road trip with £194.68 and has gone on to spend £115 on five auction lots.

Go on, I'll buy that.

VO: Helen started with £185.30 and has parted with £142, also for five lots.

Quick, before he changes his mind.

VO: With less than a tenner between them, it's time for the penultimate auction to begin.

OK, get ready, James.

VO: First under the hammer is James's terracotta ridge tile.

£50 I'm bid, I'll take 55.

Lady's bid on my left.

Hello!

OK. 60, 65, 70... Oh my God.

65, lady's bid on my left.

This doesn't happen to me.

What's going on?

£65, highest bid.

Oh, well done, that's alright isn't it.

Well done that man.

VO: Well done indeed, that's over 100% profit on James's first item.

It's rather nice to double your money.

Alright, don't boast, James.

VO: Can Helen do as well with her eight-piece asparagus set?

Starting at £20.

JB: Straight in there.

PASCAL: 15.

Don't give me a big fat loss here.

£15 I'm bid, I'll take 17.

17 in the centre, 20.

22, 25.

25, gentleman's bid on my right.

PASCAL: No further interest?

(GAVEL) I paid too much for them, James.

Oh.

VO: Oh, that's a stinker of an opening loss for Helen.

That... is a bargain.

That is a bargain.

VO: Next, will James's opening luck continue with his wafer box?

50, I'll take 55.

Hey.

PASCAL: £50 with me.

JB: Hey!

HH: 55.

PASCAL: 55 in the center.

It could be happening for me.

Oh my goodness James.

You are on a roll.

£60 with me.

No further interest?

60 quid, tripled your money on that one.

Tripled.

Oh, you are on a roll.

I know.

It had to happen, Helen.

VO: The wafer-thin gap between them has widened with that result.

Just been lulling me into a false sense of security.

No I haven't, I haven't, I've been trying desperately hard but it just hasn't worked.

VO: Will Helen catch up with her Royal Doulton serving dish?

£15, I will take 17.

15, 17.

20, I'll take 22, at 22 beats me, the gentleman's bid on my right.

No further interest at 22?

There we go.

Very good, well done.

VO: The Doulton dish has served up a nice £11 profit for Helen.

JB: You've doubled your money.

HH: Yeah.

JB: Bought for 11, 22.

HH: Yeah.

There you go.

VO: Will James increase his lead with the flour and toffee tins?

Yum yum.

Starting with myself at £15, I'll take 17.

£15 with me, 17 I have.

I'll take 20, lady's bid at 20.

I'll take 22, 25, 27.

No further interest?

(GAVEL) JB: 27, well... 27.

It's a profit James.

A small profit.

VO: A very sweet £7 profit, which will go down nicely.

Next up is Helen's matchbook holder.

PASCAL: Fairly attractive piece.

JB: Very attractive.

HH: It's a very attractive piece.

Start me at £30.

20?

£15 surely.

I'll take 17.

17 in the centre, at 20... (PHONE RINGS) JB: Someone's bidding.

I can hear you.

PASCAL: ..and seven, 30.

HH: Go on.

Come on.

£30, gentleman's bid on my left.

JB: Come on, keep going.

PASCAL: No further interest?

(GAVEL) HH: What did it go for?

I missed that - what did it go for?

VO: It's probably best you missed it Helen actually, cuz it made a £3 loss!

Helen, some blue water is developing, I'm afraid.

(CHUCKLES) VO: Will James turn that blue water into an ocean with his silver racing pencil?

Start me at £10?

Five... Uh-oh.

Lots of fives.

I've got five here.

Oh, lots of fives, there you go.

Seven, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20.

Oh man.

PASCAL: At £20, gentleman's bid.

HH: James!

JB: 20!

HH: James!

I'll take 22.

PASCAL: In the centre.

25.

HH: 22.

PASCAL: 27.

HH: You are on fire today, James, on fire.

Fire.

32.

No further interest?

I rested on my laurels.

I shouldn't crow but that's not bad, is it?

No, go on, crow away.

Six... VO: So James is starting to stretch into the lead with yet another impressive profit.

Well done.

What is going on?

How very vulgar of me.

HH: (LAUGHS) VO: What about the Second World War whistle - will it call time on James's extraordinary lead?

PASCAL: Start me there at £15?

JB: Lovely piece, isn't it?

10?

I think they're going to go mad for it.

£5 surely for the whistle.

£5 I'm bid.

I'll take seven.

Seven I have, at 10, 12, 15.

JB: Profit.

PASCAL: 17.

Yes!

Yes!

PASCAL: £17, lady's bid... JB: Profit.

PASCAL: No further interest?

HH: Go on, 17.

HH: There you go, it's a profit.

JB: Well done.

VO: It certainly all adds up, but it's still possible for Helen to catch up.

I am... Those numbers are just getting higher and higher, aren't they?

Welcome to the club, Helen.

Welcome to the club.

VO: James's last item is the bronze memorial plaque.

I've got 40, I'll take 42.

42 over here.

Here we go again - James Braxton on a roll.

47, 50, 52.

55, go on.

I've got a new bidder here at 55.

60, 65, 70.

£70, gentleman's bid on my right.

80, I'll take 85.

HH: James.

PASCAL: 85 I have on my right, a gentleman's bid.

PASCAL: No further interest?

(GAVEL) I think you should buy me cake after this for thrashing me so badly.

VO: Well well, that good fortune lasts to the end with an impressive £50 profit on that.

I've got one lot left and I don't think that it's going to take me above the profit that you've made unless there's people who are into mourning.

VO: Well you never know.

Helen's Victorian mourning brooch is next.

Gloomy color.

Very attractive piece.

HH: Very attractive.

JB: It is.

Start me at... PASCAL: £40.

HH: Oh.

Well done.

£40 here, I'll take 42.

HH: Go on, take 42, go on.

JB: (MUTTERS) No further interest?

Oh, well, you know, I am a newbie.

I know.

I'm just the new girl on the block.

VO: That's what you always say.

Anyway the buyers weren't there, ending a rather disastrous auction for Helen.

OK, that's it.

(CHUCKLES) VO: I think she knows what's coming as it's time to do the sums.

VO: Helen started this leg of the trip with £185.30, but after auction costs made a loss of £32.12, leaving her just £153.18.

Oh dear.

James started with £194.68, and after costs has seen his fortunes skyrocket, ringing up a hefty profit of £105.58, thereby wins this leg with a barnstorming £300.26.

Oh.

I feel a bit browbeaten.

JB: Well, the results are in.

HH: They're not good really.

JB: They're not good.

HH: Good for you.

JB: They're very good for me.

HH: Yeah, I know.

Come on.

I made a large, almost vulgar amount of money.

There we go, we're in.

VO: With two wins each and one more trip to go, the decider will be a final auction showdown.

How exciting.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, James puts on a show!

Oh.

(AS MR PUNCH) Brrr!

That's the way to do it.

VO: And Helen might be in luck.

50% off!

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