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

Yes, a good weight.

(SNIFFS) And it smells.

- (HORN HONKS) - VO: Oop, steady!

Behind the wheel of a classic car.

Good morning, my lady.

Good morning, Parker.

And a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

- Whoopsie!

- Come on!

The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction.

- (GASPS) - But it's no mean feat.

- (LAUGHS) - There'll be worthy winners... - (CHEERS) - ..and valiant losers.

(SOBS) Will it be the high road to glory...

It's about winning.

- ..or the low road to disaster?

- Whoa!

Pothole!

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

What a gas, eh?

It takes more than dark skies and persistent drizzle to dampen the spirits of our irrepressible auctioneers, Izzie Balmer and James Braxton.

Oh yes.

And here they are in their 1978 MGB, delighting in the Norfolk countryside.

IZZIE: I'm loving all the wildflowers.

- Oh!

Little partridges, look.

- Ah!

Hello, little partridge.

Morning, partridge.

- Are they female partridges?

- I don't know.

Well, the one in front, the big boy, is probably a boy, isn't he?

And a sort of little girl running after him.

(LAUGHS) What, the little girl chasing the boy?

That's not how it works.

It is in nature.

VO: Hey.

But our unreconstructed senior partner has a thoroughly modern young woman, snapping at his heels.

I seem to recall... - Yeah.

- ..that someone here... - Yeah.

- ..might have won the last leg.

Oh, who's that, Izzie?

Who's that?

Oh, remind me again.

How could you possibly forget?!

Remind me again.

God.

Look how I wore victory with maturity, humility, and you're now chirping away.

All this victory, steaming up the car.

VO: Steaming up the car?

Well, last time jewelry specialist Izzie beat old man Braxton, filling up her piggy with a healthy £238.16.

So stick that in your whatnot.

While James's piggy, which had been fattening up nicely, reduced a little last time.

And he starts this time with £339.32.

You know, the senile uncle is now on the back foot.

Well, best foot forward on the journey, then... which began in Woodbridge, continues wending through England's eastern counties, before a final last auction at Lincoln, which marks the end of their trip.

Look at that map.

Oh!

James, what on Earth am I going to do without you?

I don't know.

Flounder.

I mean, how am I going to make... You're gonna be like that little partridge.

- "Hello, I'm here.

I'm here".

- (SHE CHUCKLES) I mean importantly, James, how on Earth am I going to make decisions?

I know.

Come to Herod.

It's my new...

It's my new helpdesk.

Herod here.

How can I help?

VO: Here, off with your head.

Time to drop James for his day's work in that imaginary biblical call center.

But, with a very real auction in Banbury in their sights this time, he's actually bound for the Norfolk village of Foulsham, where he'll be listening to the voice in his head telling him what to buy at Country Home Antiques.

Looks nice.

Hello.

James.

Hello.

Hello, I'm Catherine.

Welcome.

Hello, Catherine.

Lovely to see you.

This feels like a barn full of treasures.

It is a bit, isn't it?

Yes.

And who... Who does... Everything's... All the coppers, all lovely and bright.

Very red, looks like rose gold.

It does, doesn't it?

Well, my husband Simon... - Does he?

- ..does all the renovations.

- Good, excellent.

- I like the buying part.

You like the buying part.

And he does the polishing.

Yeah.

And then, I like the selling part as well.

VO: If bright copper kettles are some of Mr Braxton's favorite things, she might well be able to get him to part with his cash.

So we'll leave him to scour the shop... ..while we follow Izzie as she makes her way 10 miles north to Holt, a beautiful Georgian town built to replace the medieval center, after it was destroyed by a great fire in 1708.

Holt Antiques and Interiors Centre, presided over by Karen, is crammed with interesting things.

So there must be something here to get Izzie excited.

(BELL) That was louder than I expected!

This is interesting.

It's an oil on canvas of this... almost quite sad-looking woman.

And the label says that it's believed to be by Augustus John.

He was an early 20th century Welsh artist, and he's known for his portraits.

It's priced at £6,800, so it's not one that I can buy on my budget.

But, to be honest with you, if it is an Augustus John, this is an absolute bargain.

Because if it can be attributed to him, you would probably need to add another nought onto that price.

But...

I can only admire her from a distance.

VO: Yeah, dream on, Izzie!

Meanwhile, back in Foulsham, is James any further forward?

Now, Catherine, this is rather fun, isn't it?

It's lovely, isn't it?

Very, very pretty, decorative item.

And I love the way it sort of rotates round.

So, something's not quite at its best, instead of moving anything, you just moved it round, didn't you?

Isn't that fun?

It's got a bit of a list.

- But, you know... - That gives it character.

Yeah, well, it's done some years, hasn't it?

- Yeah.

- 140 years.

I'd have a list.

Or I wouldn't be here ,would I?

LAUGHING: No, probably not.

I'd be ashes.

I'd be in there.

(THEY CHUCKLE) Anyway, it's lovely.

I did... - I winced the price here... - Did you?

..Catherine.

What's going on here.

165?

I could do it for 120?

That's very kind.

Could you... What about 110?

- OK. A deal.

- Deal.

Thank you very much indeed, Catherine.

I really like that.

He's fairly splashing out this morning!

- Thanks a lot.

Bye.

- Bye.

Is that a begonia she's thrown in?

Let's hope so.

Back in Holt, she of expensive tastes must surely have found something she can afford by now.

Ah, I've spotted a chair!

VO: Ah, she always spots a chair!

Which makes me very happy.

A lovely inlaid, I think Edwardian, chair.

You've got these sort of Sheraton style slats here, or spindles, I suppose, going on.

But also this beautiful, beautiful inlay.

Erm... How much is it?

It's £55.

So, I am going to go and see if I can get a better price on it.

Because I could be very tempted, and then I'd have bought a chair, which will make me very happy.

VO: And me!

Yvonne is the dealer who owns the chair, and she's at the desk with Karen.

What is the absolute best you could do on it?

Oh, gosh.

Um.... 20.

£20?!

- Yes.

- Deal.

Amazing.

- Done.

- Thank you very much.

VO: Izzie's paws have scooped up a winner there, I think, for £20.

And she's so happy.

So that's 10, and 20.

Pick up thy chair, and walk.

Hey, look at this.

If James Braxton can fit in there, so can that chair!

Oh!

I'm having... (LAUGHS) VO: # Legs in the air # Like you just don't care!

# IZZIE: In.

VO: Excellent.

# Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!

# And it's only 10 miles east of Holt to the coastline of Norfolk, where James is coming in with the tide in lovely Cromer - famous for the crab fishing.

And on the town's elegant pier, dating from 1902, Mr Braxton is going to try his own luck at catching a crustacean with a crabbing net.

And while he waits to see if anything bites, he's meeting Cromer fisherman John Davies to hear more about the town's famous catch.

What... What makes Cromer crab so special?

Well, a lot of it is to do with the seabed.

We have a large chalk shelf, and flint here.

And it's quite shallow, the North Sea, and especially this part.

You know, just clean, fresh water.

It's quite a special, unique seabed, really.

Wherever you go in the country, people say, "Where do you come from?"

You say, "Cromer."

"Oh", they'll say, "Cromer crabs".

- Cromer crabs.

- And, you know, so that is very, very well known.

VO: Fishing has provided a good living here for centuries.

A guidebook from 1800 records Cromer having a considerable crab trade with London.

John is the eighth generation of a family of fishermen.

It's changed over the years, obviously.

There were small, double-ended clinker-built boats.

Now we have a modern catamaran with outboard motors.

This is fabulous, isn't it?

Yeah, well, it's...

It's a nice stable working platform.

Yeah, it is.

This is your basic, old, traditional wooden-style crab pot that is basically now getting phased out, to be quite honest.

- Nice bit of hazel.

- Yeah, hazel.

And believe it or not, this is parachute cord.

- Really?

- Really is.

And this is very, very old, this particular box.

- Yeah.

- We still use some like that, and then it moves on to the modern parlor pot - that you see here.

- Yeah.

Because it has an extra... - The crabs come in here.

- Yeah.

And the bait is in the middle here.

Feed.

And then they look for a way out, and then head into there, into the parlor.

Oh, I see.

And they get further trapped in there.

So, you know, these pots are a little bit more efficient.

Sounds a very nice, sort of quaint name.

Victorian parlor, doesn't it?

Parlor pot.

And what do you bait them with?

- Horse mackerel, gurnards.

- Yeah.

A lot of fish that are not really used for human consumption.

The fresher they are, the better that is.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They tempt them in!

Exactly.

And how many... How many pots do you have out at sea?

Yeah, well, we've have over a thousand pots in the water at any one time.

Goodness me!

And are you out every day?

Yeah, almost every day.

We don't do so many Sundays now.

But, you know, we're out seven days a week, eight if possible.

And are you one of many families working here?

Not...

There's not so many families now as what there was, you know.

Youngsters nowadays are not coming into the industry.

You know, my son runs a gym, and my daughter's a veterinary nurse.

So I'm eighth generation, but I am at the minute the end of the line.

Dear, oh dear.

Quite.

You need to seek an apprentice.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: A change of career James?

Ha!

Kevin Jonas is a former fisherman who runs a local seafood business, selling Cromer crab.

Is this a typical Cromer crab we're looking at?

Absolutely, yeah.

Just landed this morning on the beach.

Good quality at the moment, peak season.

And where will these go?

They go back to our factory, it's just up the road in Cromer.

And they will end up, nationally, dressed...

Dressed crab.

Traditional dressed Cromer crab.

Can you tell the difference?

Is that a lady crab or... Yeah.

That's a... That's a female crab, yeah.

That's a male crab.

You can see there the female crab has a lot broader, - what we call the apron there.

- The apron, yeah.

Yeah.

And the male crab has much bigger claws in proportion to its size.

- Bigger?

- It's armor plated.

It's armor plated.

That's really good.

I won't pick one up.

They look as though they've got my name written on them.

Yeah, you'd know...

If they nipped you you'd know about it.

- Yeah.

- (LAUGHS) VO: By 1887, one in five of the local population were employed in fishing, and the industry remains at the heart of the local economy.

There's 14-odd boats on Cromer beach alone.

There's various boats dotted all around the coast, in various little inlets.

We employ 65 people ourselves.

Wow!

And so yeah, and all the tourism that comes with that.

And how does it taste after it's been dressed with a dash of lemon and some pepper, and maybe a bit of angostura?

And the brown meat, it's a really delicate flavor... for the Cromer crab.

That's the real difference for the Cromer crab.

JAMES: So it's all in the brown meat?

Right, fabulous.

Can I... - Can I leap away?

- Absolutely, tuck in.

Absolutely delicious, isn't it?

Yummy.

Now back to that pier to bring up James's net.

Right, let's see if I've been lucky.

Here we go.

Oh, no.

No, I'm the proud keeper of the bait, and one big stone.

So... nothing for me.

Aw, what a shame.

I suppose it'll have to be a slap-up lunch at a four-star local restaurant, then.

Ha-ha!

Izzie, meanwhile, is taking the road southwards to the village of North Walsham.

In 1381, peasants, subject to crippling poll taxes, stood here against the forces of the wealthy and powerful, only to be crushed in the last battle of the revolt.

Fast forward six centuries now, to Timeline Antiques Centre, where Izzie has £218.16 still to spend.

So nice to see such an old, antique piece of furniture.

It's a Queen Anne chest on stand.

So it's sort of circa 1700s, and it's got this beautiful burr wood.

(SNIFFS) Ooh!

VO: Old pants?

That is such a good smell.

Um... - Musty?

- It's old.

It's antique-y.

It smells like... - Mothballs?

- It smells like a stately home.

Gosh, they'll be pleased about that.

Ah, they all smell so good!

(LAUGHS) There's a crazy lady in a shop sniffing drawers!

Oh, my goodness me, I am going to stop sniffing the drawers... and move on.

VO: Think that might be a good idea, love.

Time to get buying, eh?

Judy, so, am I right in thinking this is your cabinet?

- That is, yeah.

- Um, what have you got that I could get for under £50?

Um... there's a pin cushion in there.

Ah!

That's kind of cute, isn't it?

It's had some use.

Yeah.

I mean, I guess ideally we would want it in pristine condition.

Um, but to me, I love that it's had use.

- It's in silver, isn't it?

- It is, yeah.

And you've got this sort of very nice...

I'm guessing it's sort of like a floral pattern, but it's all quite loose, isn't it?

Or quite fluid.

Oh, and it's got the original silk on the bottom, which is lovely.

Hmm, I could be interested.

How much are we talking?

We could do that for 30?

£30... That is a definite maybe.

(LAUGHS) Which is a complete oxymoron, isn't it?

And do you know what?

I've also seen a snake necklace, - with, like, marcasite snake.

- Yeah.

Do you know who that belongs to?

- That is actually mine as well.

- Oh, is it?

- Yes.

- Oh, fantastic!

VO: Snake necklace?

Sounds interesting.

You've got him down as 1970s, but I wonder if he's actually a little bit older, just because of the clasp.

And it's what's known as a tongue-and-box snap clasp.

So you've got your tongue, and you've got your box.

In they go.

There should be a snap, but there wasn't there.

But, if we clip over the clip... there we go - there's a bit of a snap.

What I like about him is that he's set with marcasite, which was really popular sort of around the turn of the 1900s, and into the '20s and '30s.

He is just a piece of costume jewelry, really, isn't he?

And I can see he's unfortunately missing a stone here and there.

But...

I do quite like him.

He's lovely, but what could he be?

I didn't notice his stones missing, so I could do him for 20?

For 20?

Can I be cheeky?

Can the box be included?

That can, yes.

Amazing.

That is a definite deal.

- Thank you very much.

- OK. VO: Very nice.

And a lovely deco Bakelite box thrown in too!

Also, actually, um... can I please take you up on your offer of the pin cushion?

- Yes, that's fine.

- Thank you very much.

OK, thank you.

So I make it 30 on the pin cushion, 20 on the snake.

10, 20, 30, 40, 50.

Thank you so much.

OK, thank you.

VO: Time to call it a day and pick up James, who's still full of the taste of Cromer.

I tell you what you need in Norfolk, Izzie.

You need Cromer crab.

Cromer crab.

I don't think I've ever had Cromer crab.

Aw.

I will...

I will be seeking crabmeat.

VO: Bon appetit.

Nighty-night.

Back on the road and over the border to Suffolk this morning.

And James is dispensing advice for a healthy life.

So you have an apple every day?

Apple.

It's very good for the teeth - that's why I've got remarkable teeth.

Are they real?

(GIGGLES) Excuse me!

Of course they're real.

(LAUGHS) Well, that's what the dentist told me.

Um, do you have a favorite variety of apple?

Er, no.

I take all comers.

- Um... - Crunchy or soft?

I like...

It doesn't matter.

They've got to be firm.

- OK. - I like a firm apple.

Sweet, or tart?

Er, tart.

I like a... A firm, tart apple!

I like a firm tart.

- That's right.

- (LAUGHS) VO: Lots of pectin.

James shelled out for a Victorian plant stand yesterday.

It's got a bit of a list.

140 years, I'd have a list!

And he's still sitting pretty with £229.32, while - surprise, surprise - Izzie bought a chair for a song.

Very happy.

- £20?

- Yes.

Deal!

Amazing.

She also bought a pin cushion and a snake necklace, leaving her with a budget this time of £168.16.

And what will be James's fortune, according to our resident palm reader Madame Izzie?

You're going to make lots of money at auction, - but you have got... - Not at Banbury.

Not at...

Yes, not at Banbury.

It looks like here your companion, who is a young, beautiful woman...

I mean, I don't know that is... Yeah.

..is going to come up and overtake you, and win!

- Really, at Banbury?

- At Banbury!

- No!

- This is what it says.

How can you read so much in there?

Some might think I had just made that up on the spot.

Do you also read tea leaves?

I'm...

I can read tea leaves, yes.

Although it's jolly difficult with a tea bag these days, - isn't it?

- Yes.

VO: Well, fortune teller, Tim here can say with absolute certainty that it's on the cards this morning for James to drop off Izzie and proceed to the charming village of Wrentham.

He'll be hoping to strike it lucky at Wren House Antiques, where Amanda is keeping shop.

Hello, Amanda.

Watch out.

- You're hard at work.

- Hi, James.

- James.

- Not very.

How do you do?

How do you do?

Good to see you.

Blimey, you're pretty chocker in here, aren't you?

Couldn't get much more in.

Oh, I don't know about that.

I don't know about that.

Do you mind if I beaver around?

Not at all.

I hope you find something.

VO: OK, let's get down to business, then.

(WHISTLES) Calling the Von Trapps!

Ah!

Now these are rather fun.

I love cannonballs.

They're discovered, normally... You know they would have been once fired in anger, and then they would have lain in soft soil or on shingle.

Or amongst... amongst stones.

And here we have, talk about the Braxton weight test... That is a very intense weight.

Cannonball found on Southwold beach, which isn't far away from here, and the Battle of Solebay.

I wonder when that was.

VO: 1672.

During the third Anglo-Dutch War.

Cannonballs are, you know, they're a tangible link with those battles, aren't they?

Yes, they certainly are.

You wouldn't want to stop one of those, would you?

No, no.

So, Southwold.

You think of Southwold as a tourist destination.

Are there still sort of... Is there a garrison or gunning placements?

No, but there are still...

There's a row of cannons on Gun Hill.

- OK. - Facing towards the Dutch in case they ever come again.

We're ready for them.

But of course, when the battle was on, people used to come up from London in carriages.

Just so they could sit and watch the battle as it was going on.

- It was... - Really?

They didn't have TV, you know, then.

- Yeah.

- Always looking for something else to do.

Something different!

Yeah, quite.

Jolly good day out!

Weren't cannons measured...

Weren't they named, really, by their poundage?

So, it was either a four-pounder or a six-pounder.

- We've got some weights here.

- There's a 2lb weight.

Have you got a bit more there?

Well... Another 2lb weight.

We've got another 2lb.

So that would be a four-pounder, wouldn't it?

But it would have lost a bit in deterioration.

Well, it's been in the sea, probably, for what, 200 years?

200 years.

VO: More like 350.

So it could have started life off as a six-pounder, and now it's around 4lb.

Just, just about 4lb.

What have you got on it?

You've got that...

I've got 65 on it.

What could you do on that, Amanda?

Are you... Are you a tough negotiator?

Having seen you looking at it, I have had a little look.

- Have you?

- Yeah, and I... What could you do it at?

What - 40s?

Something like that?

- I'd do 45.

- 45.

But that really would be the bottom line.

A cannonball, rather fun.

I'll give you 45.

- Thank you, Amanda.

- OK, James, thank you.

Very kind.

That is history.

VO: Served up on a crocheted doily.

Nice.

45, thank you, Amanda.

45.

Thank you very much, James.

No, I'm going to carry on looking.

- OK, go ahead.

- I want to find more.

VO: On we browse.

Now what about these wondrous soda siphons?

- Wondrous.

- There's five of them.

Five of them.

You can have them for £1 each.

- The whole lot for a fiver.

- Really?

VO: What?!

Now, that's early packaging, isn't it?

I love these things, with a sort of protective rattan cane, is it, wickerwork?

- Yes.

- So glass bottle... - Not so easy to break.

- Not so easy to break, is it?

Somebody's had it in a cellar for years.

Isn't that fun?

And then you've got these wire-bound soda siphons.

Was this to protect against pressure?

Because you put the cylinders in there, didn't you?

You pressurized the thing, and then...

When everybody had a whisky and soda, didn't they?

You wouldn't want it to explode, would you?

No, you wouldn't!

(LAUGHS) - Only a fiver for the lot?

- You can have them for a fiver.

I'll take them for a fiver.

- OK, James.

- Thank you very much indeed.

Can't really refuse that, can you?

VO: You certainly cannot.

Well, let's hope they make a profit.

They can't make much of a loss, can they?

No, they can't, can they?

VO: Nope.

£5 there and 45 for the cannonball.

And James is done and dusted.

Meanwhile, Izzie has drifted north, and east, to the seaside town of Lowestoft, which has been attracting summer sunbathers and holidaymakers to its sandy North Sea beaches for centuries.

She's here to learn more about how an early souvenir trade catered for the tourists of the 18th century.

But first she's taking the salty air with local historian Ivan Bunn.

I'm going to take you to the most easterly point in Great Britain.

You will actually be closer to Holland than you will be to London.

Ooh!

So you can go stand in the middle of the circle.

You are now the most easterly person in the United Kingdom.

(LAUGHS) Most easterly person!

And welcome to Lowestoft.

LAUGHING: Thank you!

This is a place which has always been defined by its coastal geography.

These would have been open sand dunes, there would've been boats pulled up on the beach here.

And there would be fishermen working here, there would be boats out in the sea there, unloading their catches and bringing them onto the beach.

And, of course, as well as fishing, by the mid-18th century it had become an embryonic seaside resort.

1768, the first bathing machines were installed here.

It's the second town in the country to have them.

Tourists are beginning to arrive in the town, to take the salt waters, to bathe, and it becomes a spa town.

And at the same time, the Lowestoft porcelain factory starts to produce its wares.

VO: From the late 1750s, Robert Browne and partners' tile-making and earthenware business was booming.

And the Lowestoft Museum houses a fine collection of the lovely porcelain they fashioned from local materials.

The factory producers, the managers, obviously realized that they had a niche trade here.

So they started to produce very, very early trifles, souvenirs, for the tourist to take home.

And this is what I wanted to show you.

We actually have one here.

A trifle from Lowestoft.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

With all this hand-painted, floral decoration.

So it was just tourist pieces they were making?

They're also producing items such as this jug, which was produced for John Vince.

Obviously, the person who commissioned that had a little bit of money, could afford to pay for it.

For the poorer people, perhaps, they were producing these birth plaques.

- Oh, wow!

- So that's to commemorate - the birth of that young man.

- Ah, it's really pretty.

In the late 18th century, things Oriental were all the rage.

And this fashion is reflected in the porcelain made at Lowestoft.

I was going to say, they do have an Oriental look to them.

You know, they're kind of in that imari palette, aren't they?

With the red, and the blue, and the gold gilding.

And it's fascinating when you think about it, because Lowestoft back then was a bit of a backwater.

It wasn't on the way to anywhere.

And I don't know how many people in Lowestoft had the concept of China.

VO: Competition from Worcestershire and Staffordshire is one of the reasons why the business was eventually wound down, ceasing production by 1800.

Nowadays Lowestoft porcelain is rare, and highly prized, with the record price for a single piece at £30,000.

Ivan thinks there may even be some lurking in high places.

In 1784, John Adams, who became the second president of the United States, 1796, was on his way to Paris for the peace conference there.

And we know from his diary that he stopped off at Lowestoft.

Many, many years later, when I was in California, I was talking to a friend, and he told me that he'd heard rumors that they actually had Lowestoft porcelain in the White House.

We're wondering if he didn't pick up one or two of these nice pieces and take back to the States with him, and they finish up in the White House.

- Wouldn't that be fantastic?

- Wouldn't it be, though?

I've got some shopping to do this afternoon.

But I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for some Lowestoft porcelain.

IVAN: And I'll keep my fingers crossed that you find some.

VO: Let's catch up with James now.

He's on his way to his last shop, with £179.32 in his pocket.

Bargains.

Bargains is what I need, after the great battle of Beccles, where I suffered a defeat to the victorious Izzie.

I need to regain some ground, and regain some money.

And his last chance to put that plan into action is 20 miles south-west in the charming Suffolk village of Yoxford... ..where he is first to arrive at their final destination today - Yoxford Antiques Centre.

- Nigel, good to see you again.

- Nice to see you.

No, no, really good.

Good.

Well, I know...

I know it's a big place, so I'd better get moving, shouldn't I?

OK, matey.

If you need help, - give us a shout.

- Thank you.

Time for James to have a gander at all the fine antiques on display, inside and out.

Into the fresh air.

Look at that honeysuckle.

Now, the world is warming up, England is warming up.

It's a time for gardens.

A time for gardens.

And here's a rather lovely table.

It looks like a... What does the label say?

We've got French cafe table, with an iron base.

Well, my word, it certainly passes the Braxton weight test.

That is very heavy.

So zinc top, circular, and the base is rather nice, because we've got an impress mark here.

So and so, and Grenoble.

£95 it's got on it.

I'm going to have to ask Nigel about this.

Ah, there he is.

Lurking in the bushes, look.

Ah, you like our cafe table?

Yeah, I like that cafe table.

And the great thing about these circular tables is you can fit so many people round them, can't you?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

It's got some age as well, hasn't it?

It's got a bit of age, yeah.

And, you know, the rust is slightly reassuring.

It's a painted zinc top.

I like the fact that it's placed.

We've got Grenoble there.

Nigel, I like this.

It's got £95 on the ticket - what could that be?

My best price on that, James, will be £85 and 50 pence.

- And 50 pence, really?

- And 50 pence.

Is that quite crucial, Nigel?

The all important 50 pence.

OK.

So here we go.

There's the five, 85.

That's lovely.

I think I have got a 50p - what have I got on me?

Loose change, there we are.

Nope I haven't got a 50, I've got 60.

Have that on me.

Oh, James, you're a gentleman, sir.

You're a gentleman.

- Thank you very much indeed.

- It's good occasionally to be seen to be paying more, isn't it?

VO: In the meanwhile, Izzie has arrived and seems a little overwhelmed by the volume of wares.

I don't know what to get!

Aah!

VO: In fact, I've never seen a whelm so completely overed.

It's just so difficult!

Yeah, and you've already bought a chair.

This looks like my kind of object.

She just can't help herself, you know.

It's a Georgian side chair, in elm, probably late 18th century.

What I really like about it is, I like the small size about it, actually.

But I love these buttons here.

Oh, they spin!

It's very, very smooth, and you can see sort of, like, the age to it, and the wear, and the nice dip here.

So... the ticket price is £68.

Um, so I would quite like to get a little bit off that if I can.

I really, really like this chair.

And I think I might have to have it.

So I better go and see what price I can get on this one.

Charlotte?

Hi.

- Hello.

- Um, I love your chair.

- Good.

- I probably shouldn't tell you that I love your chair because... - Good, it is lovely.

- It's just beautiful.

I can offer you a very good price.

So, how about 48?

48 would be brilliant - yes, please.

I will shake your hand.

Thank you very much.

- That's superb, thank you.

- Thank you very much.

VO: Well, so it was.

Nigel, I want to show you this wine rack.

That's very nice.

Is this en Francais, do you think?

I think it is French, indeed.

- Do you?

- Yeah.

So you get a really nice display.

So you just build it up there, because, you know, when I first saw it it looks quite skeletal, doesn't it?

But I imagine, when you start putting all these bottles here, it would take a lot, wouldn't it?

There's a lot of rows here.

It's getting on for 200 bottles of wine I think, there.

- 200 bottles of wine?

- Yeah.

VO: A Braxton-sized affair then?

What have we got on this?

35.

We could do our usual 10%, James, for you.

- Really?

- Yeah that would be 31.50.

31?

Not the 30, then?

No, not the 30.

31.50.

VO: Cheers!

Phew!

So how's Izzie getting on inside?

This kind of appeals to me, because I think it's something that James would like.

Because he loves bamboo.

It's a bamboo mirror.

It's in that esthetic style, esthetic movement style.

It's a beveled, beveled glass here.

And then you've got, to the background, you've got the butterflies and the flowers.

You know, it probably is sort of a period piece, turn of the century.

I'm just sort of looking at the back here, and there's actually quite a big crack down the back.

Um...

I mean, it's priced at £20.

I mean, I don't know whether I should get it, because...

I think James would like it.

He's probably already seen it.

But wouldn't it be brilliant if he hadn't... ..and then really liked it?

VO: Do you know, I think she's overthinking this lark a bit.

I'm going to go with bamboo.

VO: Hooray!

A decision.

Um, so, there's this mirror, which is priced at £20.

So I'm not going to argue on that one.

That's a good price, I think.

And I've spoken with Charlotte about the Suffolk chair, and I've agreed £48 with her on that one.

So that makes it... - £68.

- That's right.

Gosh, my maths is terrible, isn't it?

Splendid, thank you very much.

VO: And their work here is done.

I warned you at the start - you're the hare and I'm the tortoise.

OK. Well, let's see in Banbury, eh?

Let's see in Banbury.

Ride a cock horse, I'd say!

After a bit of shuteye.

Night-night.

Hello, Oxfordshire!

And James and Izzie are rocking up today to the fine market town of Banbury.

The medieval cross of the nursery rhyme fame was torn down by Puritans in 1600.

But a Victorian replacement was erected in 1859.

And with rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, our fine lady and her gentleman friend are hoofing it this morning to JS Auctions.

So this is your chance to even up the scores, Izzie.

Yes.

I'm hoping that I'm going to catch you up today, James.

Oh!

I love your shoes.

In fact, they remind me of Elton John.

- (LAUGHS) - Does he wear high heels?

VO: James parted with £277 on five lots... Ah!

This is such a James buy!

I mean, who needs 200 bottles?

Annoyingly, I think he's going to make a profit on it.

..while Izzie spent a more modest £138 on her five lots.

I like this chair for two reasons.

One, the design.

It's got some nice curves.

Two, the material.

Elm.

I know Izzie has a problem with chairs.

She paid £48 for this.

I think she'll make a profit.

VO: And is anything delighting our auctioneer today, Joe Smith?

OK, now the snake necklace - very good piece of costume jewelry, but extremely desirable.

All the ladies during the viewing have loved it.

I think a good success possible.

The Victorian wirework plant stand.

A very nice lot indeed, ready to go.

Very desirable in today's market, so should be the top lot of the day, I think.

Cor, it's jumping in here, look.

And it's time to be seated.

Here goes.

Good luck.

First up is James's collection of soda siphons.

Now, are they worth more than the pound each he paid for them?

- 15, 20 anywhere?

- £15 straight in?!

- At 25.

30 is it?

- 25!?

£25.

30.

- 30!

I mean... - 30.

30!

..we're working our way up to the price of a bottle of whisky here!

Surely more than this?

But at £30, we will sell them at 30.

All done.

- (GAVEL) - So you've... Six times profit there?

Is that how it works?

Have I just done terrible maths?

VO: Well, he's netted £25 anyway.

You're ahead of the game, Izzie.

Ahead of the game.

VO: Let's see.

It's her bamboo mirror next.

Nice.

20, five.

30, 35.

30.

35!

40 is it now?

At £35.

Oh, come on!

Come on, come, come on!

- Seated there at 45.

- 40.

40.

And 50.

55.

£55.

You see if I'd bought that, I would have got 20 quid for it.

I mean, this is epic.

- 55... - (GAVEL) I love making profits, James!

Nice one, Izzie.

Like I said, like you.

Tired, well loved, and quality.

(VO LAUGHS) But will he regret spending a tidy sum on the Victorian plant stand?

Under the hammer now.

Lots of interest.

We start the bidding here at 95.

(GASPS) At £95 bid.

That's a good strong start.

100, 110.

120.

130.

You're in profit.

- 130.

- 130.

Anywhere now?

130.

Spectacular piece here at 130.

Anybody else, now?

At 130.

All done, sure?

130.

GAVEL) - Just scraped that one!

- That's lucky!

That was lucky!

VO: Yeah, a modest return on a big investment and a lovely object.

I thought I was going to crash and burn, there.

Time for an Izzie chair moment now.

Will she be in the money with her Edwardian example?

£15.

20 is it?

Oh, it's only got 15?

Oh, my goodness.

On the right, £20.

20.

He's got 20.

No, he's got 20.

I need more.

At £20, for the pretty chair.

- Ding!

- 22!

At £20 here... - Oh, come on!

- Come back two, surely.

- Put it down!

- Just bid!

- 22.

New bidder there at 22.

- He's got 22.

Thank goodness.

- 24.

- Oh, don't labor it.

- Oh, I love this auctioneer.

- 26.

28.

Just brilliant, bless him.

- £28.

- (GAVEL) - 28.

- He really worked hard - for that one.

- It's a nice chair, though.

Cor, imagine, £28.

- I know, all that work!

- It's nothing.

VO: A fine bargain for someone, methinks.

Absolute bargain.

Even if it only fits - half of your bottom.

- Yeah.

VO: Depends on how big your bottom is.

Next up, James's cannonball from the Battle of Solebay.

Will it help him win the war?

So this will either fly, or it will... bomb.

- Sorry?

- (LAUGHS) 15, 20, 25.

There's the bid, £25.

30.

30 with the lady.

Oh, we need a bit more.

35, sir?

32 alright?

- 32.

34.

- 32.

34, 36.

This is good, he's creeping up.

- 38 - This is going to get there.

- No, it's not finished yet.

- They're running out of time.

Lady's bid at 38.

- He's not finished.

- Keep going, keep going.

- He's going to get another.

- £38.

History.

That's history.

(LAUGHS) James!

Bargain.

That's bargain history.

It crashed and burnt.

VO: And like the Battle of Solebay, the result of today's skirmish currently looks inconclusive.

I mean, it was just so much history there.

History, in your hand!

I mean, you were born then.

This must really resonate with you.

Yeah, that's... That's our link.

That is our link.

I am a Time Lord.

VO: Ha!

Time now for Izzie's silver pin cushion.

Start at £18, to start.

- Oh.

- 18.

20, five.

25.

30, is it?

30.

At £30 now.

- £30, five.

- More!

- 35.

- 35, middle of the room 35.

Let's have another, another to break even.

The silver pin cushion.

35, 40 anywhere?

Come on James, I need another.

At £35.

And done.

- (GAVEL) - That's OK.

I'd have liked to do a bit more.

VO: Quite.

Do you know what, James?

It can only get better from here.

VO: It's the turn of James's French cafe table.

I'm going to open the bidding here at 75 to start.

- 80 anywhere now?

- Come on.

- £80!

- 75 for the cafe table.

80, five.

90.

- 90!

- 90, 95.

100.

- 100.

- This is...

This is brilliant!

100 only.

£100 only.

Here on commission at £100.

And 10 do I see anywhere?

See I've taken some risks here, but I've got away.

- Back in the room now, 110.

- You're... - 110.

- 110!

£110, all done?

- It's gonna go.

- (GAVEL) Oh that was... You know what, James?

That was a nice table.

I'm pleased that's made a profit.

VO: Oh, la-la!

£24 and 40p, eh?

- Yeah, I'm rather pleased.

- Yes.

My two big lots that I was rather concerned about have made profits.

It's time for another Izzie chair moment, now - of the Georgian, ball-back variety with uncomfortable seat.

At 45, here on commission.

Oh, James!

This is worth so much more.

At £45.

Commission bidder.

At 45, 50 anywhere now?

Is this actually my chair that they're selling?

45.

There it's showing, at 45.

This is a disaster.

To the commission bidder.

- (GAVEL) - What just happened?

- 55?

- 45.

I'm not sure.

VO: It WAS 45.

And the first time she's lost money on a chair.

That's beautiful.

Well, someone has got an absolute bargain!

Izzie, I can't imagine... Maybe that was your...

The heart instead of the head, wasn't it?

I really thought that was gonna do well.

VO: That leaves Izzie trailing a bit, as we near the end.

Time for that very James piece now, the gigantic wine rack.

35 to start.

40 anywhere now?

Straight in profit.

- 40 is it?

- No, straight in face washing.

- 35.

Struggling, struggling.

- 35 only.

40, five.

And 50.

IZZIE: Ah, there's a 50 quid!

- Keep him going, keep it going.

- I think we're done now.

I'm happy for this to stop.

- Anybody else now?

- There's more!

At £50, are we all done, and away selling?

- (GAVEL) - Made a small profit.

All my items have just made a small profit.

And the problem is, small profits don't win the race.

Every little helps, though.

Come on.

I thought you were the tortoise, and I was the hare.

I am the tortoise.

And you are the hare.

So, has the hare run out of juice?

He's having a quick sleep, is he?

- By the side of the road.

- The hare's stopped for lunch.

The hare's stopped for lunch.

He's been overtaken...

The hare's had too much wine with his lunch, - and he's having a snooze.

- Emptied the wine rack.

Yes!

VO: Izzie's last chance to catch up, now.

It's the Bakelite box and snake necklace.

Will it charm the room?

25 to start.

30 anywhere now?

- What is it?

- 30!

40, five.

Profit.

You're away.

- 55.

- 55.

55 on the far left now, at £55.

- That's good.

- Ooh!

- 60 in the middle now.

- 60!

65.

- I'm gonna sit on my hands.

- 65.

- 70.

- 70!

- 75.

- No!

No!

80 anywhere now?

- At 75, 80?

- Oh, please keep going.

It's so much fun when it keeps going.

95.

- At £95.

100 anyone now?

- Wow!

I'm just having to sit on my hands!

- £95.

Are we all done, £95?

- Come on, just another!

- Come on, get it to 100!

- Go on, put it down.

VO: Crikey!

AUCTIONEER: 110.

120.

Yes!

VO: Look at that!

- 110!

- 130, 140.

150.

VO: I don't believe it.

Wow, Izzie, that's really good.

- £160 now.

- Stick to jewelry.

- £160.

- (LAUGHS) Stop laughing!

At £160.

Here and selling, mind.

All done.

160.

- (GAVEL) - Well done.

Well done.

160.

I...

This is a very rare occurrence, but I'm lost for words.

VO: A truly fantastic £140 profit.

Look at that!

The Balmer is back.

That is amazing.

160!

That's a profit, girl.

(LAUGHS) - I don't know what to say!

- Wow!

VO: I say... hooray!

(LAUGHS) James made small profits on most of his items.

But after auction costs, his piggy now weighs in at £355.88.

Izzie made £126.86 profit.

So, after saleroom fees, her pig has fattened up to £365.02.

So she's now in the lead!

Dear, oh dear.

What happened in there, Izzie?

(LAUGHS) It was a travesty.

- Not for me!

- No, you did very well.

It must be those starry shoes.

- Yup!

- It's early to bed, thin soup for me, and up with the lark.

I'm going out celebrating!

VO: I'll raise a glass!

On their last Antiques Road Trip, Izzie falls for blue john... Oh!

Just look at it!

..James finds the lady's not for turning.

Oh!

No, no, no, no, no, no.

But will the tortoise beat the hare?

Izzie, I can't bear to look any more.

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