TIM WONNACOTT: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts.

With 200 pounds each-- I want something shiny.

TIM WONNACOTT: A classic car, and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Like a rummage.

I can't resist.

TIM WONNACOTT: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

Why do I always do this to myself?

TIM WONNACOTT: There'll be worthy winners-- Give us a kiss.

TIM WONNACOTT: -- and valiant losers.

Stick them up.

TIM WONNACOTT: So will it be the high road to glory?

Onwards and upwards.

TIM WONNACOTT: Or the slow road to disaster?

Take me home.

TIM WONNACOTT: This is "Antiques Road Trip."

Yeah.

Welcome to the West Country in the company of James Braxton and Raj Bisram.

Cider!

You can't beat that, OK?

I was astounded to find out how many different types of apples there are in Somerset alone.

Oh.

Is it a hundred?

More.

Over 400 different types.

Really?

That's amazing, isn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Astonishing apple facts notwithstanding, our two experts really do know their stuff.

Here's another weird thing about Somerset.

Of course, it's famous for Cheddar Gorge.

TIM WONNACOTT: All very interesting.

Anyway, Raj is an auctioneer from Kent, also, a keen sportsman-- when he's not admiring antiques, that is.

It's a fascinating business.

It is.

And the more that you learn, the more that you know that you don't know.

Exactly.

You know what I mean?

TIM WONNACOTT: I think James does.

He's an auctioneer, too, from Sussex.

Plus, a vintage car fan.

So what do they make of their motor?

Have you ever heard of a Caravelle?

Never.

I had no-- I-- I thought it was going to be a camper thing.

So do I!

That's what I've learned.

I thought they were saving the budget.

[LAUGHS] TIM WONNACOTT: As if.

It's rather interesting.

It looks slightly amphibious from the outside.

TIM WONNACOTT: Could come in handy later on, then, because their first auction is on the Isle of Wight.

I try and buy things that I think will fit in with where the auction is.

Yeah.

RAJ BISRAM: I guess our market is quite limited on the Isle of Wight.

Yeah, it is.

It's-- it's-- it's an island, isn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: I'm fairly sure it's completely surrounded by water, James.

After kicking off in Somerset, at Bath, our experts, with 200 pounds apiece, will rove across a fair chunk of Southern England before zipping up to the Midlands, and then coming back home to Somerset at Binegar.

Later, their windscreen faces south as they cross the Solent for an auction at Brading on the Isle of Wight.

But today's first knockings begin way out west in Bath.

Spa towns were rather like going to the Cote d'Azur, weren't they?

RAJ BISRAM: Take the waters, as they said?

Take the waters, marry your daughters.

[LAUGHS] You're a poet.

TIM WONNACOTT: Bath, the city of honey-colored stone with more than a few antique shops and one splendid Gothic Abbey.

In the shadow, which Raj is on the lookout for his first shop.

Hi, there.

Hello.

Hi, I'm Raj.

Welcome to Bath Antiques.

Thank you so much.

We've got three floors.

It's a bit dangerous, so watch the stairs.

I'll be careful.

And your name is?

- Annette.

And you're in charge, are you?

I am in charge.

Brilliant.

TIM WONNACOTT: Now, as you might expect, Annette's shop has Bath's tourists firmly in mind, with plenty of collectibles in stock.

Interesting geography, too.

Almost everything is sort of in the shop window.

RAJ BISRAM: I'm seeing something that I know a little bit about.

OK, this is really delicate, delicate porcelain.

It's called Belleek.

And it's from County Fermanagh in Ireland.

The early pieces are what you're looking for.

And those have got the black mark.

TIM WONNACOTT: This calls for our woman in charge.

It's a bit tricky, because the building is falling down, as you can see.

So we've got this scaffold in here.

It's a 300-year-old building, and it's got deathwatch beetle.

TIM WONNACOTT: A real fixer upper then.

That's not going to come out there.

It's not going to come out.

TIM WONNACOTT: Do be careful, Annette.

So this is-- I'll tell you what you could do.

Can you turn that vase so I could see the base of it?

Yeah.

It's got the black mark, which is the early mark for Belleek.

It's great.

But, like, I can't buy it, because we can't get it out of the cabinet.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, that's a first.

Now, what's he up to?

I'm not actually leaving the shop yet.

What I'm trying to do is, there's some things out here-- which I can't-- I can't see properly from in the shop.

So I'm going to come outside and have a look.

There's some lovely things in here.

There's a nice pair of silver candlesticks, which I think I need to look at.

And there's a nice piece of Tiffany's silver as well, I think.

There's a nice silver pocket watches in here as well.

TIM WONNACOTT: Nice.

So I'm going to go back in, and ask her if she can get some things out of the cabinet.

TIM WONNACOTT: No easy task, that.

But it seems Annette's persistence has paid off.

RAJ BISRAM: There we go.

Always a problem with Belleek, especially because it's such a fine porcelain and this lovely glaze, is that it gets chipped and damaged a lot.

And the-- and the collectors obviously like it perfect.

It's gone down in price a bit, OK.

But it's still-- it's still quite collectible.

TIM WONNACOTT: Hefty 300 pounds price tag, though.

The tops that I would pay for this, the very, very top, and I even want to pay that, is 50 pounds for it.

ANNETTE: 50 pounds?

RAJ BISRAM: Yeah, but we'll-- we'll talk about that, because I've seen some other things actually.

There's another cabinet down here.

Right.

TIM WONNACOTT: He just saw those just now.

ANNETTE: They're Mappin & Webb.

RAJ BISRAM: These are quite nice, OK. ANNETTE: Yeah.

RAJ BISRAM: They're not exactly the most perfect condition, though.

They've got dents.

And at auction, these would be estimated 50 to 80 pounds.

ANNETTE: Yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Those are even steeper.

Anything more reasonable, Annette?

ANNETTE: It's a Celtic scarf thing, or is-- RAJ BISRAM: It looks like a Celtic brooch of some sort.

The good news is, there's no price on this.

Yeah.

RAJ BISRAM: It's not hugely old.

It's-- it's probably, uh-- it just says silver on it, so it has no-- that's all it says.

No, no.

So it's not-- it's not-- Well, what would you offer me for it?

I would probably pay for that somewhere between 12 and 15 pounds.

15, yeah?

12.

15.

13.

14, and it is yours.

14?

We have a deal.

- There you go.

Brilliant.

TIM WONNACOTT: One collection not in the window is the wall of caricatures.

ANNETTE: What about the Spy prints, Raj?

RAJ BISRAM: They're not normally my thing.

They're quite common, these.

You do see quite a lot of them.

There are some that are quite collectible, that are quite rare.

I've got quite a few.

I do have deal on the job, look.

TIM WONNACOTT: Quite?

These celebrity likenesses used to appear in the pages of the Victorian "Vanity Fair" magazine.

They're often called Spy cartoons after the pseudonym of Leslie Ward, their most famous artist.

Seven of them.

How many could you do them for?

You make me an offer.

No, I'm not that interested.

You're going to have to sell them to me on this one.

ANNETTE: Well, tell me what they get in auction.

RAJ BISRAM: On a bad day, you could probably buy this whole lot for 50 quid.

What about 45 pounds?

For the seven?

Yeah.

You could do quite well on them.

RAJ BISRAM: You've got me interested.

TIM WONNACOTT: We can tell that.

RAJ BISRAM: I am tempted.

But I'm going to make you an offer 30 pounds.

35, and they're yours, Raj.

I can't say no.

I'm going to have to shake your hand at 35 pounds.

You've got a deal.

TIM WONNACOTT: So 35 pounds, plus 14 for the brooch, comes to a grand total of 49.

Thank you very much indeed, it's been a real pleasure.

It's been charming.

Thank you.

I'm just going to pick up my stuff, and I'll be on my way.

Thanks, again.

TIM WONNACOTT: Exit Raj, with a grin on his face.

Such a happy chappy.

James, meanwhile, is also in Bath, taking a much more cultured view of the Georgian city, because Jane Austen, the author of "Emma," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Sense and Sensibility" lived here for a few influential years, observing the customs and manners of the English upper classes who flocked to the spa.

Lovely to welcome you to Bath and to Sydney Gardens, which a certain Jane Austen was very fond of.

TIM WONNACOTT: This little park was opened in the late 18th century, just before Ms. Austen came to live at nearby Sydney Place.

A local historian, Kirsten Elliott, can plot her course through the city.

JAMES BRAXTON: Is this the street that she lived on?

Yes, they came to live here in 1801, on this street.

These are built not all that long before they came, so they would have looked sparkling new.

This lovely Bath stone, isn't it?

And it would have been very white.

In fact, Jane Austen sometimes complains about the glare.

JAMES BRAXTON: Was Bath society joyous or is it very stifling?

You have to know people, that you have to have the right connections.

And there were very sort of strict rules as to where you could sit, what-- JAMES BRAXTON: According to your status?

KIRSTEN ELLIOTT: Exactly, exactly.

JAMES BRAXTON: So this was all meat and drink for her?

She absorbed all this, and then wrote about it, and used it.

Yes.

I mean, sometimes, people say, oh, her books are so snobbish.

But she's actually poking fun at snobbery.

She's not a romantic novelist.

She's a satirist, and she really sinks her teeth into snobbery.

You know, you think of the really unpleasant characters in her books, and they're snobs.

That's what she really, I think, hated.

TIM WONNACOTT: Her witty novel certainly succeeded in skewering several of the fashionable folk she encountered.

Two books, "Northanger Abbey," and "Persuasion," even featured the city as a backdrop.

KIRSTEN ELLIOTT: We're walking down now to Number 13 Queen Square.

Yep.

Although there's a suggestion that she came in 1797, we know that she came here in 1799 for a month with her brother Edward and his wife, and stayed at Number 13 Queen Square.

JAMES BRAXTON: Would she have done any writing there?

No, I don't think she did.

Although whether she made notes, whether it was just in her memory, she was certainly observing.

TIM WONNACOTT: In the satirical "Northanger Abbey," young Catherine is dazzled by Bath, such as Jane would have been at first, although she soon came to understand that there was a darker aspect of the Georgian city.

Behind all this glamour, there was quite a lot of poverty.

But when Jane and her mother, house hunting, they talked about going to Westgate Buildings.

And Avon Street nearby was dragging that area down.

And Avon Street was notorious for poverty, overcrowding, and prostitution.

I mean, one of the biggest industries in Bath amongst the poor was prostitution.

And Jane knows that.

TIM WONNACOTT: Although, in "Persuasion," her reference to the city's seedier side is so subtle that it could barely be detected, Austen did give her heroine and Elliott some decidedly unambiguous views.

"There have been three alternatives-- London, Bath, or another house in the country.

All Anne's wishes had been for the latter.

She disliked Bath and did not think it agreed with her.

And Bath was to be her home."

Oh dear.

TIM WONNACOTT: The Austen family left the city in 1805, and it was in Hampshire where she completed and published most of her novels.

But she will continue to be celebrated in the place that so influenced her work.

To me, she is the first modern novelist, because she writes in a modern way.

Before that, it's very stylized.

It's of its time.

Things like Tom Jones, Henry Fielding, the author, speaks to you directly.

But Jane Austen never does that.

I think it's the way she writes conversation.

She writes in such a natural way, and I don't think anybody had written such a natural way before.

It's quite a sort of a modern feel altogether.

TIM WONNACOTT: But while James has been reading books in Bath, Raj has headed south towards the town of Frome, which can also boast a fair few listed buildings-- listed people, too, like Jenson Button, the Formula One World Champion who has a Frome bridge, named after him, as you would.

Hello.

Hello.

How are you?

I'm good, and who are you?

My name is Sophie Alexandra Grace Levine.

But I suppose you can call me Sophie.

What a lovely name.

Well, you can call me Raj.

Thank you very much.

TIM WONNACOTT: And you can call me Tim.

Can I have a look around?

Oh, go on then if you have to.

Thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: I say, ice broken and ready to rummage, eh?

RAJ BISRAM: This caught my eye.

As soon as I came in, I got very excited.

It's a really early blue and white Worcester pattern.

And from a distance, it looked like it was magical.

But it's a reproduction one.

What a shame.

It's got 10 pounds on the ticket.

If this was an 18th century one, this would be worth 1,500 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: Continue browsing.

His friendly rival, meanwhile, is getting to grips with the Caravelle.

JAMES BRAXTON: It's all show.

It's all fur coat and no knickers, chief.

TIM WONNACOTT: I beg your pardon.

Thanks for that, James.

Very "Top Gear."

He's off to the outskirts of Bristol in his first shop of the trip.

Now, I've seen this young man before.

- You have?

- Hello, Jay.

All right, James?

Very well, very well.

Now, what's-- what's fresh in?

JAY: What's fresh in?

Fresh meat, please, Jay.

JAY: Fresh meat?

Well, just have a look around, didn't you?

There's plenty of it here.

JAMES BRAXTON: No, that was wrong answer.

You know your stuff better than I do.

What have you just got in?

TIM WONNACOTT: Good thinking, James.

Where are the goodies?

TIM WONNACOTT: There's an awful lot in here, after all.

Oh, look.

JAY: Did you like the hippo?

Well-- you know, wicker.

Alan wicker was so right, you know?

Wicker is the way forward, isn't it?

What an amazing thing.

Glassware inside a tray.

Slight list, isn't it?

And where-- where did you get this from?

Uh, that was actually clearance.

It's a nice thing.

Unusual, really.

It could be a rhino chief, can It TIM WONNACOTT: Yes, I supposed it might well be.

If it had been an elephant, I would have been all over it.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yeah.

Now, that's just being picky.

Wicker pachyderms are rather rare things, after all.

JAY: What do you think that is?

JAMES BRAXTON: That's-- that's, um, slicing something.

I think it's for oranges, marmalade.

Maybe it's a marmalade slicer, do you think?

What do-- you know, Britain did a lot of marmalade, didn't they?

Quite fun, isn't it?

Yeah.

Hours, many of hours of fun.

TIM WONNACOTT: Simple pleasures, eh, James?

Now, how's our Raj faring in Frome?

Look at these two.

Great big slabs of concrete on them.

They are Victorian pub tables.

But they have been adapted.

They would have originally had wooden tops.

And at 90 pounds, that's not a bad retail price.

But as a trade, I'd want to be paying 30 to 40 pounds for those.

TIM WONNACOTT: Furniture?

You sure, Raj?

It's certainly a fair bit about.

RAJ BISRAM: This is a nice set of Edwardian chairs.

I mean, a few years ago, these would have fetched at auction somewhere between 400 to 600 pounds plus.

Now, on the ticket, there's 150 pounds.

Let's see what she can do.

Sophie.

TIM WONNACOTT: Gird your loins, girl.

This set of chairs, what could be the best on them?

Um.

Or should I make you an offer?

Let's see what you come up with first, shall we?

RAJ BISRAM: What if I said 75 pounds?

Yeah, no, I can do that.

I can do that.

You're happy with that?

Yeah, sure.

We shake hands on it?

Oh.

I wish I'd come in at less now.

OK. TIM WONNACOTT: That was brisk.

I'm very happy with those.

TIM WONNACOTT: Meanwhile, back in Bristol, James is tired of making imaginary marmalade.

JAMES BRAXTON: Is that one of those James Bond cars?

It's a DB5.

Look that.

Looks classic, don't it?

Classic, isn't it?

Have you got the box?

Unfortunately, not.

Oh, dear.

It's no good to me then.

Right.

What else have you got, Jay, behind there?

Have you got any sort of racing pencils?

These are just the cheap pens, are they?

They're just the cheap pens, yeah.

JAMES BRAXTON: Ace lightning.

Look at that.

Are you a pen man?

JAY: No.

So there is an opportunity here, do you think?

You can have a job lot there.

JAMES BRAXTON: I'm just looking for the Montblanc.

It's bit a weight.

No, I think that's a screwdriver.

TIM WONNACOTT: Lordy.

What-- what about taking another look at the rhino, then?

JAMES BRAXTON: My theory is, we're going to auction with the Isle of Wight.

It's an island people, isn't it?

Lots of old colonials.

Lots of old ex-pats there, retired back to the Isle of Wight, and they'll have been to Africa, wouldn't they?

TIM WONNACOTT: Really, James?

Anatomically, you know, it's beyond reproach, isn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: He's not wrong.

JAMES BRAXTON: What weaving.

Imagine doing that.

JAY: Probably was a machine-made one, wasn't it?

JAMES BRAXTON: Machine-made.

JAY: Yes.

JAMES BRAXTON: Do you?

JAY: I wouldn't say it's handmade.

JAMES BRAXTON: I think handmade.

If that's handmade, the price is going up, isn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Better get on with it, James.

- Tenner.

- No.

Come on, Jay.

Come on.

20 quid.

No, no.

It's really-- Oh, don't box yourself in, mate.

Don't box yourself in.

Don't box yourself in.

12 pounds.

JAY: [HUFFS] JAMES BRAXTON: 12 pounds, Jay, no more.

I'll split the difference between 10 and 20.

15 quid, that's it.

Who wants to deal with change?

15 quid.

15 quid.

Come on, I want to see you happy.

Yeah.

That's how many pints of glider can we get for 15 quid, eh?

TIM WONNACOTT: Glider is a Bristolian name for cider, by the way, in it?

JAMES BRAXTON: Lovely doing business with you.

JAY: You, too, James.

- Very good.

Well-- Good luck.

Go in peace, and serve the Lord.

TIM WONNACOTT: And on that note, can Raj squeeze in yet one more buy?

RAJ BISRAM: I've just spotted this.

It's a big year for me.

I've had a lot of champagne this year.

An ice bucket with a bottle of Buck's Fizz.

Let's see what Sophie can do.

TIM WONNACOTT: Champagne Charlie Heidsieck was the Frenchman who made bubbly popular in 19th century America.

He's been portrayed by Monsieur Hugh Grant in a biopic.

Are you aiming to get this Buck's Fizz as well?

Yes.

[EXHALES] You're hurting me now.

It goes together, doesn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Ticket price, 10 pounds.

I'll make you an offer.

Oh, OK. All right.

5 pounds?

SOPHIE: Yeah, go on.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Brilliant.

We have a deal.

SOPHIE: Brilliant.

Let's go and cash out, shall we?

SOPHIE: Cool.

[CHUCKLES] TIM WONNACOTT: 5 pounds for those, and 75 for the chairs.

Quite a day, Raj.

Did we mention he's a former downhill racer?

Yeah, I bobsled as well.

Wow.

That was absolutely fantastic, but it's nowhere near as frightening as being in a car with Charles Hanson.

[LAUGHTER] TIM WONNACOTT: On that note, nighty-night.

Wake up, Wiltshire, the next-door county, as famous for its chalk as the neighbors are for their cheese.

- Oh.

- Wow.

Look at that.

Beautiful.

Oh, isn't that dreamy?

Little Chalfield.

TIM WONNACOTT: I love it when they show a keen appreciation of the locality, don't you?

Apparently, the shape of Stonehenge and the area that it covers is replicated in Bath in the circus.

Really?

TIM WONNACOTT: Yeah, I've heard that.

Yesterday, Raj bagged a brooch, a bucket, some chairs, and a collection of caricatures.

I'm going to shake your hand at 35 pounds.

I'm going to buy them, yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Leading him over 70 pounds in his wallet for today's shopping.

While James, his only trophy was a wicker wacky rhino.

JAMES BRAXTON: Anatomically, it's beyond reproach, isn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Meaning, he still has 185 pounds for today's shopping.

What are your favorite items if you had-- if money was no object?

I really like late Victorian, Edwardian luxury goods.

I love brass trays.

I like Islamic table.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yes, yes.

Later, I'll be off to the auction at Brading on the Isle of Wight.

But our next stop is very much still on the mainland, in Devizes.

A famous point on the Kennett and Avon Canal, lots of locks around here to help a rise of 237 feet.

Plus, there's the market square, looked over by the Goddess of Grain.

Here we are.

Devizes.

TIM WONNACOTT: Keen, aren't we?

They're only just opening up here.

A shared shop this morning.

Good luck.

- Thank you.

- After you.

TIM WONNACOTT: So polite.

Look, two lovely antique dealers.

Hello, James.

- John.

John.

Hello again, John.

VICKY: Hello.

- Nice to see you.

- Vicky.

VICKY: Vicky, yeah.

- Vicky.

Hello, Victoria.

Hello, Raj.

TIM WONNACOTT: Delightful old place, this.

Plenty of room to spread out, which is just as well.

Well, I'm going to have a wander round.

You're going to have a wander round.

I'm going to have a wander round because I love the shop.

OK. Well, I've already-- I've-- You've seen something?

- I've already seen something.

- Oh, have you?

- You better go.

- Oh.

Leave it to the professional.

Oh.

Go on your bike.

TIM WONNACOTT: I think the mind games may have already started.

Mind your head.

RAJ BISRAM: There's a lovely set here of fruit knives and forks.

These are really, really nice set.

They've got mother of pearl handles, and the actual blades are etched as well.

I mean, these would have cost a huge amount of money when they were first made.

They are real quality items.

The reason I'm not going to buy these is because the market just isn't there.

TIM WONNACOTT: Fair enough.

What about James?

Not more critters!

JAMES BRAXTON: So this is a sort of Chinese qilin, animal figure, isn't it?

Quite like that.

It's made out of wood, you know.

The thing is, with all this stuff, there's a lot of reproduction has come over over the years.

But it looks as though it's been on a floor for some time.

It's got some dust.

Spiders are settled in.

Sometimes, dirt and damage can be your friend.

It can be an indicator to an item's age.

You never know.

This could be my lucky second purchase.

TIM WONNACOTT: First, rhinos.

Now, mythical creatures.

Ah!

What's Raj found?

RAJ BISRAM: These are really quite decorative items.

And what they're for is their cigar molds.

So they would have rolled the cigars, put them in here, and then they would have clamped these two together, like that, and held them like that.

And they're quite, you know, they're quite decorative items.

I don't know what you quite use them for now.

But nice piece.

TIM WONNACOTT: Meanwhile, James has dumped his Chinese dragon and stepped outside.

JAMES BRAXTON: So what have we got here?

We got this-- this, to me, looks nice and shiny.

I like shiny.

JOHN: Yes.

JAMES BRAXTON: So we got gilded brass work.

TIM WONNACOTT: Despite looking like a cage the magician would keep his doves in, I think it might charitably be described as a magazine rack.

JAMES BRAXTON: Three legs.

You can't beat three legs, can you?

Look, even on rocky ground, it's nice and firm there.

Now, John, why have you put 15 quid on that?

You hate it, do you?

I'm not keen on it.

You're not keen on it.

It's a solo return piece for an old lady across the road.

JAMES BRAXTON: Is it?

JOHN: So we're going to have to stick at the 15 pounds.

John, I'd like to give you 15.

Thank you.

- Brilliant.

As soon as you mentioned the old lady, bartering went away.

Works every time.

[LAUGHS] TIM WONNACOTT: 15 pounds again, eh?

You know, he's a big spender, but that's cheap.

Oh, yes.

Do I have to pay the mademoiselle there?

Yeah, she-- She looks after the money.

She looks after the money.

TIM WONNACOTT: But as well as this establishment, John and Vicky also have a pub around the corner.

So while Raj continues to browse, James is off to experience the unique mix of antiques and ale.

JAMES BRAXTON: They call it the Black Swan outside.

But it could be easily labeled, heaven.

TIM WONNACOTT: He sounds happy enough.

Back at shop one, John has something nautical to recommend.

JOHN: Well, it's called the "Dead Man."

It's some sort of drag anchor, I suppose.

Yeah.

I haven't actually seen one before, but I can-- I can see exactly how it works.

You throw it in, and then it-- it would slow you down as you drag through the water.

That would surely sell on the Isle of Wight.

- Should do.

- It should do.

It's very nautical.

I mean, it's different.

What have you got on it?

What can you-- JOHN: Uh, 40 pounds.

RAJ BISRAM: What can you do it for?

JOHN: I'll take 30 pounds on it.

Still too much.

Still too much?

20?

20, and we've got a deal.

- 25, we've got a deal.

- 20.

Come on.

- 25.

RAJ BISRAM: We're going to be here for hours if we carry on this.

Why don't we split it?

22 pounds, 50.

We already split it.

No, we haven't.

22 pounds, 50.

Come on.

[INAUDIBLE] in 50ps, OK. All right.

RAJ BISRAM: We have a deal.

- All right.

- Fantastic.

- Done.

- Great, thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: Bracing stuff.

RAJ BISRAM: There we go.

It's one 22 pounds, 50.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much indeed.

TIM WONNACOTT: That's Raj done.

But while he steers his anchor and departs, James has a not altogether dissimilar idea.

JAMES BRAXTON: Have you got anything, uh, marine?

Anything with a ship on it.

It's knots.

Knots?

Oh, that's slightly better than most, isn't it?

JOHN: It'd be great on a pup wall in the Isle of Wight.

JAMES BRAXTON: It would be.

Isn't that fun?

How much do you got on that, John?

Well I did have 90 pounds on it.

JAMES BRAXTON: Do you think that could be coals to Newcastle, those knots?

TIM WONNACOTT: So is the risk.

Hey, look at that, look at your wheel.

JOHN: Well, that would have to be 75.

JAMES BRAXTON: 75.

Aye, aye, shipmates.

Has that got age, do you think?

JOHN: No, it's not got huge age.

Good quality, though.

You can't go wrong.

[CHUCKLES] John, you may have watched the program.

We frequently go wrong.

TIM WONNACOTT: Arrr!

I don't have my spyglass, but it looks a bit repro, Captain.

50 quid, and I'll take it off your hands.

Come on, put it that.

- 60 or we don't deal.

- 50 quid, John.

- 60.

- Come on, 50.

- I'll tell you why.

- 50 quid.

No, I get a little profit on it.

JAMES BRAXTON: Give me a chance.

JOHN: I am giving you a chance.

Throw the dog a bone, as they say.

JOHN: 58, and that's the deal.

Are you sure?

I'll give you last warning.

58.

Come on, OK.

Done.

- Done.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, who'd have thought it?

JAMES BRAXTON: I'm happy with 58.

JOHN: I'm sure you'll do well with that.

TIM WONNACOTT: Two very salty buys in landlocked Devizes.

Now, with the Raj and the shiny Caravelle, he's heading west towards the town of Trowbridge to find out about the Victorian inventor of a revolutionary writing system.

Hello, Raj.

Hi.

My name's Clare.

Welcome to Trowbridge Museum.

Thank you so much.

I'm really looking forward to this.

Let me show you around.

After you.

TIM WONNACOTT: Once dubbed the Manchester of the West, the town has a long history of woolen cloth production.

And it was here, during the early 19th century, that a certain Trowbridge lad called Isaac Pitman began his working life, aged 12.

He was a clerk.

So he'd be writing at records.

His father actually was the manager at James Edgell's Courts Mill, and that's how he got the job.

But his dad was very canny.

He thought learning was an important tool, and it was a way for Isaac to progress and develop.

So he started work at 6 o'clock in the morning, but he was up at 4:00, doing two hours of study before he went to work.

Then when he came back from work, finishing at 6:00, he was doing another two hours of study.

So learning-- his thirst for learning and his thirst for knowledge was unquenchable, really.

TIM WONNACOTT: Pitman left the mill to train as a teacher.

And within a few short years, he was in charge of his own school.

His motto was, time saved is life gained.

And he was soon teaching his pupils shorthand.

Well, it's a fantastic bust, Clare.

It is amazing.

He's got an incredible profile, almost Roman.

And of course, you know, shorthand started off, the Romans had their own version of shorthand, and the Greeks had a version of shorthand as well.

But what Isaac Pitman did was perfect and improve on what was already out there.

He actually wanted to promote it in schools.

So he put together a guide, went to a publisher, and the publisher said, well, actually I think you could get more mileage out of this if you actually developed your own version of shorthand.

So that's what Isaac Pitman did.

It was called "Stenographic Sound-Hand."

TIM WONNACOTT: Published in 1837, Pitman's phonetic system-- which was the first to use the thickness of stroke-- quickly became a huge success.

RAJ BISRAM: It sounds so complicated to me.

Well, I've never perfected it.

I have to be honest, I've never learnt how to do it.

But a lot of people have.

And it was an amazing tool.

It gave people lots of freedom, lots of opportunities, particularly women, to earn really good money.

TIM WONNACOTT: Pitman's shorthand spread worldwide and came to dominate the Victorian age, partly thanks to its inventor's canny ability to promote it.

CLARE: Pitman was very skilled at how to publicize his system.

He developed a reporter's guide.

He advertised.

He saw the potential of marketing way before anyone else.

It was taught at Pitman colleges and schools.

Every school was teaching Pitman's shorthand, it was on the curriculum.

And 100,000 people a year were learning shorthand in the 19th century.

TIM WONNACOTT: So what are the chances of an expert teaching Raj the rudiments of the language that turned a former Trowbridge clerk into a wealthy knight of the realm?

And lovely to meet you.

And you, Raj.

I'd love to learn some shorthand.

Where do I start?

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, let's begin with a well-known phrase, good luck, Anne.

ANNE: You start on the line that with a dot for "the."

A dot?

ANNE: Above the line, you do a curve like an N, and then a straight stroke from there-- RAJ BISRAM: Yeah?

ANNE: -- is antique.

That is the word antique.

RAJ BISRAM: That is antique?

Road is an upward stroke off the line, and then a heavy stroke downwards, a straight down stroke.

RAJ BISRAM: And trip?

ANNE: And trip, a straight stroke through the line, with a little hook on it.

RAJ BISRAM: This way here?

No.

- No?

- [CHUCKLES] No.

TIM WONNACOTT: Patience, Anne.

ANNE: And then the dot goes-- There's a dot as well?

ANNE: A little dot, not big dot like that.

Very tiny dot.

- Is that a big dot?

ANNE: That's too big, yeah.

That makes an E. So it would be, trep.

TIM WONNACOTT: Maybe stick to the day job, eh?

James is.

And he takes our trip down east towards the Berkshire town of Hungerford and with over a hundred pounds still in his pocket.

Time's tight, however.

And this is a big center.

I've come to the furthest reaches of this antiques arcade.

This is less likely to get the most traffic.

They'll have to lure people with cheaper prices.

TIM WONNACOTT: Might work, or you could always take some friendly advice from Rita.

Everything's up for grabs, isn't it?

Everything.

God, how am I going to find the treasure here?

Don't forget the floor.

JAMES BRAXTON: Everything's covered, isn't it?

I don't think I can find any rare jewels here.

But there's some fun things.

Look at that.

That's great, isn't it?

What a lovely old box.

This is the Arsenal Gate, Woolwich.

TIM WONNACOTT: But not what he's looking for, apparently.

What else can Rita recommend?

JAMES BRAXTON: It's rather nice, isn't it?

It'd be lovely if it had Lalique's name on it, wouldn't it?

[CHUCKLES] Wouldn't it?

So it's just a molded glass dish, not too much chipping.

It's just quite a nice image, isn't it?

If you're a golfing person, that would be a rather fun thing.

He's got a good swing.

Or has he?

Look, he's bending the elbow.

I think, nowadays, you have to keep it straight.

I don't know.

What's he got?

He's got something on it.

11 pounds, 50.

What do you think he could be?

He is the 5 pounds, 50 man.

JAMES BRAXTON: He is the 5 pounds, 50 man.

Why do you call him 5 pounds, 50?

Because that's how he started off, at 5 pounds, 50 pence.

JAMES BRAXTON: 5 pounds, 50.

Everything in this cupboard is-- - So the ravages-- - -- 5 pounds 50.

-- of inflation.

Could we turn the clock back just before, you know, 5 years ago?

Do you think 5 pounds, 50?

- Definitely.

- Do you think so?

I know so.

I'll take that, Rita.

Yes?

Like that, like that.

TIM WONNACOTT: He sounds like a nice chap.

What else has he got?

JAMES BRAXTON: This is the thing I sort of wanted to have a quick look at as well.

What is it?

It's, um, paperweight.

But it's nicely pegged, and it's silver.

But it looks quite well-made.

And it's TDLR.

TDLR is Thomas De La Rue and Company.

And De La Rue were very famous for printing banknotes.

[GASPS] Oh, wow!

TIM WONNACOTT: The ticket price is an ever so slightly pricier 15 pounds, 50p.

JAMES BRAXTON: Do you think he might do 5 pounds, 50.

I'm sure he will.

Rita, put it there.

Thank you very much, indeed.

TIM WONNACOTT: James has held firmly onto the purse strings with help.

So much for so little.

Thank you very much indeed.

- You're very welcome.

- Thank you.

And good luck.

Thank you.

Bye-bye!

TIM WONNACOTT: But with our shopping now complete, we'll take a peek.

James parted with 99 pounds for a wicker rhino, a magazine rack, a ship's wheel, a glass dish, and a paperweight.

While Raj spent 151 pounds and 50p on a Celtic brooch, several prints, some dining chairs, a champagne bucket, and a canvas anchor, as you do.

So let's canvas some opinions.

He told me he was going to buy on price, and boy, has he bought on price.

6 chairs for 75 pounds.

He's got the Spy prints, no money.

The magazine rack-cum-occasional table, 15 pounds, they gave it to him.

Well done, James.

Would I swap with Raj?

Well, definitely, I'd swap that ship's wheel.

What was I thinking of?

Whether that wheel has ever seen a ship is very unlikely.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, it has now, at least.

Because after setting off from Bath in Somerset, our shipmates will shortly be arriving at their first auction in Brading on the Isle of Wight.

It's actually the second smallest county in Britain after Rutland.

Really?

Yeah.

Jolly, you're a mine of information.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yeah, good work, Raj.

Now, it's lunchtime and James, especially, never misses.

Raj seems a bit distracted, though.

JAMES BRAXTON: What it needs is a bit of mustard there.

RAJ BISRAM: Really?

I think there's some mustard behind you.

Oh, fabulous.

TIM WONNACOTT: What's he up to?

RAJ BISRAM: Well, it is an old one.

I wasn't sure.

I could see it when I was sitting down.

But this is an old petrol can.

And motoring memorabilia is really, really collectible.

TIM WONNACOTT: I'm not sure the decorations are actually for sale here.

I mean, it's not worth a fortune.

But if I can get it for 5 to 10 quid, it's going to make a profit.

Where has he gone?

Oh, well.

Mm.

What's your offer?

A fiver.

Take it.

- You take it?

- Yeah.

Let's shake hands.

Thank you very much, Liam.

TIM WONNACOTT: Too late for this auction, I'm afraid.

Best pop it in the boot.

Where did you disappear to?

Sorry about that, James.

TIM WONNACOTT: I think you'll find out in due course, James.

OK, fed, and watered, and shopped, I wonder what auctioneer Rex Gully thinks will do for Wight.

The canvas anchor-- or sea drogue, I think, you call it-- was designed to slow ships down rather than just anchor them to the spot will get a bit of interest.

The wicker rhino, a very quirky item.

We valued it at 40 to 60.

It will appeal to the interior design people on the island here.

And those green eyes really get you.

The set of Edwardian dining chairs, we have valued these chairs at 200 to 300 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: That really would be quite something, fellas.

[GRUNTS] This bodes well.

Yes.

Very well.

TIM WONNACOTT: We're starting off with Raj's bargain cartoons.

Somebody start me a 40 pounds, please.

40 pounds, I've got 40.

And 45 now.

I've got 40 here.

45 anywhere?

I think that's enough.

REX GULLY: Is that all done?

No, surely no.

REX GULLY: Looking at the internet for 45.

Are you all done?

You are?

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

40 pounds?

TIM WONNACOTT: Perhaps current celebrities would have done a bit better.

Never mind!

There's another one of his snips up next.

I've been told that people on the Isle of Wight have champagne tastes.

[CHUCKLES] Who told you that?

TIM WONNACOTT: Buck's, Fizz or should that be bucket and fizz?

This is what we all need.

RAJ BISRAM: Yes, don't forget the bottle.

It's got a full bottle in there.

Hold the bottle, show it now.

Yeah, it's got a full bottle in there.

Hold it up, but don't show the label.

10 quid somewhere, please.

- Come on.

- Yes.

I've got 10.

I've got 15.

And 20, it's good stuff.

20?

Yeah, go on.

REX GULLY: That's a yes.

20.

25?

20, I've got.

I've got 20 pound.

25, anywhere?

20 pounds.

I think that's enough, sir.

About sell to you.

Sold.

RAJ BISRAM: That's OK.

I am.

I'm-- I'm pleased with that, yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: So we now know they're fond of bubbly here.

But how will those nautical buys go down?

- Ship's wheel?

- I got ship's wheel.

Yeah, let's hope it steers in the right direction.

Yeah, and you got the slowing down, the canvas anchor.

Yeah, let's hope it doesn't slow down too much.

TIM WONNACOTT: OK. James goes first-- his pricey ship's wheel.

Reproduction, hardwood, eight-spoke ship's wheel.

He said reproduction, oh!

20 pounds, somewhere?

Decorative.

20 pound on the phone.

25?

Bid against the phone, somewhere.

Do I hear 25?

It's going at 20 to the telephone.

To a telephone bidder.

And the internet?

20 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: Sunk with all hands.

Something else from the chandlery?

Do you know funny enough, Raj, I've walked into a room, and I've often thought, what this room needs is a canvas anchor.

RAJ BISRAM: You think?

- You know.

RAJ BISRAM: I knew you'd get there in the end.

To go with the wheel, we have a vintage-- Oh, don't no-- I don't want to go near the wheel.

Start me at 20 pounds?

Yes.

There we are.

I can't say you will have-- Don't sound surprised, Mr. Auctioneer.

REX GULLY: 20 I've got.

25, anywhere?

20 pounds, I've got.

Do I hear 25?

I put it done.

REX GULLY: Are you all done?

At 20.

At 20, it's sold.

Thank you, Madam.

TIM WONNACOTT: It looks very deflated all of a sudden.

It's like taking coals to Newcastle.

- Tell you what-- - It doesn't work, does it?

I'm not going to listen to you in the future.

I would not listen to me at all.

TIM WONNACOTT: This should cheer you up, James-- that nice, cheap paperweight.

Do you know what, I think I paid too much for this item.

Don't you start, OK?

5 pounds, 50?

Yeah, I should have stopped at the 5, shouldn't I?

TIM WONNACOTT: Richard Dickson's now in charge.

Someone start me at 20.

Straight in.

RICHARD DICKSON: 20 pounds, I have there.

5 somewhere?

20 pounds, maiden bid.

25 and 30, and 5.

At 30, you can let it go at 30?

Against you there, at 30 pounds on my right.

Make no mistake, I'm selling it.

At 30 pounds, all done?

Not bad at all, not bad at all.

TIM WONNACOTT: No!

Almost six times what he paid for it.

I used to have this reputation, James, for buying everything at a fiver.

But now, you've taken over that role.

TIM WONNACOTT: Cue Raj's canny Celtic brooch, not expensive.

Someone start me at 20, please?

Come on.

RICHARD DICKSON: 20, will you bid me for it?

15, I'll take, if it helps.

15 and a half?

20, do I hear now?

20, can I save you?

20, I have there.

And five?

Five, anywhere?

25, I have.

And 30, do you say?

30, do you bid?

Go on.

At 25, it's on the slope.

25, on the slope and selling.

You all done?

- Well done.

- A little profit.

That's all right.

That's a little profit.

That's a little profit.

TIM WONNACOTT: A few more of those, and you'll be in clover.

- It's the right way.

- Yeah?

Absolutely.

Could have been lose a little loss.

It could have been a big loss.

[CHUCKLES] To be honest, James.

You can't get a big loss in 14 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: And how about 5 pounds, 50, James?

Your golfer.

This is a golfing island.

Is it?

There's lots of golfers here, as if you didn't know.

Oh.

So this is going to go quite well, isn't it?

Right.

TIM WONNACOTT: Under the hammer of Rebecca Ball.

Let's see, about 20 pounds, to start it, please.

20, I have.

Thank you.

I'm looking for 25 now.

At 20 pounds, it's beside me.

At 20.

And do I hear 25?

Go on.

REBECCA BALL: At 20 pounds then.

This is a good profit.

REBECCA BALL: Any advance?

We all done?

At 20 pounds.

Oh, in the rough.

In the rough, Raj.

Well, I wouldn't say that.

I wouldn't say, in the rough, OK?

The night rough maybe.

TIM WONNACOTT: Huh, on the green, I'd say.

You quadrupled your money.

What more do you want?

TIM WONNACOTT: For this to be on trend on the Isle of Wight.

Well, useful anyway.

I can see it now in someone's bungalow by the side of the TV, with all the magazines on it.

"Isle of Wight Living," island living.

Yeah, you've got it.

Let's see about 30 pounds for it, shall we, please?

30 pounds.

30, I've got.

30 pounds, it's on the left, at 30.

I'm looking for 35 now.

At 30 pounds, and then, you all done.

We're in the room at 30, I'm selling.

TIM WONNACOTT: More great profits.

Those maritime flops are a distant memory.

So I turned 15 pounds, doubled my money into 30.

RAJ BISRAM: And even though it was a-- a fairly modern piece-- It was-- -- it still did well.

-- not modern!

TIM WONNACOTT: No, if Raj's chairs even get close to the estimate, the words, sitting, and pretty might well team up.

I've got spare hankies.

I've got tissues.

I've even got an ambulance waiting outside.

Really?

Yeah.

Let's start about 150, please.

BIDDER: I've got 100.

100 is mean, but I will take it.

I've got 100.

Looking for 110 now.

120.

130.

140.

150.

160.

At 150, it's the gentleman's bid.

Do I hear 160 now?

At 150 pounds now.

We are in the room at 150.

Do I hear 160?

Put it down, Madam.

150 pounds, you all done.

JAMES BRAXTON: That's plenty, plenty.

Well done.

All right.

That's OK. That still could have done a bit better.

TIM WONNACOTT: Hey, don't be too greedy, Raj.

Oh, lost lot.

What if everybody loves the rhino?

- You think so?

- Yeah.

It's lovely.

I like the marble eyes.

I thought it was a nice touch.

TIM WONNACOTT: Why rest your tray anywhere else?

It's definitely missing a horn.

Let's say, 25 pounds for him, please.

Shall we?

25, I have.

30, you in?

35 and 40.

At 35, it's on the slope.

Do I hear 40 now?

Go on.

REBECCA BALL: At 35 pounds, gentleman's bid.

40, I have.

45 and 50.

55.

And 60.

Wow.

REBECCA BALL: At 55 pounds, then we're in the room at 55.

Are you all done now?

At 55 pounds.

You are absolutely right, James.

If it's ugly enough, somebody will buy it.

TIM WONNACOTT: That might well be their motto.

Cup of tea?

After you.

TIM WONNACOTT: James began with 200 pounds.

And after paying auction costs, he made a profit of 28 pounds and 10 pence, leaving him with 228 pounds and 10p.

While Raj, who also started out with 200, made a slightly bigger profit after costs of 57 pounds and 60 pence.

So he's the early leader with 257 pounds and 60p.

Raj, for goodness' sake, stop smiling.

Well, I can't help.

I'm always smiling.

We've got some money.

The sun is shining.

- Yeah.

We haven't seen the island yet.

Yeah, I think we've just got to see it.

So let's see what it's got to offer.

Yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, happy trails, eh?

We haven't been here for a long time.

And it is a lovely spot.

Maybe just steer clear of nauticalia?

You see, I come from a sort of maritime family, so saltwater brine is in my veins.

Is it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, maybe not.

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