
Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning, Day 5
Season 10 Episode 20 | 43m 51sVideo has Closed Captions
Only a few pounds separate Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning as the final auction looms.
It’s the final leg for road trippers Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning. There are only a few pounds separating this competitive duo as they begin in Norwich, and head for a nail-biting final auction in Stamford, Licolnshire.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback

Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning, Day 5
Season 10 Episode 20 | 43m 51sVideo has Closed Captions
It’s the final leg for road trippers Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning. There are only a few pounds separating this competitive duo as they begin in Norwich, and head for a nail-biting final auction in Stamford, Licolnshire.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipVO: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts... What about that!
VO: ..with £200 each, a classic car, and a goal: to scour Britain for antiques.
Can I buy everything here?
VO: The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction.
But it's no mean feat.
Feeling a little saw!
This is going to be an epic battle.
VO: There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.
So will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?
The honeymoon is over.
I'm sorry!
VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.
VO: Yeah!
VO: On this Road Trip, we're on the very last leg of our journey with auctioneers and awfully good pals, Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning.
Oh, Paul, it has been such a great time with you.
Been a giggle.
VO: Anita's a glorious Glasgow girl with an eye for finery and a talent for turning a profit.
I've just laughed all the way to the bank.
Ever the professionals, you and I. VO: While Paul's a gimlet-eyed Carlisle chappy, whose vast knowledge and passion for militaria marks him as one of the trip's toughest contenders.
We can't be too unhappy with the items that we bought, we have fell in love with all these things.
We made a couple of bob on them.
VO: So far on this trip, they've each won two legs.
ANITA: Are you happy?
PAUL: I am happy!
VO: Meaning that this final auction could be anyone's.
VO: They both started with £200.
Paul's now traded up to a healthy budget of £344.99.
VO: While Anita's still a hair ahead of him, holding £389.20, cash.
That's less than £50 in it and everything to play for.
PAUL: I think we've done, we've acquitted ourselves well enough, have we not?
VO: Today, they're driving a delightful little 1957 Morris Minor 1000 Traveler.
The car was manufactured before seatbelts were mandatory, so it's legal to drive without them.
ANITA: We've got one more batch of shops to do.
VO: Indeed you have.
On this grand road trip, they've clocked up more than 1,000 miles from Ford in Northumberland, criss-crossing England's ancient shires, to end in Stamford in Lincolnshire.
On this final leg, they'll begin in Norwich, indeed aiming for auction at Stamford.
ANITA: And look, the sun's coming out, Paul.
VO: How lovely.
VO: They're just arriving in Norwich, a city with a proud and ancient history, as their first stop of the morning attests.
VO: St Andrews and Blackfriars Hall is thought to be the most complete surviving medieval friary complex in England.
Nowadays, it's an event venue.
And today, host to Norwich Antiques Market.
Paul, this looks fabulous.
PAUL: What a venue, eh?
ANITA: We are going to have fun.
PAUL: You reckon?
But who's gonna have the most fun?
PAUL: I'll race you.
VO: I can't wait to find out.
This is a busy regular antiques fair which attracts more than 100 dealers.
ANITA: Paul, this is a busy old place.
It's mobbed.
ANITA: We're going to have to fight for bargains.
You go that way, I'll go this way.
Good luck.
VO: And they're off.
VO: Paul is really in his element this morning.
Welcome to my geek world.
VO: I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.
VO: It looks like he's found something.
May I see the watch chain, please.
PAUL: Look at that, that is massive and it looks really substantial.
It looks like you could kill somebody with it, in all honesty.
VO: But you won't will you?
VO: It's a Victorian silver chain for a fob watch.
He's also found another Victorian gentleman's item: an ornate white metal buckle for a shoe or belt.
So watch chain and buckle, can I squeeze you anymore?
It's more than I want to pay.
You could try and squeeze a bit more.
£48, how is that?
Oh, small steps.
Small steps.
I want to shake your hand... DEALER: Yeah?
PAUL: But it wants to be 40 quid I'm afraid.
Make it 45.
And that's it.
PAUL: You're a good man.
DEALER: Cheers.
Deal's done.
Thank you.
I'll give you some money.
Have we got money?
VO: Yes, you have.
There it is...
Meanwhile - true to form - Anita's glad-handing her way through the crowds.
ANITA: Nice to see you.
Lovely to meet you.
ANITA: Everything looks so lovely.
Thank you very much, thank you.
VO: If you're quite finished greeting your public, Anita.
Oh, what she spotted?
ANITA: This is a lovely thing, is this silver?
I think it is Italian continental.
Is that expensive?
It is 120.
Uh-huh.
It is not dear, is it?
Not really, not for that.
VO: What's the very best that dealer John could do?
ANITA: Not 95?
JOHN: 105.
ANITA: 105.
JOHN: 105.
Could you do 100 on it?
For an immediate sale?
JOHN: Yes.
ANITA: Right, OK. That's lovely, thank you very much.
VO: Well, she's spent big on her first lot - bravely done when one buy can make or break this game.
And she's rummaging on through this fair's many stalls.
VO: Meanwhile, Paul's like a proverbial child in a sweet shop in here and he's soon spied something else he likes.
PAUL: In this tiny little strip seal bag, it's a compass.
PAUL: You see that?
VO: Only just.
PAUL: North, clearly, that a-way, home.
VO: The tiny compass is a World War II item, probably issued to RAF airmen.
This is escape and evasion equipment.
PAUL: If we end up bailing out, shot down over enemy territory, captured, we've got something that we could maybe conceal, we've got a little tool that might just get us back to Blighty safely.
Good story, yeah?
I love this stuff.
VO: It really taps into Paul's love of militaria.
Ticket price is £20.
Best have a word with the friendly dealer I reckon.
PAUL: How are you doing?
Can you work wonders on that or not?
16?
We're offering you a tenner expecting you not to take it but hoping that 16 is not gonna be where we end up.
Do me 12 quid?
A real 12 quid.
14 and we've got a deal.
Good man.
VO: Another deal struck at £14.
Now he's got the scent of wartime items in his nostrils.
PAUL: Here we have an ashtray.
PAUL: Now I am not generally drawn to ashtrays.
However, very...
I'm familiar with this piece.
Very nicely decorated here.
VO: It's another Second World War piece, commemorating the units of the Allied Tactical Air Force.
This is a commemorative piece bearing the insignia of the various units, there's an RAF roundel in there for example.
American Air Force insignia.
PAUL: The units that made up the tactical air force - if you own an RAF escape compass and you are trying to sex it up with something else to stick into auction, it might be of interest to you as well.
VO: Indeed it might.
Paul's keen to add it to his compass to build a job lot.
So, dealer Owen can expect a visit.
Hello there, how you doing?
This is yours is it?
OWEN: It is.
PAUL: I am hoping to God you can do something on that price.
I'll do a very special price of a tenner.
PAUL: Oh good, you're a good man.
PAUL: And at a tenner, you've got a deal.
PAUL: Easy peasy.
OWEN: Thank you very much.
VO: Another item bagged.
And he's also remembered another aviation-related trinket he saw earlier that he might add to the lot.
VO: Back to the same dealer from which he bought the chain and buckle he goes.
PAUL: I'm back.
DEALER: Back again.
You're an antiques magnet for me.
PAUL: You had sweetheart brooches, an RAF one.
Yeah.
There you go.
DEALER: There we go.
VO: It's a little sweetheart brooch that would've been worn for luck, by the lady-friend of an RAF pilot during the Second World War.
PAUL: Not expensive I would hope?
DEALER: No.
£5.
PAUL: I'll take it.
Good man.
VO: He takes the sweetheart brooch for £5, giving him three items in a job lot of World War II related air force objects.
VO: As well as his watch chain and buckle in a separate lot.
VO: He's spent £74 so far.
Wow.
VO: Now what's Anita been up to?
ANITA: Hello.
Tell me a bit about these?
These are fabulous.
VO: She's happened upon some necklaces dating from the 1920s.
But what I like about it is the age and the style.
ANITA: We don't have precious jewels but what we have is a bit of style.
And I was wondering if I maybe got a wee group together... Yeah, no worries.
You could give me a deal on that?
No worries.
VO: She's assembled a group of three of the costume jewelry necklaces But what will she offer dealer, Mark?
In auction I would be putting them in at, that group, at 15 to 20, 15 to 25.
Yeah?
That's what I would be putting them in at.
ANITA: Could I be buying these in that region?
16 the lot.
16 the lot.
OK. That's good, thank you very very much.
MARK: That's fine, that's OK. Good luck.
VO: Spiffing.
A generous deal from Mark means she's bagged the Jazz Age baubles as well and spent £116 so far.
VO: Now, after his epic buying spree this morning, Paul's hopped back in the car.
VO: And is motoring towards the environs of the Norfolk village of Forncett St Peter.
VO: He's heading for the Norfolk Tank Museum - an independent museum that showcases the incredible collection amassed by a man who might be even more heavily into military history than Paul.
Crikey, that takes some doing.
PAUL: Who on earth has a collection of tanks I ask you?
VO: Why, owner Stephen MacHaye does, Paul.
It is Stephen?
STEPHEN: Yes it is.
Good to see you.
VO: Tanks were first widely used on the battlefield in World War I and armored fighting vehicles like these - designed for the harsh rigors of frontline combat - were instrumental in changing the nature of warfare throughout the 20th century.
VO: Stephen's extraordinary personal collection of tanks, armored vehicles and heavy artillery is on display here at his home - a farm that's been in his family since the 1950s.
PAUL: Wow.
How many do you have?
About 20 on site now.
Going from full main battle tank down to small armored cars.
Wow.
VO: Stephen's built up his collection by restoring retired tanks to working order by himself.
PAUL: You're an engineer, clearly, because you say you restore these.
No, I am all self-taught.
Yeah, just a love of history, love of engineering and just tinkering.
Wow.
I always say about antiques and the things that I love that they transport you.
Yes, absolutely.
But your toys actually do transport you.
VO: They certainly do.
And then what do you do with them?
Drive round the garden or what?
Have done in the past, took them shopping, Tescos.
Parking might be easy...difficult or easy depending on how brutal you are prepared to be.
STEPHEN: Easy!
VO: Stephen's private collection opened as a museum for the general public a few years ago, but Stephen's love of tanks and heavy artillery was originally sparked by hearing tales of his grandfather's wartime service.
Not in the Second World War, but the First.
Then when the tanks appeared on the battlefield, he must have had a love of engineering like myself, he saw these massive beasts coming across the battlefield and thought that's where I want to go.
STEPHEN: Ended up driving the First World War tanks.
VO: This love of tanks has certainly passed down the generations.
PAUL: What was the first one you bought?
First tank was this one.
PAUL: This is it!
Yes it is, yes.
Bought this 20 odd years ago, not in this condition, spend 18 months lovingly restored it, now a pride of the collection.
VO: It's a Saladin Armored Scout Car, which was owned by the British Army.
VO: The Saladin was widely used around the globe and manufactured from the 1958 until the late 1970s.
VO: This is one of the very earliest produced.
STEPHEN: British army, 1959 this particular vehicle was built.
Served up until early 80s.
VO: It saw service in many of the British Army's areas of operation.
She's been to Aden, she's been to Cyprus, done the Middle East tour, she's done Northern Ireland; fantastic vehicle.
STEPHEN: They're just fascinating, there's nothing out there built like them.
VO: Stephen's collection also extends to heavy artillery.
STEPHEN: Oh absolutely yeah, German artillery pieces, Second World War.
Get in.
Seriously?
STEPHEN: Yeah.
Show me some artillery.
VO: Paul's luck really is in today.
PAUL: Stephen, what, aside from the obvious, is that?
It is a German FH 15 150mm Howitzer.
Howitzer's an artillery piece designed for lobbing shells at the enemy.
OK. And a towable piece, a maneuverable piece.
Yes.
Battlefield to battlefield.
VO: This example dates from the period just before the Second World War.
STEPHEN: They were actually produced round about 1934 when Hitler first come to power.
Right.
And he was trying to disguise what he was producing by making them look like First World War artillery pieces.
VO: Agreements forged at the end of the First World War prohibited Germany from rebuilding its national arms.
So the F hrer had these new guns designed this way so that they could be disguised as existing weaponry.
They were pressed into service when war broke out.
STEPHEN: These particular guns were actually on the eastern front fighting against Russia, captured by the Russians and then used against the Germans for the rest of the war.
PAUL: My word.
So where did this turn up?
It came over from Russia in the mid 80s.
Oh, so it stayed in Russia until someone brought it back?
STEPHEN: Yeah.
PAUL: Astonishing.
VO: It's a real piece of military history.
But Stephen's got one last surprise for Paul, and I think he's going to be delighted.
Somebody in there.
I know.
This is Richard.
He's going to give us a ride around in the vehicle.
VO: They're going for a spin in the Saladin.
Hey, whoa, it's a big drop in there.
It is.
You OK to climb in?
I'll give it a go.
(CHUCKLES) Right then, Richard.
PAUL: It does feel a bit good, doesn't it?
Oh yeah.
It's got to be done.
I think it does.
VO: I've never seen him so delighted.
PAUL: How big a telescope have you got?
PAUL: It's Manning I am looking for.
Somewhere in the region of Norwich, I'm looking for Anita Manning.
Yes.
PAUL: How powerful is the gun sight on this?
Onwards!
VO: I can see you're going to be in there for a while.
We'll leave you to it.
Meanwhile, Anita's still back in Norwich - and well out of range, thankfully.
She's heading for Treasure Chest Antiques, where dealer Pasquale is ready to greet her.
PASQUALE: Hello.
ANITA: Hello, I'm Anita.
Pleased to meet you Anita.
Oh.
It's absolutely...
Welcome to the Treasure Chest.
VO: Anita's up to her old tricks.
I've already bought some jewelry, and I shouldn't really be poring over the jewelry cabinets but I can't help it.
ANITA: I've still got quite a lot of money to spend but I'm going have a good look, take my time and just go with the flow.
VO: Groovy, Anita.
Grrrr!
VO: It never takes her long.
ANITA: Pasquale.
PASQUALE: Yes?
PASQUALE: What can I do you for?
I love this little cabinet.
You like this one, do you?
Well, I love the things in it.
PASQUALE: Oh.
I'll get the key for you.
ANITA: I know this is a bit obvious but guess the thing that I like in there?
ANITA: How did you know?
PASQUALE: That one?
Yeah, that's such a sweet wee thing.
Know your taste.
VO: It's a child's sporran, a traditional part of Scottish highland dress.
It's probably made of cow hide, and has a ticket price is £55.
It's the thing he would wear on his kilt to keep his thrupence and sixpence in.
Sixpences, yes.
And it's a nice wee thing.
Quite nice condition too.
ANITA: I think that's quite sweet.
ANITA: I don't think it's a Victorian one, PASQUALE: Right.
ANITA: I think that it's later.
Later yes.
Yeah, a wee bit later.
Em...
But still quite nice.
VO: Dealer Sally owns it and will be summonsed.
Sally?
ANITA: Oh, hi Sally.
Selling it in auction, and looking to buy it for round about £20-25, are we, is it possible to...to be... Yeah, I think we could do that.
ANITA: We could do that?
SALLY: We could have a deal on that.
25?
Ah, let's go for it.
Let's go for it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
That's smashing.
I reckon you're on a winner there.
VO: A better-than-half-price deal thanks to Sally.
But Anita's magpie eyes soon alight on another trinket with just a little bit of a Caledonian flavor, this one belonging to dealer Jules.
Excuse me.
JULES: Oh hi.
JULES: Hello, Anita.
ANITA: Hello, I'm Anita.
ANITA: The thing that took my eye was this little brooch here.
And it's a wee sort of golfing bag and of course I come from Scotland and Scotland is the home of golf.
VO: Ticket price on the golfing-themed brooch is £65.
I'm not sure of the age of it, Jules, but I do like it.
OK.
I'd like to have a go at it.
Mm-hm.
But I don't want to take a chance on it at a very big price.
ANITA: Is there a rock bottom price that you could...
I tell you what, being as it is you, I will let you have it for what I paid for it, how's that?
ANITA: That depends on what you paid for it.
(SCOTTISH ACCENT) 30.
Oh 30.
(SCOTTISH ACCENT) £30!
Yes.
Have you been practicing that?
VO: You've gone a bit Scottish, Jules.
It's catching.
OK, let's go at it for £30.
That's lovely.
Pleasure.
Thank you very much.
VO: Deal done, and she's bagged another two items for a total of £55.
VO: And with that, they've reached the end of an incredibly industrious first day so nighty night.
VO: The morning greets them - as is traditional - back in the car and bounding onwards towards more bargains.
ANITA: The skies are a wee bit grey but there is eh... We're happy, we've got a couple of quid to spend.
VO: So far, Paul's bought the silver fob watch chain and Victorian white metal buckle and the job lot of air force items.
He's spent £74, leaving him £270.99 for the day ahead.
VO: While Anita's picked up the continental silver bowl, the three 1920s necklaces, the brooch on a golfing theme, and the child's sporran.
She's spent £171, leaving her £218.20 in her purse this morning.
This is it, this is our last shopping day.
This is our last shopping day.
PAUL: Ooft.
VO: It is indeed.
They're still in Norwich this morning, and Anita's dropping Paul off.
PAUL: Well... ANITA: Good luck, darling.
PAUL: Enjoy yourself.
ANITA: Yeah.
And I don't know when I'll see you.
Look after yourself.
VO: He's heading off into Looses Emporium, where he's promised a jolly good morning's browse.
VO: Afore long, he's come across a very sizable item he'd like to discuss with dealer Vince.
PAUL: Just utterly charming, if you've got the right room to park that in.
VINCE: It'll look fantastic.
PAUL: It is rather nice, isn't it?
VO: It's a traveling trunk, bound in cow-skin with brass studs, and containing two oak stands that it would sit on.
PAUL: Oh, I see.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just raises off the ground.
PAUL: Not unattractive, really.
VO: Ticket price is £120.
PAUL: It's a long way off for me.
Well depends how long is a long long way.
VINCE: I'll tell you what, if you want it here and now, 80 quid.
VO: It's a good price.
You must be tempted, Paul.
Age wise, I would date this to the first half of the 19th century.
That is 150 to 200 year old.
Ta-da!
Quite good, yeah?
VO: Sounds like you're talking yourself round.
PAUL: I'm back.
VINCE: Are you back?
The traveling trunk.
Yeah.
Got a deal.
£80, really happy with that.
Thank you.
VINCE: Thank you.
VO: He strikes that deal at £80 - a bold buy when he and Anita are vying so closely for victory.
Let's hope it pays off.
VO: Now, Paul's trunk may have some venerable age to it, but today Anita's going to see some objects which are a little older than that.
She's heading for Norwich Castle Museum, where she's going to explore their extraordinary collection of ancient Egyptian treasures - some more than 4,000 years old - and still yielding their secrets today.
VO: She's meeting curator of the Egyptian Gallery, Faye Kalloniatis.
ANITA: Hi, I'm Anita.
Lovely to meet you.
I'm so excited to be at Norwich Castle.
Well I'm excited to have you here so welcome to the castle.
VO: Norwich might not be the place you would expect to find the treasures of the Nile but the museum here at Norwich Castle holds an enviable collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts - from funerary objects, to the remains of the Egyptians themselves.
VO: The backbone of the collection is here thanks to the efforts of Victorian travelers who amassed Egyptian objects and later donated them to the museum.
VO: They show how 19th century Britain was gripped by a fascination with ancient Egypt - even going so far as to stage public unwrappings of mummies.
The phenomenon became known as 'Egyptomania'.
And mania is a really good word to describe it because people just loved the thought of Egypt, it was something that was exotic, it was unknown.
FAYE: And one of the outcomes of that was that people traveled to Egypt.
FAYE: If you traveled in Egypt generally that meant you had a deep pocket which meant that you would buy artefacts.
FAYE: They bought artefacts and then just brought them back here to Britain.
ANITA: So there would be little collections built up throughout the country?
VO: One of these wealthy collectors was Jeremiah Colman - head of the prominent Norfolk family that owned Colman's mustard.
Faye's taking Anita to learn a bit more about Colman and the extraordinary objects he gifted to the museum.
VO: Jeremiah Colman traveled to Egypt because his son Alan had consumption and had been advised to go there for the arid climate.
Jeremiah, together with his daughters, went to Egypt in order to be with their son and eventually they got to Luxor and it was at that time that all the objects which Jeremiah bought were bought there in Luxor.
VO: Sadly, Alan died of consumption in Egypt, but while in the country, his father Jeremiah amassed a large number of ancient artefacts.
ANITA: The whole collection, their Egypt collection was bought within a very short period of time.
Absolutely, there were over 250 objects and they bought them within a week.
FAYE: He did have the whole collection catalogued and you can see it here.
He had the specially bound leather book and it's a catalogue of all of the objects that he bought in Egypt.
FAYE: And you can see here it says curios from Egypt.
FAYE: So here, all the objects have been numbered and the very first object is the ancient Egyptian granary.
And in fact we have this ancient Egyptian granary and here it is here.
FAYE: It is what is called a model granary but what it meant by that is it was made specifically to be buried with the dead.
VO: Extraordinarily, the model granary is around 4,000 years old.
VO: According to Egyptian religious lore, burying it with the dead would allow the deceased plentiful access to grain in the afterlife.
It meant that you had a grain, you had a store of grain and grain of course was for bread but even more importantly for beer.
ANITA: And I see there's some wonderful painting, original painting.
FAYE: So here is the tomb owner relaxing, that's him in his afterlife.
This is a wonderful piece.
It is and in fact it's a very rare piece because normally these models were made out of wood.
VO: Coleman's collection includes something even more extraordinary.
VO: This one's about 3,500 years old.
ANITA: Tell me about this then.
Well, the other thing that Jeremiah collected was a shoebox with crumpled linen inside it.
And it wasn't until a few years ago that we had this conserved and in conserving it it's opened up to this, and it's turned out to be a rare Egyptian shroud.
FAYE: And it is only one of about 30 known worldwide so it's a very rare piece indeed.
And we have all these hieroglyphs, I can see a wee scarab beetle there.
FAYE: They were just verses or spells which came from the Book of the Dead.
And the Book of the Dead was a series of prayers, incantations, instructions and so on in order to help the deceased.
FAYE: It was really kind of a passport if you like, to the afterlife.
VO: This truly is a priceless item.
ANITA: It's interesting that these things should be housed in this museum in Norfolk.
FAYE: We're very lucky that 19th century travelers made these travels and bought these objects and then finally also donated them to museums.
VO: Indeed we are.
Faye, it has been an absolutely fascinating journey back to Egypt with you.
Thank you very very much.
It's been a pleasure.
Thank you.
VO: Now, Paul's still on the hunt for bargains in Norwich Lanes.
He's heading into St Gregory's Antiques and Collectables, a large antiques center attractively housed within a 14th century former church.
VO: Paul's nose for military items is twitching once again.
Well, you can imagine how many sets of spurs there are in the world.
PAUL: These are 1918 dated and British Cavalry issue.
That's evocative is it not?
VO: It is indeed.
A set of British Army cavalry spurs dating from the First World War and Paul's quite taken with them.
VO: On the ticket is £28.
Dealer Graham is on hand today and will call the person who owns the spurs for their best price.
Giddy up.
20 is going to be the best.
Straight 20, is it?
20 it is then.
Magic.
Thank you very much.
VO: Another deal clinched and he's wandering on.
VO: Meanwhile, Anita's in the car and heading to the town of Wymondham.
Wymondham is an historic Norfolk market town of note, as its handsome 17th century market cross shows.
VO: Anita's strolling off into the aptly-named Market Cross Antiques, where dealer, David's ready to greet her.
I'm Anita.
David.
Aw, what a lovely shop.
Thank you.
It's like walking into another world.
VO: Better scour this new world for bargains then, Anita.
VO: Ah!
She's onto something already.
Quite interesting wee lot that I've found, tucked under this piece of furniture.
It's a quantity of music rolls, now these would have been used for a piano.
The late 19th, early 20th century.
You didn't have television, you didn't have radio, and people got together in their sitting rooms with an old joanna.
VO: The rolls would play in a pianola, or self-playing piano.
There's no ticket price on them.
But they would put on these rolls...wind it up and the piano would play a tune by itself.
I think that's a wee find.
VO: That's one potential buy.
VO: And elsewhere?
ANITA: I quite like this wee cabinet, it's a sweet little thing.
It's made of pine so it's not a fine piece of furniture but what I like about it is, as well as the simplicity of the design, is it's decorated with these straps of copper which are in the art nouveau style.
VO: Always a fan of anything in the sinuous art nouveau style, Anita's keen on that and the pianola rolls.
Time to buttonhole dealer, David.
ANITA: David, it is so hard to make a choice in here.
It's so hard to make a choice.
I've seen a couple of things that I like.
VO: What could David do on the pianola rolls?
How does £15 sound for the whole lot?
For the whole lot?
I'm happy with that.
ANITA: That's great.
What's the best you can do on the cabinet?
DAVID: Absolute best, What if we said 18.
Can you go to 15 on that?
15?
Yeah, go on.
Alright, that's it, a deal on both of them, thank you very much, David.
VO: £30 total for the lot.
Smashing.
VO: Now, Paul's moved on to the town of Watton, where he's heading for one last shop - Retro Recyclers and dealer Barney.
PAUL: You look like a welcoming party.
Hello Paul.
How are you doing, is it Barney?
Barney, yeah.
Good to see you.
Is there treasure in here for me?
Lots of it.
VO: There certainly is.
In this vast antiques center, Paul's combing over the stock in his usual thorough fashion.
VO: And his diligence looks to pay off.
PAUL: OK, God!
Not trying overly hard to sell this.
I have always been interested in antique and vintage technology.
PAUL: And domestic bygones.
What do you reckon that is?
PAUL: That is the forerunner of your electric vacuum cleaner.
This is just a whopping great syringe to be honest with you.
PAUL: This is Reeves pneumatic broom, the Reeves Vacuum Cleaner Co made it.
They were based Victoria Street, London.
And the patent was granted for this technology, July 29, 1913.
1913... VO: Although a patent was issued for the first electric vacuum cleaner in the USA in 1908, these costly machines didn't pass into common usage here until later decades.
VO: Ticket price on the pneumatic broom is £25.
This price is really, really reasonable.
But I do consider it only a starting point because frankly it was buried next to the skirting board underneath the shelf.
PAUL: I think we go and we make an offer.
It'll be the only one in the saleroom.
VO: Of that we can be sure.
You've found something then, have you?
Would you believe it?
VO: But what could Barney do on the price?
BARNEY: What about 18?
It's going in the right direction.
What about a tenner?
BARNEY: What about 15?
PAUL: Do it 12?
OK, I'll do it for 12.
12 it is.
You're a good man, Barney.
VO: A staccato haggle and Paul's cleaned up on his last lot.
Ha ha.
And so they're all bought up.
Paul bought the fob watch chain and white metal buckle, the job lot of air force items, the cow-skin trunk, the cavalry spurs, and the pneumatic broom.
He spent £186 exactly.
VO: Anita picked up the continental silver bowl, the three 1920s necklaces, which she's putting in a job lot with the golfing brooch, then the child's sporran, the pianola rolls, and the art nouveau cabinet.
She spent £201 on the nose.
VO: Now that they're spent up, what do they make of each other's buys?
Oh, this is it, I'm up against Anita's final offering.
PAUL: Sporran's a sweetie.
PAUL: Not a lot of money in it, £25 paid.
PAUL: There's a little cabinet, and the pianola rolls, well frankly, at the money, how can she go wrong?
Seriously, I needn't comment on the object because she paid nothing for them.
Hats off, good purchases.
So, I think she is in safe territory, she's going to be difficult to beat.
VO: And Anita?
ANITA: Paul has been very canny in buying that little Royal Air Force group.
ANITA: I like the ceramic, I like the color in it.
And of course I love sweetheart brooches, ANITA: I love that big calfskin trunk, isn't that gorgeous, it's blonde and it's beautiful, ANITA: I can see that doing over £100.
ANITA: Dash it, let the battle commence!
VO: Indeed.
VO: On this last leg of their Road Trip they began in Norwich and are now nearly at auction in Stamford, Lincolnshire.
VO: Its storied streets make an ideal place for their final showdown taking place at Bateman's auctions.
This is it.
Paul, last auction.
That is the finishing post.
Aw.
Not quite yet.
VO: Auctioneer David Michael Palmer rules the rostrum today.
But before the off, what does he make of our pair's lots?
The lot with the ashtray, I absolutely love the ashtray, nice and bright, very much of the period.
The child's sporran is fun.
It looks like a load of gerbils that have been killed and put on a chain.
VO: No gerbils have been harmed in the making of that sporran.
Let the auction commence!
VO: First up, Anita's embossed bowl of continental silver.
Goes on at £20.
The maiden bid at 20.
22.
At 22, 25.
28.
At 28, 30.
32, 32, 35.
38.
At 38.
40.
At 40.
Goes then at 40 and I sell then at £40, the bid is here at... 45.
Yes!
DAVID: At 50.
55 on the net.
60 in the room.
65.
70.
75 on the net.
80 back in the room at 80 now.
DAVID: In the room at 80.
Goes at 80.
No one else at 80?
I think I got away lightly.
VO: Some good work from our auctioneer means it doesn't lose too badly but Paul's definitely catching up.
I don't know if I can take this.
VO: Now it's Paul's silver fob watch chain, along with the Victorian white metal buckle.
£20 then?
Come in at 20.
OK a tenner?
10?
10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 30, 32, 35, 38.
He's keeping his hand in the air.
DAVID: Door at 38.
I sell with you at £38, no one else at 38?
VO: That last minute rally means the loss isn't too stinging.
Bad luck there darling.
C'est la vie.
VO: It's Anita's job lot of 20s necklaces and golf-themed brooch next.
£10 for the beads and the brooches.
Five I am bid.
Down here at five.
With the lady at five, I'll take six as the next bid.
You bidding six?
Six I'm bid, six, seven, eight, nine, nine, 10, 12, on the stairs at 12, stick with it madam.
15.
Yes.
At 12 with the gent there at £12.
Each of these items was hand selected.
By me.
At 15, I sell, standing at £15.
Both out here.
Standing then at 15, new money at £15.
PAUL: That was... ANITA: He tried.
PAUL: He flogged it.
He flogged it.
ANITA: He tried.
VO: Our auctioneer is putting the hours in indeed.
Hard luck, Anita.
Anita Manning, where's this going?
Whoosh.
VO: Don't speak too soon, this game could still be anyone's.
VO: Can Paul's job lot of air force items see him flying high?
20 quid?
Anyone 20?
10 then?
£10 for this little lot?
DAVID: 10 I'm bid here, 10, 12, at 12 now, goes at 12, 15, 18... ANITA: That's it.
Internet.
DAVID: It's against you.
20, the net at 20.
DAVID: At 22, underbidder, have another go.
25.
Is that it?
All done at 25.
I sell to the net then at 25.
VO: Sadly it's not a flier, but there's still everything to play for.
Today's auctioneer liked Anita's little child's sporran.
Will the crowd?
The sporran, 20 quid.
Anyone 20?
ANITA: Yes, go on.
Go on.
DAVID: It's got to be worth 20.
22, 25.
It's with the net at 25.
Anyone else in the room?
It's your sort of thing, sir.
It really is your sort of thing.
At 25, I'm selling here on the net at 25, no one else?
Done and finished then at 25.
Ah well.
That's the best result of the day so far, isn't it?
It is still a loss.
We are creeping into break even.
VO: It breaks even indeed.
Now it's Paul's sizable cow-skin trunk.
Will a big item mean a big profit?
Come in at 50 quid.
50 I am bid.
50, 55, 60... ANITA: Oh, it is running.
PAUL: It should do.
DAVID: 75, 80.
85.
At 85 now.
Done at 85.
DAVID: 90, 95, 100 I've got.
You're going, you're going with this one, darling.
It's a belter.
DAVID: At £110 now.
Is that it?
I sell at 110.
DAVID: Goes then at £110, no one else?
DAVID: All done at 110.
No?
Nothing on you.
VO: Excellent - a nice profit for Paul.
ANITA: Well done.
PAUL: It's a wee profit.
Well done.
Take it.
Well done.
That was a good spend.
VO: Anita's cabinet in the art nouveau style is up next.
Tenner bid, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, down here at £20.
DAVID: Seated at 20, the middle seats 20, 22, 25, in the room at 25 now.
At 25, 28, 30 of you?
Oh come on.
DAVID: At 30.
The lady at 30.
Yes, his wife's saying yes.
DAVID: Still with the lady at 30.
Take two again?
DAVID: 32, 35, 35.
35.
The lady at 35.
With the lady at 35.
38, 40 madam?
Yes.
40.
At 40, back at 40, take the five?
DAVID: Net you are out.
DAVID: At 40, do you want to bid against here sir?
At 40.
Sell then at £40.
ANITA: Yes.
PAUL: Well done.
VO: Another healthy profit and this race is nearly neck and neck.
Now we're back on the boil Anita Manning.
VO: So, can Paul's spurs, eh, spur him to further success?
Anyone?
10 here, 10.
At 10.
Is that it?
At 10, take two, 12.
15.
Here at 15.
This side at £15.
All done at £15.
Goes at 15.
DAVID: It's you at 15, sir.
Oh!
Well there, no luck.
No luck, that's sore.
VO: An unfortunate loss, but again a small one.
Now it's Anita's last lot - any self playing piano enthusiasts out there?
Pound a piece, 17 quid.
Come in at £17?
Anyone 17?
Tenner then?
£10?
DAVID: Has anyone got a pianola at home?
DAVID: Could you put your hand up please and identify yourself.
And we'll take your bid.
That old trick.
Fiver then?
Five on the net, the net at five and I sell at £5.
DAVID: Is that it at a fiver?
Six net.
Wow!
Sell then at six.
DAVID: Done then at six, all done at six.
Seven.
At seven now.
ANITA: £7!
Eight!
DAVID: Eight.
DAVID: I'm selling at eight then.
Done at £8, no one else.
All done at eight?
Goes at eight.
Oh, Anita Manning!
VO: This is going to be pretty close.
We've sold 50 lots in five auctions.
There's nothing in it and it's hanging on Reeves pneumatic broom.
VO: This is indeed the situation in which we find ourselves Paul.
The bid's at five.
Five, six, is that it at six?
All done at six.
Aw!
Seven, the net at seven.
Eight.
At eight now.
Nine, 10.
ANITA: Oh no!
DAVID: We're in at 10.
No!
Cheap.
It's cheap.
At 10.
It is cheap.
I agree, it's cheap.
This would make an ideal Christmas present for somebody.
There could be power cuts.
If you're wanting a divorce!
Selling at a tenner.
Finished and done at £10, no one else?
DAVID: All done at 10... Is that it?
Done and finished then at £10.
VO: Hysteria all round in the saleroom.
But it's a photo-finish to see who's won.
I think that is it.
And there is £2 in it.
Anita Manning, this has been some trip.
I don't believe this.
I don't believe it.
VO: Paul started this leg with £344.99.
After auction costs, he made a loss of £23.64 so ends this trip with £321.35.
VO: While Anita began with £389.20.
After costs, she made a loss of £63.24.
So - although she loses this battle - she still wins the war, ending with £325.96 and besting Paul by a mere £4.61!
VO: Wow!
All profits to Children In Need.
That was the most exiting end, it was fabulous.
What a wonderful end to the most sweet trip.
Thanks for the companionship and the journey.
VO: What a lovely pair you do make.
VO: This really has been a near-perfect partnership, full of the fun, frolics and fancy goods the Road Trip can offer.
MUSIC: "It's Got To Be Perfect" by Fairground Attraction # It's got to be # Woah!
VO: They've compared notes.
Does my bum look big in this hat?
# It's got to be worth it # VO: Shared jokes.
(LOUDHAILER SHRIEKS) Jimmy Hendrix has entered the building.
# Take second best # ANITA: Yeah, perfect working order.
VO: And really had a grand old time on the road.
# Yeah, perfect # VO: Goodbye, you two.
Don't forget to write.
subtitling@stv.tv
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