[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts-- I think I found something.

Pretty good, yeah.

NARRATOR: --behind the wheel of a classic car.

[HORN] - Oh, stop it.

NARRATOR: And they're going to scour Britain for antiques.

Woo.

I think it's brilliant.

NARRATOR: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

You're some man.

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

No.

NARRATOR: Will it be the high road to glory?

Yeah, baby.

NARRATOR: Or the slow road to disaster?

Oh, nope.

NARRATOR: This is the "Antiques Road Trip."

[MUSIC PLAYING] Here we go again.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: The sun is up and another road trip is about to begin.

Beautiful day, James.

Lovely day, isn't it?

NARRATOR: It's Catherine Southon and James Braxton, a dapper duo, if ever I saw one.

I like your little cravat there.

Nice.

- Yeah.

Very smart.

New day, new cravat, James.

The fashion world never sleeps.

NARRATOR: Well, you'd know, James.

Worcestershire, lovely county, isn't it?

Beautiful county.

I love Worcestershire.

It's one of my favorites, actually, yes.

Worcestershire sauce.

I don't mind Worcestershire sauce.

I don't like sauces in general.

JAMES BRAXTON: Really?

I really, really, really, really don't like brown sauce and tomato sauce.

Really?

I'm not a saucy girl.

NARRATOR: Actually, it's James who has to catch up.

He started out with 200 pounds.

And after the auction, ended up with just over 227 pounds to spend on this leg, which leaves him in a pickle.

As Katherine relished the moment with five profits from five lots growing her 200 pounds to 316 pounds and 50 pence.

Wow.

I love the way you called my profits a miracle, James.

It was.

It was really like turning water into wine, wasn't it?

It was.

NARRATOR: The air has turned distinctly green in their splendid 1969 Rover P5, a car loved by prime ministers in its day.

So James, I'm your driver.

Yeah.

I'm taking you to House of Parliament today.

Yeah, yeah.

What is the act for the day?

I would spread love and lower the rate of VAT.

NARRATOR: You have my vote.

On their five-part expedition, Catherine and James will saunter from Eversley in Hampshire to Bourne in Lincolnshire.

This leg sees them wend their way to the auction in Newport in Shropshire, via Warwickshire and some stops in the West Midlands.

First, Worcestershire's Evesham.

Having dropped off her chum, Catherine's first port of call is at the aforementioned town in the vale of Evesham.

Known as the fruit and vegetable basket of England, let's hope there's plenty of ripe and ready bargains in this rather casually named Dunc's Den.

Wonder if he's got any biscuits to dunk.

NARRATOR: Don't know about biccies, but this place does seem to be teeming with wildlife.

Down, boy!

Oh, isn't he lovely?

What a cute dog.

I like him because he's got little glass eyes, and he looks really fed up.

He's a match holder, essentially.

And he's probably only mid-century, I would say.

But he's charming.

And he's 22 pounds.

That's for nothing.

Yeah, I might have him.

Not big enough, though.

I want to go big-- big, big, big.

NARRATOR: Let's leave Catherine in her search for the big stuff and see what James is up to.

He's in the charming village of Wootton Wawen in Warwickshire.

Wow.

He's heading into Sims Antique Center, where more than 50 dealers offer everything from glassware to militaria.

So what's the plan, James?

[GONG] Seconds out, round two.

I think, in this leg, I'm going to move slightly more gingerly and probably buy smaller items.

Worked for Catherine.

Why not for me?

NARRATOR: Right you are, then.

Leave you to it.

Meanwhile, back in Evesham, how's Catherine doing?

But I'm interested in that-- a silver-plated candlestick with a ram on.

What lovely quality.

'James Dixon and Sons.'

Well, there you go, you see?

That's a sign of quality, James Dixon and Sons, manufacturers, third quarter 19th century going into the 20th century.

Good quality, exceptional quality.

Made a lot of things for the table, for kitchenware.

Actually, shooting accessories, as well, is what they're known for.

But that, I think you'll agree, with all the foliage going around the edge and the detail of the ram's face, is rather nice quality.

What's the price?

45 pounds.

That's-- that's definitely one to hold on to.

NARRATOR: Do you know?

I don't think it's a candle holder.

I think it's a neat pen stand.

Anyway, let's catch up with James.

We shall fight them in the antique shops, in the reclamation yards, and in the lumber rooms.

We shall seek bargains a-plenty.

NARRATOR: It's like Churchill's actually in the room.

Now, what's this?

Cuff links.

Now, cuff links seemed to have returned back to favor again.

We got a-- what are these?

Gold-plated cuff links.

When you see gold-plated, you rather hate that they're gold and not the plated.

But when I turn these over, I can see that they're rather dull.

And they've got a base metal below.

I quite like the price.

So you can buy a pair of cuff links.

They're gold-plated.

They're well-made.

They've obviously done good service already, for 15 pounds.

Well, that sounds cheap to me.

That sounds like a bargain.

And I'm-- I'm sure Winston would approve.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Phil, I found these.

Nice pair of cuff links, 15 pounds.

- Thank you.

- Farewell.

That's very kind.

Thank you very much.

NARRATOR: That's one in the hand for James.

Now, let's link back to Catherine.

So far, she's put two items aside-- a doggy match holder and that James Dixon and Sons' pen/candle holder.

I love these cast iron cannons.

Aren't they wonderful?

And they've got all these wonderful crustaceans on there.

Fantastic!

And the pair.

Let's have a look.

NARRATOR: Watch your back, Catherine.

Yeah.

Pretty good, yeah.

Well, nice and easy.

Yeah.

I haven't just become the strongest woman on Earth.

These are props.

They're made of papier mache.

Props from a local production and 40 pounds the pair.

NARRATOR: On cue, here comes the eponymous Dunc.

Whoever's made these for this theater production or whatever it was has done a pretty good job.

What could you do?

Ah, no, I gave 40 pound for 'em so-- to charity, so you can have them for 40.

OK, I've seen a couple of things in there that I like as well.

OK, we can go and look in there.

You've got-- I must say, you've got some lovely items.

- Thank you very much.

- Really lovely.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] - But I'm-- I'm interested in your garden area.

Can we take a walk in the garden?

Absolutely.

After you.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Here we go.

Lovely.

Weather vane.

They always do quite well, don't they, at auction?

Yeah.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] A little bit of age to it.

Nice little detail on the horse's-- horse's face there.

Yeah, it's a nice thing.

I'm going to Shropshire.

They like a horse in Shropshire.

Ideal, ideal.

Yeah, you should do well with that.

What is on it?

75.

We got 75 on it.

I'll do you a good deal, 45.

I like it a bit more.

I thought you might.

I like that.

Yeah, it's a nice thing.

So I've seen the cannons.

I liked doggy-- - All right, yeah.

--your little doggy matchbox.

The little match holder.

I like your candle holder and the weather vane.

That's four items.

OK. We'll do 40 on the cannons.

Do the cannons.

We'll do 15 on the little doggy match holder.

Yup.

Then the James Dixon and Sons.

The candle holder.

Yeah, what could that be?

45-- I can do that 30.

OK. OK?

NARRATOR: Good deal so far.

Any more discounts?

We'll take that down to 30.

NARRATOR: Super generous.

So that's the cannon, the doggy match holder, the pen stand/candle holder with ram, and the horsey weather vane for a total of 115 pounds.

Thank you very much, indeed.

Thank you.

I'm flagging now.

This is hard work.

NARRATOR: Now, we know that's not heavy.

But four items in her first shop is pretty good going.

I think that's a record for Catherine.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Meanwhile, James is taking a breather in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare and home to the Royal Shakespeare Company.

English literature professor, David Taylor, is on hand to explain how a legendary thespian catapulted the town to fame and fortune.

David, it's a busy picture here.

Who's in it?

So what we're seeing here is the great 18th century actor-- in fact, one of the greatest actors of the English stage, period-- David Garrick, being carried to immortality, to heaven.

Garrick had just died when this painting was commissioned.

NARRATOR: In the first half of the 18th century, actors were viewed as disreputable.

And theatergoers would throw fruit and even wander around behind the scenes during performances.

But when Garrick took charge of the Drury Lane Theater Company in London in 1747, he was having none of it.

He created a space where the audience respected the art of the actor.

Ah, backstage.

Yes, here we are.

This is where the stars are-- are not made, but made up.

JAMES BRAXTON: David, tell me about Garrick as an actor.

Well, Garrick, as an actor, changes how we think about actors.

Garrick is a celebrity.

He's one of the first-- perhaps in some ways, the first celebrity actor.

He's someone that's painted-- painted more often than the King, in fact, so many paintings are there of him.

He's someone who earns great wealth and great social status through his acting.

And how did he achieve that?

What made Garrick's name in the theater was that he was seen to be acting far more naturalistically than his predecessors.

He brought a new sense of the real to the stage.

He wowed the audiences at the time with performances, the like of which they'd simply never seen before.

NARRATOR: His greatest roles were the Shakespearean heroes, and his approach to the texts further set him apart.

Before Garrick, Shakespeare is most often seen by audiences in a heavily adapted state.

"King Lear," for instance, Shakespeare's tragedy, has a happy ending.

Plays like "Macbeth" are heavily altered.

"Hamlet," too.

Garrick tries to return to something that approximates Shakespeare's original texts.

NARRATOR: So in 1769, when Garrick, England's most admired and beloved actor, conceived of the idea of a Shakespeare Jubilee in the bard's birthplace, it was a turning point for the town.

Geraldine Collinge, from the RSC, takes up the story.

Stratford-upon-Avon was this kind of backwater, you know, muddy paths to it.

It would have taken an age to get here.

Yeah.

And to be honest, there wasn't much here when you got here.

Right.

But you know, what Garrick did is that he came up with this crazy idea of the Garrick Jubilee.

There was horse racing.

There was processions down the river, the people dressing-- Yeah.

--up as Shakespeare characters.

No Shakespeare spoken, but you know, really the first civic celebration of Shakespeare.

This was some 200 years after Shakespeare, wasn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

Well, you'd have-- So did they remember who he was?

GERALDINE COLLINGE: I think they remembered quite quickly when so many people were interested in the story-- Yeah.

--and they started coming to the town.

And, you know, so suddenly they were opening up their houses, saying this is where Shakespeare was born, you know?

Give me a penny come round this house.

No!

I-- that's where-- he's born in my house.

Exact-- exactly, exactly.

Really?

Yeah, completely.

And selling, you know, bits of tree that supposedly grew in his garden.

Relics.

Relics.

Relics, exactly.

So you know, there was this great industry-- Yeah.

--around Shakespeare suddenly established in Stratford.

And you know, still now, really, we're-- we're part of the Shakespeare industry.

It's amazing, isn't it?

So it was Garrick-- - Yeah.

--who put the Bard on the map?

Exactly.

NARRATOR: Garrick's Jubilee ultimately led to calls for a permanent Shakespeare Memorial Theater, culminating in the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1875.

[MUSIC PLAYING] And now, here are the RSC's Swan Theater, that has graced so many brilliant performances, is our very own Braxers with his rendition of Garrick's, "Ode to Shakespeare," written and performed by the great man himself at the aforementioned Jubilee more than 250 years ago.

"When nature led him by the hand, instructed him in all she knew and gave him absolute command.

'Tis he, 'tis he, the God of our idolatry."

[APPLAUSE] - Bravo.

NARRATOR: Bravo!

Bravo!

Get this chap a BAFTA.

Now, back to reality.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Catherine's en route to Long Marston, formerly in Gloucestershire.

It was transferred to Warwickshire in 1931 and has been there ever since.

The Barn is her destination.

Definitely been here before.

They do good coffee, I remember.

NARRATOR: Mine's a decaf skinny latte, please.

Very nice.

NARRATOR: Get on with it then, girl.

Home to more than 40 dealers, there's a wide range of antiques, collectibles, and furniture to choose from.

[MUSIC PLAYING] I thought I'd put myself in a really good position buying four items early on.

Now, I feel, though, that I want to buy something sort of really expensive and over 100 years old.

And I find myself in a sort of vintage area, really looking at 100 years old.

And I'm not really looking at over 100 pounds.

Nice things, but it just doesn't tick my boxes.

NARRATOR: No, that's the trouble, isn't it?

You've got to have a box tick.

Tough criteria after all those speedy purchases in Evesham.

Anything?

No.

Curio sort of things in here.

NARRATOR: Oh, yeah.

Oh, I like that.

NARRATOR: Oh, hello.

Here we go.

She's off.

Lovely.

It smells nice in here.

It smells old.

Now, this, I'm going to buy for 90-- what is it?

80 pounds.

I'll have that.

Because that is a lovely little inkwell in the form of a globe.

Ah.

Look at that.

Big chunk taken out of the map of the globe.

Oh, what a shame.

That's why it's 80 pounds.

Oh.

NARRATOR: Oh, so close.

Back it goes, poor old globe.

Tomorrow is another day, another challenge, another day.

NARRATOR: What a shame, eh?

Catherine leaves empty handed this time, but she did bag four items earlier.

And she still has just over 200 pounds to spend tomorrow.

Busy day for all, eh?

Even the swans are at it.

Look.

I've certainly worked up an appetite.

How about our trippers?

Time for dinner, I feel.

Yeah.

If-- if I was coming to you for dinner-- Yeah.

--what would you cook for me?

If I could get hold of a partridge, I'd do a crown of partridge with a blackberry and apple sauce.

That would be nice.

And then, blackberry and apple sponge.

Sponge.

To finish with.

That would be very good, wouldn't it?

NARRATOR: Sounds delish.

Nighty-night, guys.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Wakey, wakey, road trippers.

It's James in the funky driving seat today.

I like the horn.

[HORN HONKING] Oh, I didn't know that was the horn.

[HORN HONKING] It's lovely.

It's magic.

NARRATOR: Do keep the noise down, you two.

Good day yesterday?

Uh, good day, very good day.

I was in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Lovely.

Did you see William?

Home of the Bard.

Mister Shakespeare?

No, no.

He died in 1616.

You're a bit late.

NARRATOR: James had more success on stage than with his shopping yesterday.

He spent 15 pounds only, on a pair of gold-plated cuff links, leaving him with a few pennies over 212 pounds burning a hole in his pocket.

I had an amazing day.

Thanks for asking.

- Sorry.

Sorry.

Apologies.

NARRATOR: Catherine collected a pair of cannon, and her pen stand with ram, a horsey weather vane, and a doggy match holder.

She has over 200 pounds still in her kitty.

A juicy day, in more ways than one.

Oh, blackberries!

Blackberries.

I picked them.

With your loving hands?

What do you think?

Lovely.

NARRATOR: Scoffing down, James has dropped Catherine off and is headed to Solihull.

I'm looking forward to shopping today.

I'd like the owner to be there, then you can do the deal.

He knows exactly how much he's paid for things.

NARRATOR: Your wish is my command.

Family-run Yosall Antiques specializes in Georgian, Regency, and Victorian furnishings.

This is what Birmingham's famous for-- papier-mache.

So Birmingham made most of the things that were generated in the 19th century.

One of the really cheap things to have made was papier-mache.

And we've all done it at school, you know?

The application of lots of layers of newspaper with a-- with a cheap glue, a water-based glue.

And made objects almost akin to wood.

And this is a papier-mache.

I'd imagine it's some sort of writing box.

Yes.

There we are.

You'd lie it like that.

The hinges go back a bit.

And that was your velvet thing for writing.

What do they say?

Papier-mache box-- that's a relief-- circa 1850.

NARRATOR: I never doubted you for a moment, James.

It's priced at 85 pounds.

I love these.

Don't they look great on the wall?

We got these two mirrored-back.

I think they're flower vases.

Yeah.

I think that would be a reservoir of water there.

And that would supply-- you know, extend the life of your-- your posy.

These are like little posy holders.

But I've never seen them sort of mirrored-back and made for the wall.

NARRATOR: Good spot there.

Paul, the owner, is at the ready.

Paul, how much do you got on these?

For the pair, I'm asking 100 pound.

That's food for thought.

I need to find something which isn't Victorian now.

NARRATOR: No deals yet, but two possibilities.

I like this plate, Paul.

It's a creamware, isn't it?

It certainly is, yeah.

Creamware was our sort of early version, European version of porcelain, wasn't it?

It was all about porcelain.

We wanted something that looked white, looked like porcelain.

So I think it's 18th century.

I think it's got the full color palette that was often associated with creamware.

And price-wise, it's got no price tag.

Probably be smiling if I got it for 50.

So I got 60 in mind.

If-- if-- if 50 is your number, then I'll go with that.

We'll do that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Great work, James.

That's a quality piece for a good price.

I'm also interested in your papier mache box and the pair of posy brackets.

I'd like to get them 135.

- Absolutely.

- You'll do it?

- Yes.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much indeed, Paul.

Very kind.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] - Really kind.

- Lovely.

NARRATOR: So that's a nifty-50 for the plate, 55 for the writing box, and 80 for the posy vases.

That's 185 pounds total for the three items.

A very nice haul, I might say, but James has left himself with just over 27 pounds for the next and final shop of the leg.

Catherine is taking time out from shopping to visit Birmingham, a city at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and nicknamed The Workshop of the World.

Renowned for jewelry making, the city's jewelry quarter has its own museum, where Catherine is meeting the highly skilled Rupert Fisher to find out how it all began.

Rupert.

Hello!

You look like your concentrating there.

Yes, laser-like concentrate.

I'm quite worried about disturbing you.

Oh, no, no.

It's fine.

What is it that you're doing here?

Well, this is basically the main assembly process in jewelry making.

What I'm doing here is an ages-old sort of practice of soldering the components together using just a blow pipe blown through an ordinary orange flame.

And that heats it up to 600 degrees centigrade, which is the perfect temperature for working with gold alloys.

NARRATOR: It was because of a king's passion for fashion that metal workers in the area turned their hand to jewelry making in the 17th century.

Charles II had returned to England after nine years in exile in France where, it seems, he'd picked up a style tip or two.

How fancy!

Look at the shoes!

He'd been in the French courts, wearing the sort of sophisticated fashions of buttons and buckles.

That started a massive fashion for buttons and buckles, and Birmingham manufacturers started producing hundreds and thousands of them.

And the jewelry producing was a specialist sideline of it.

And then when, apparently, shoe buckles went out of fashion, they started producing more jewelry and that sort of started jewelry making as a specific trade.

NARRATOR: As the industry grew, clusters of highly specialized silversmiths and goldsmiths gathered to work side by side, hence the name of the Jewelry Quarter.

It's been Britain's main jewelry-producing center for the last 150 years.

NARRATOR: The core of workshops and skills allowed more niche businesses to flourish here too.

Well, you've now arrived at the home of the whistle.

A whistle's a whistle, isn't it?

No!

It definitely isn't.

The, the variety of whistles is phenomenal.

NARRATOR: Simon Topman, MD, of J Hudson and Co in Birmingham, is a man on a mission, and he's ready to blow.

We have things like what was originally called the cyclist's road clearer.

Dates back to 1890.

The American-style locomotive whistle.

This one, of course, very famous.

Is there anyone who doesn't know the Clangers?

And then you the many bird calls, such as the duck whistle.

The pigeon.

And not to drive you, cuckoo.

Oh, wonderful.

NARRATOR: Too late for that, I'm afraid.

Now all of these weird and wacky whistles were invented by Joseph Hudson, who founded the business in 1870.

But he struggled to get it off the ground at first.

His big chance came in 1883 when the Metropolitan Police in London were advertising for something to replace this.

That's an original Victorian policeman's rattle, and it was big and cumbersome.

The police wanted something different.

And he saw the adverts and he thought, one of my whistles.

That's what might replace that rattle.

NARRATOR: One evening, Hudson was musing on the problem while playing his violin, as you do.

And, as he went to put his instrument down, he accidentally dropped it on the floor.

As it smashed, it let out a dying discordant note.

And he noticed that.

He thought, I need to put that kind of effect into a whistle.

So that's what he did.

NARRATOR: The new-fangled whistle was tested on Clapham Common by the Commissioner of Police personally.

It was heard at just over a mile away.

That's still ringing in my ears.

They were delighted.

It was small, neat, left the hands free.

And so the first order for 21,000, one for every man in the force, was placed.

NARRATOR: This, the first ever police whistle, led to Joseph Hudson creating 83 other types of whistles.

Staggering.

Including his world famous sports whistle, invented in 1884, and still made in the factory today.

Pretty noisy down here, Simon.

Yeah.

Well, this is where all the whistles are made, so-- This is the heart of the factory.

It is.

Are you cooking me dinner there?

Afraid not, no.

These are the peas that will go into the sports whistle.

NARRATOR: The pea changed the sound of the whistle for use on the sports field.

The pea makes a very distinct trill.

And what's happening here is they're being steamed, which makes them nice and soft and pliable so that they can be squeezed into the whistle, which is what Matthew is doing here.

And once they harden off, they will never come out.

So what are the peas made from?

They're not peas as in-- They're actually made of cork.

And is this what would have been done in the day?

Yes.

This process hasn't changed since the 1890s.

NARRATOR: And it's become an iconic referee's whistle, used in clubs and competitions around the world.

[WHISTLE BLOWING] Simon, it's been wonderful finding out about the history of the whistle.

I could actually stay all day and try all the others, but-- I need to call time and I need to go shopping.

NARRATOR: And, you better get a move on, Catherine, because James is already heading to the final shop of this leg, in Balsall Common.

I'm currently behind.

Catherine did very well in the last auction for a lot less money, but it doesn't matter.

I feel, you know-- I'm an optimist.

Everything's out there.

It's the luck of the dice, it's the luck of the shop.

NARRATOR: And what a shop it is, look!

The Old Lodge Farm Antique Center is a huge converted barn and until Catherine arrives, James has the run of the place.

So after Solihull, I have 27 pounds and 14 pence to spend.

So I'm very excited.

I'm sure I can secure something of almost national importance with that particular sum.

NARRATOR: Yeah, get a grip, man.

Ah-ha!

Catherine's arrived, look.

She had mixed fortunes yesterday, acquiring four items in one shop and none in the other.

With just over 200 pounds still in her kitty, she's got the lolly, and a lolly.

I promised myself to buy something really over 100 years old.

And something really with substance.

Something that oozes quality and I want to spend really closer to three figures, if not three figures.

[CRACK] Oh!

I broke it.

NARRATOR: You'll have to suck it instead.

Now where's the other sucker in this duo?

What I need to find, often, a really nice jumbly stand, where everything's a bit disorganized.

NARRATOR: I get you, James.

It's sometimes true, a slightly ramshackle display means the items could be good as the dealer is moving stock in and out.

Or, he's just an old lazy bones.

James.

Catherine, how are you doing?

Catch.

It's got some weight.

It's got some weight!

It's the Braxton test.

The Braxton test.

That'd be mine, if I wasn't-- CATHERINE SOUTHON: Penniless?

Almost penniless.

My purpose of being here is to buy something-- Large and expensive.

Yeah.

On the way to three figure-ish.

There she goes.

NARRATOR: There's no stopping that Catherine today.

Ah-ha!

So what's this?

A little Edwardian child's iron.

I think not.

Look at that.

What did I find yesterday?

I found a novelty inkwell.

Another novelty inkwell.

This one now, in the shape of a little iron.

There's your reservoir for the ink and there is your pen wipe.

Malcolm!

MALCOLM: Catherine!

Malcolm!

NARRATOR: Malcolm's the man in charge, by the way.

What's your price on it, Malcolm?

It all comes down to price.

If I said the very, very best was 85 pounds.

NARRATOR: Oh, yeah.

Brace yourselves.

That is a deal, my friend.

It's delightful.

I love it.

I have to have it.

It's just yummy, yum, yum.

NARRATOR: Steady, girl.

And that's Catherine's final item, done and dusted.

Meanwhile has James done a runner?

These are quite fun.

These are Victorian pub tables.

Nope, it's just his laser-like table vision drawing him to his next prey.

We've got a maker's name here.

I can't make out the first bit because it's been painted over many times.

It's something and Chambers, Bar Fitters Birmingham.

If it's under 30 pounds, I'll buy it.

What?

Hold on.

It's got to be under, it's got to be 27 pounds and exactly 14 pence for me to buy it.

Malcolm!

I haven't got a lot of money, Malcolm.

What is that?

It's not mine.

It belongs to one of the dealers and the very best I can do that for is 40 , is 40 pounds.

40 pounds?

I cannot go-- I'm so sorry.

What about 27 pounds, 14 pence?

Tempting?

I will do a quick phone call for you.

It's worth it, isn't it?

I'll do my best for you.

Thank you.

You never know which way it can go.

So, all good fun.

Let's see.

If I get it, I get it.

If I don't, there's always something else.

NARRATOR: Get it?

Look out, Malcolm's back.

That was quick.

I've spoken to the dealer and there's good news for you.

He said, let him keep the 14 pence.

He'll let you have it for 27.

He's a very generous man.

I'm so pleased for you.

Will you pass on my thanks?

I will.

Without further ado, there's the 25.

There's the 2.

27.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Thanks a lot.

NARRATOR: And that, as they say, is that.

OK. Off to the auction.

Off to the auction.

NARRATOR: Is there an echo in that car?

Where's the auction?

Newport, isn't it?

There are two Newports, aren't there?

Well, I hope I've got the right one.

I thought it was Shropshire.

Shropshire?

Not, not South Wales, then?

NARRATOR: Let's hope they get the right one, but until then.

Time for some shut-eye.

Welcome to Newport in Shropshire.

Dating back to the 12th century, its very wide Main Street was designed for its market.

Takes ages to cross the road.

After kicking off an Evesham in Worcestershire, our intrepid twosome tripped all around the West Midlands until they got to Newport in Shropshire, home to Brettoll's Auction Room.

Lovely.

I can't wait to see the scale, what your cannons.

They're big, aren't they?

Oh, they're massive.

Really?

Huge!

- They're not tiddlers?

- No!

You're sure?

Come on, these are real mummers.

NARRATOR: Now, come on, you two.

Size isn't everything.

James, once again, parted with pretty much all of his cash, spending 227 pounds on his five auction lots.

This pair of posy vases, not really everybody's cup of tea.

In fact, I'm surprised James picked them up because they're not really his thing.

80 pounds?

It's a bit on the steep side.

Little bit punchy.

This could be a problem.

NARRATOR: We'll soon find out.

Catherine had much more cash but she only spent 200 pounds on her five auction lots.

I like this.

We've got a lovely weather vane here.

A nice fret-cut Shire horse.

It's obviously been on a roof, it's quite rusty.

And where's the rust from?

All over, but I'm going to point to west.

West is for winners.

I think this is a winner.

NARRATOR: West is best, but what caught the eye of auctioneer, David Brettoll?

The cannons.

Of all the things that are here today, they probably have created the most interest with the people actually coming into the sale room.

They're just an ornamental, interesting thing, and I think they'll do well.

The pub table-- they always sell well here.

Perhaps more in the height of the summer would it make the most money, so we're hoping for good things.

NARRATOR: Great stuff.

And with internet bidders from around the world joining the fray, we're ready.

Do you know what?

I don't think I've ever been this excited about an auction.

NARRATOR: Here we go.

First up, James 18th century creamware that looks like tin glazed to me.

I have 50 pounds.

I have 50 pounds.

50 pounds.

Got 5 anywhere now?

50 pounds, 50 pounds, 5.

On the internet, they'll love this.

60 pounds bid.

60 pounds.

70.

70 pounds still that same bidder at 70 pounds half.

75.

At the center room at 75, 70, 80.

At 80 pounds bid.

90.

- Yeah.

90 pounds I've got.

5, 95 bid, 95 got.

100 pounds.

- 100.

- I think it's slow and steady.

- 100 pounds.

Slow and steady.

Oh, god, I'm nervous now.

110 anywhere?

10, 110.

At 110 then once.

At 110 then twice.

At 110 third and final.

Sold away at 110 pounds.

[BANGING] NARRATOR: That's a great start, James.

That's a good profit.

I'm happy.

I'm happy.

I'm happy.

NARRATOR: I think he's happy.

Now, Catherine's first and favorite lot.

The flatiron-shaped, novelty inkwell.

I can start at 40 pounds bid.

40 pounds I got.

40 pounds, 40 pounds 2.

45.

45, 8, 50 pounds.

5, 60 pounds.

5, 70 pounds.

5, 80 pounds.

5, 85, 90, in the room.

90.

90 pounds bottom right.

90 pounds in the room.

At 90 pounds got.

5.

Trevor, it's your turn.

Well done.

90, 100 100.

Everyone loves to iron and do their paperwork.

Get ironing.

Get ironing 100 pounds in the room.

I don't believe it.

Is it that good?

Well done.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] Last jumps online.

In the room, I sell at 100 pounds.

Are you sure?

[BANGING] NARRATOR: That's a small but neat profit.

Oh, that's lovely.

Well done, you, well done you.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: And it's James's 19th century papier mache writing box next.

20 pounds for that.

10 will do.

10, but meet at 10, 12, 15, 18-- Come on.

--20, 2, 5, 8, 30, 2, 5-- Come on.

--in the room 8, 40.

2.

2.

At 42, I'm looking for 5, I've tempted you one more.

- Good one.

- Sold this time.

One more.

Are you sure?

At 42 pounds.

NARRATOR: Nothing to write home about there, I'm afraid.

That's a 13 pound loss.

42.

Very close, though.

Close.

Very close.

Close, but no cigar.

NARRATOR: Next up, Catherine's James Dixon and Sons, a pen holder with ram.

I've got a bidder fro-- from France of 28 pounds.

At 28, 30, 30 pounds I've got.

2, 5.

What's he saying?

What's it on?

38, 40.

40?

48, 50.

50.

See?

Buyer from France.

You come out smelling of roses with everything.

In France.

France, they like this.

55.

Anybody else now?

At 55, all done, gonna be sold.

One more time.

Jolly-- jolly lucky.

Last chance for you.

You bidding?

60 and a half.

Ooh, he's bidding again.

He's-- 5, 70.

70 pound bid.

70.

70 pounds.

Where did that come from?

What does it come from?

75 bid.

75, all done.

I mean it.

At 75 pounds.

To France it goes at 75.

[BANGING] NARRATOR: Fantastic profit, Catherine.

It means she's taken an early lead.

It's going to France.

Vive la France.

That's what I say.

NARRATOR: How will James's gold-plated cuff links fare?

5 pounds bid, at 8?

10?

They're worth 10, aren't they?

10?

They're worth more than that.

10 pounds bid of 10 pounds in the room.

12?

12 pound bid, at 12 pounds.

15?

We'll stamp the hallmark on them for you.

NARRATOR: You can't do that, Catherine.

15 pounds in the room where I'm pointing and sitting right in front of me here.

At 15 pounds-- 15.

That's it.

--all gone down.

Anybody else want to go at 15?

[BANGING] NARRATOR: That's break even on the links.

After fees, I've made a loss there.

NARRATOR: True.

Chin up, James.

Catherine's doggy match holder next.

10 pounds in the room, in the room.

12.

15.

15 pounds, 15.

18.

18?

Profit?

James, you're making it sound like it's the most exciting item of the day.

I've made 2 pounds.

Fair warning, I'm setting.

All done and gone at 18 pounds.

NARRATOR: Woof, woof!

A profit is a profit.

Next, it's James's rather unusual Victorian wall-mounted posy holders.

So we start at 15, 15 pounds.

Yes, you got one.

90 pounds, keep going.

Keep going.

90 pounds, hands up.

Fair warning.

90 pounds then.

Once, twice, third and final.

Sold him on a commission bid at 90 pounds.

NARRATOR: That's a 10 pound profit.

James is having very mixed fortunes latterly.

90 pounds.

Well done.

NARRATOR: Can Catherine's weather vane keep the wind blowing in the right direction?

20, 2, 5, 8, 30, 2, 5, 8, 40, 2, 5, 45 bid.

8, 48.

It's at 48.

48?

How much did you pay?

50.

I have it bound in the room.

I tell you what-- anything you touch-- you have the Midas touch.

I never normally do.

Catherine Southon, you have the Midas touch.

60 pounds, 60 pounds got.

60 pounds over in the corner.

60 pounds in the room.

Fair warning, it's being sold.

Last chance forever at 60 pounds.

[BANGING] NARRATOR: Bravo.

It's doubled its money.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, thank you.

NARRATOR: James's Victorian pub table is his last item.

50 pound and a half.

50 pound, 50 pound, 50 pound bid, 50 pound.

55 bid in the room.

You're out on line.

60, 5, 70, 5, 75 but 75, one more.

75 still in the room.

You're out on line.

75.

75.

Lovely.

At 75 pounds.

Gonna be sold then 80.

Don't stop now.

5.

It's got a maker's name on.

It's perfect.

At 85 in the room.

85 bid.

85.

In fairness to the man in the room.

85.

That's all the way.

Thank you, Bernard, 85.

[BANGING] NARRATOR: Oh, that's James back in the game, look.

Well done to you, my friend.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That was good.

NARRATOR: The prop cannon are Catherine's final lot.

20 bid, He's going to bid, the chap on the right.

Stop, sir.

Stop.

Oh, no.

They're only at 35.

Come on.

40 pounds, then I say.

Last chance for you.

All done.

Put away at 40 pounds.

NARRATOR: Well, a cannon didn't fire things up.

Never mind.

We did well.

We did well.

Let's leave the losses behind.

Yes, leave them behind.

Leave them behind.

NARRATOR: Well there weren't many losses, actually, so don't worry you two.

Catherine started out with a smidgen over 316 pounds and increases her kitty, after costs, by just over 40 pounds to 356 pounds and 76 p. James, though, wins the day, making a profit after costs of almost 54 pounds.

He now has just over 280 pounds and he's starting to close in on Catherine.

I may have won the leg, but you're still in the yellow jersey.

You're the overall winner.

Keep pedaling, James, you'll catch me.

Keep peddling.

[MUSIC PLAYING]