NARRATOR: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts.

I think I've found something.

Pretty good.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: Behind the wheel of a classic car.

Oh, stop it.

NARRATOR: And a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

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, oh.

NARRATOR: This is the "Antiques Road Trip."

Ha, ha.

Hmm, seems to have turned out nice again.

Hurrah.

Just in time for another antiques road trip.

We have got probably one of the best days today.

JAMES: It is glorious, isn't it?

We are seeing Cambridgeshire and Suffolk borders in their best light.

NARRATOR: Our bright and breezy buddies are James Braxton in the driving seat and Catherine Southon by his side.

Cambridge the city, the city of brains, isn't it?

NARRATOR: You two will fit right in then.

Cambridge is rather like Oxford.

Everybody's on bicycles, aren't they?

Exactly.

Would you ever do a road trip on a tandem or another bicycle?

A bicycle-- Like a rickshaw.

--made for two.

I would love that.

That would be so much fun.

NARRATOR: I bet they'd miss the super smooth, smart, and stately Rover P5, though, in which they have ventured far and wide, through several counties, traveling right up and then back down again all through the middle of the country on their five-leg journey from Eversley in Hampshire to Bourne in Lincolnshire.

There's only a smidge between us, but I've been so far ahead the whole time.

You have.

Just a little bit, and then a little bit more, and a little bit more, and the gap was huge.

It was huge.

Trailing Catherine.

I never thought I'd say that phrase.

NARRATOR: He's right, though.

Catherine started out with 200 pounds and was doing terribly well until she stumbled at the last auction, winding up with 247 pounds and 98p.

Whereas Brackers, well, who began with the same amount is now for the first time on this trip in the lead on this, the final leg.

He has 254 pounds exactly in this little piggy.

Gosh.

It's like Snakes and Ladders, isn't it?

Do you know what?

- You hit a snake.

- It is exactly that.

I hit a ladder.

It is exactly that.

You know one about 96 when you hit that horrible snake and it takes you all the way down to number 2.

NARRATOR: Yeah.

I feel your pain, Catherine.

What's a few pounds between friends?

Come on, James, put your foot down.

NARRATOR: Backseat driver.

All roads lead to Bourne in Lincolnshire for the final auction.

Do you know, I just can't believe it's nearly over.

With Catherine dropped off, James has motored on to Cambridge for his first stop.

But will he take a punt or play it safe in the aptly named Hope Street Yard, a Victorian yard with garages filled with antiques and hope?

Warren is his host.

Warren, Warren, Warren, I think I've found something.

It's very strange in here.

It's got a lovely echo.

Warren.

Yeah, yeah.

How much is it?

It's, it's 240 pounds, but that's for two.

That could be-- 240 pounds?

I can't get it off, Warren.

NARRATOR: Oh, lordy, now you're stuck with it.

We'll leave you with some soap, old bean, and catch up with Catherine, who's crossed the border into Suffolk and Clare.

She'll begin her shopping in Clare Antiques and Interiors Hello, Jeeves.

Save me one of those later, Jeeves.

NARRATOR: Me too.

Yum, yum.

There's four floors of antiques with 50 dealers in this converted mill.

Catherine's going to have her work cut out.

This suitcase is fabulous.

Big circular suitcase.

Probably for hats, isn't it?

Well, what's on it?

You see, once people start calling things rare you know there's going to be a big price.

That's got 140 on it.

I will not make money on that.

NARRATOR: Righty-ho.

Let's pop back to Cambridge then and see what James has on his head now.

Oh, just his cap.

Very dapper.

That's nice, isn't it?

That has a real charm.

I like a wicker laundry basket.

I think they're always popular.

JAMES: This is a good 80 years old, isn't it?

Rope handles.

Quite often the wicker's got gaps in it or-- And also, we've got-- we've got the odd wormhole, but that goes with the territory.

Warren, how much could you do this for?

How about 20?

I'd prefer 30.

JAMES: 20 quid for first purchase?

Come on, put it there.

OK. - It's all right.

- Well done.

Excellent.

Thank you.

First one done.

- Makes me feel better.

Come on.

Let's go.

I want to spend some money, Warren.

Take me to another, Warren.

WARREN: To the right.

- To the right?

NARRATOR: Wow, James is certainly not hanging about today.

Nice item, that, for 20 pounds.

Has Catherine been so quick off the mark in Clare?

Oh, I like this.

What on Earth is it?

Is it far-- I guess it's a farming tool, isn't it?

Looks quite menacing, really.

Is it for, I guess-- is that right?

Sort of raking it.

As you can tell, I do know-- I know nothing about gardening and farming.

But I do have some nice pot plants at home.

But I think this is probably for sowing seeds or something.

NARRATOR: Quite right, Catherine.

It's a cultivator, used to prepare the soil before planting flowers or crops.

This is a scythe, isn't it?

NARRATOR: Yup.

And this is some sort of hoe.

You know what?

I think I might buy these.

You could be witnessing a first.

A first for me buying garden tools.

NARRATOR: There's no ticket price.

Lorraine?

Yes?

I have found something that I really didn't think I was going to find here.

I thought about maybe getting three.

LORRAINE: OK. Would you be able to do a deal on all three?

Maybe around 20 pounds.

OK, yeah.

We'll do a deal on that.

Fantastic.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

NARRATOR: Speedy decision, that.

That's a collection of three horticultural implements, a mere snip at 20 pounds.

Watch out for the sign.

Slice it up.

Now, what's James up to in Cambridge?

Something brainy?

Who's that made by?

Like a trumpet.

Made by Boosey and Hawkes.

That's a nice one, isn't it?

NARRATOR: An instrument manufacturer and music publisher that merged in the 1930s.

The company dominated the British music scene, and in its heyday in the 1960s and '70s, it became one of the most successful instrument makers in the world.

Give us a tune, James.

[HORN PLAYING BADLY] Yeah, Louis Armstrong he ain't.

Earplugs, anyone?

There's no ticket price.

I like this.

I'll give you 50 quid for it, Warren.

OK, OK. OK, thank you.

That's really kind.

NARRATOR: That's two great deals for James.

Only 70 pounds for the wicker basket and the trumpet.

Thank you, Warren.

Very kind indeed.

Meanwhile, Catherine's moved on to Newmarket, the Suffolk town synonymous with thoroughbred horse racing.

And what better place to find out all about it than the National Stud, where Tim Lane is on hand to explain how it all, ahem, works in practice.

Tim, who's our friend over here?

This is Acclaim with Tony leading him.

He's one of our stallions who stands here.

He's stood two seasons at Stud.

What would actually make a good racehorse?

They've got to be honest, tough, sound, willing, and above everything they've got to be athletes.

And how many times would you actually use him?

He'd cover, when he's busy, four times a day, and we'd leave a gap of four hours in between.

So he-- - Good gosh.

He's a very busy boy.

He covered 160 mares in his first season, so it was non-stop.

Goodness me.

NARRATOR: My thoughts exactly.

So when you start off with the mare and the stallion, they don't have a candlelit supper or anything like that.

No, no.

There's no dinner date, no.

It's-- the stallion will come into the shed, and the mare will come from being prepared and what have you, come in and get the job done.

NARRATOR: Nicely put.

Yeah, well, moving on.

And a horse like that, what would it be worth?

The, the stallions are worth millions.

They really are.

CATHERINE: Really?

TIM: It's a very expensive thing to get into.

It's very big.

- Does it really?

- Yeah.

And this is really the heart of it here, isn't it?

It's is.

Newmarket is, yeah.

It is the hub of it, stallion-wise, racing, you know, training.

CATHERINE: How many stallions would you have here?

We'd normally have around four a year, to be fair.

We've got three at the moment, but we're always looking for a new one.

It doesn't seem that many.

TIM: No.

You, you want to get it right, you know.

It's not about numbers, it's about quality.

NARRATOR: With so much at stake, that quality has to be assured, and incredibly, one man's records kickstarted it all more than 200 years ago.

Nick Craven from Wetherby's can give Catherine the inside track.

Horse racing, as far as I'm concerned, seem to have been around, what, for a couple of years?

Yep.

200, 300 years.

In those days, you know, whether it was King Charles II or the-- or the rich and famous at the time, the landowners, they'd have match races between their, their favorite horses to see who would win, in those days, vast pots of money.

NARRATOR: The origins of the thoroughbred emerged when some of those wealthy horse owners brought in Arabian horses to be crossed with native British mares in the 1700s.

The three really most prominent stallions that came in from the Middle East were the Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian, and the Barley Turk.

NARRATOR: But it was not until the second half of the 18th century that the sport began to be organized and regulated, when the Jockey Club was founded.

And in 1770, when Northumbrian lawyer James Wetherby was appointed Secretary to the Jockey Club, he soon recognized the value of setting down the horse's lineage.

What was the significance of the book, Nick?

So this is the first record, the first register of thoroughbreds started by James Wetherby back in 1791.

Here he is recording the parentage and the offspring of stallions and mares.

CATHERINE: So this, essentially, was like a family tree?

Yeah, it was recordkeeping, really, to make sure everything was established, whereas these days, everything is much more scientific in terms of parentage verification, microchips and everything else.

In these days, it was really just a question of putting the records down so everyone knew from the stud book, from the first stud book, who was who.

So can we have a look at some of these stallions that are listed?

What's this one?

So this is Darley's Arabian that you mentioned.

Yeah, Mr. Darley's Arabian is, as I said, the foundation-- well, one of the key drivers for the modern day thoroughbred.

90%, plus or minus, of modern day thoroughbreds stem from the Darley Arabian.

Down his line is the Great Eclipse, the brilliant racehorse, and from Eclipse now you have all these incredibly good horses these days, whether it's Galileo, Sadler's Wells, Dane Hill, Frank [INAUDIBLE].

Amazing horses.

Is it safe to say, then, that this is really the Bible of horse racing?

Yeah, I think it is safe to say that.

I mean, it's a vitally important piece of, of history for the-- for the sport.

NARRATOR: Seven generations on, the stud book is still published every four years by the Wetherby family.

That really is incredible that this is really where it all began.

This is all where it crafted.

Gosh.

That's amazing.

NARRATOR: And it looks like all this talk of top class horse racing has gone to Catherine's head.

Come on.

Gee'up.

NARRATOR: And they're off.

This is actually really hard work.

I'm out of breath already.

No wonder these jockeys have to be pretty fit.

Come on.

It really works the thighs.

NARRATOR: And it's Catherine's in the lead of this incredible one-horse race.

Whoa.

You can hear the crowds cheering.

NARRATOR: One last push and she'll be crossing the finish line.

Yes!

That is exhausting.

NARRATOR: You're not kidding.

Right, let's leave Catherine to recover and catch up with James, who's traveling at a much statelier pace.

He's pootling along to the deliciously named Steeple Bumpstead in Essex.

Steeple Bumpstead.

It's lovely.

It feels round, doesn't it?

Bumpstead.

It's not bum.

Bumpstead.

NARRATOR: I never said it was.

I'm feeling really good.

I've managed to steal the lead.

All I've got to do is maintain and lengthen that said lead, and then the prize will be mine.

NARRATOR: Yes.

Well, first thing's first, James.

You've got 184 pounds still to spend, and Bumpstead Antiques and Interiors beckons.

They specialize in fine quality antique furniture, artwork, clocks, and jewelry.

Right up your street.

It's going to be about price for me, because I've got to buy a bargain here and try and make some money in Bourne.

So I'm going to be really on my mettle, find something that's been slightly passed over, something with a little left in it for somebody else like me.

NARRATOR: That's the name of the game.

Now, what on Earth is this here?

Nice little Victorian ostrich egg.

NARRATOR: That's Graham.

Gilt decoration, of course.

Is that English or French, do you think?

Well, I would say it's English with the decoration showing, but most-- many of them are continental, European.

The star of the show is the egg, isn't it?

GRAHAM: Absolutely.

Isn't it amazing?

GRAHAM: Yes, they are.

What could that be?

Well, it's probably out your price range, for it's out-- How do you know, Graham?

Well, it's out at 265, and the best we could do on that would be 225.

- 225.

Yeah, it is.

You confirmed it.

But it's a great egg.

NARRATOR: It's a good egg.

You know how something sometimes grabs you.

This, it's got a lovely naive streak to it, and it's Asia, so the ship, it's quite-- it's very primitively done, but it's very elegant.

NARRATOR: The picture is more commonly known as a shadow picture, which is an early form of 3D art.

Dating back to the 19th century, this was almost certainly created by a sailor from the vessel depicted.

They are rare, but this one appears to be later crudely decorated.

I like this item.

Although it's naive, it depicts the thoroughbred of sailing vessels, something like a tea clipper.

NARRATOR: First built in the 1840s, clippers revolutionized merchant ships.

With three masts and square sails, they were uniquely designed for speed, and the Cutty Sark is, of course, the most famous of them all.

Would 80 buy it, Graham?

No?

No, I'm sorry.

Are you not trying to nudge me up to 90 there?

I'm trying to nudge you up above three figures.

Above three figures.

I like it, Graham.

You like it, but you want to sell it.

I want to buy it.

Willing buyer, willing seller.

In any negotiation, there's give and take.

There is, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Give and take.

You give and I'll take.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: You fell right into that one, James.

Would you do it at 110, Graham?

I'll do it at 120.

Graham, thank you very much indeed.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Well done, James.

That's three items in the bag and 64 pounds left to spend tomorrow.

Now, back with his buddy, is James on a fishing mission?

What's your tactics for this leg?

The final leg.

I couldn't possibly tell you, James.

Why?

No, because-- Spending up?

I've told-- no, I've told you my secrets before.

I've told you buying rusty and tatty seems to be working.

Yeah, yeah.

Brown and tatty.

And I've told you about keeping some money behind, and you did it all, and now you're ahead.

I know.

It worked for me.

And it's not fair.

NARRATOR: All's fair in love and the antiques road trip.

Nighty night, you too.

Good morning, roadies.

It's wet out there today.

What's happened to the weather, by the way?

I don't know.

It is very rainy, isn't it?

It's got that smell, though.

When you've just-- I love that.

When it's just rain and then it's all-- Like newly cut grass.

It's the smell of new, good things.

Good things.

Good antiques.

Like a washed baby.

NARRATOR: If only we had smell-o-vision for this, our final day of shopping.

Good day yesterday?

Very good day.

Bought some lovely things.

Spent some money.

Did you?

Did you really?

I only bought one item yesterday.

It was a bit of a struggle.

Did you pay much for it?

No clues.

I am zipped up.

NARRATOR: Don't worry, I'll tell you, dear viewer.

Catherine spent a mere 20 pounds on a set of three horticultural instruments.

It looks quite menacing, really.

NARRATOR: Yeah.

She has still 227 pounds and 98p in her kitty.

Conversely, James spent 190 pounds on three separate items, a 1920s wicker laundry basket, a rare 19th century shadow picture, and a trumpet in its original box with accessories.

He has just 64 pounds left for today.

I'm going to spend up, Catherine.

I think it's traditional on the last leg-- OK. --to spend up.

Well, you keep-- your tradition may not be my tradition.

But we'll see.

We'll see what happens.

Don't look at me like that, James.

NARRATOR: He's quite scary, isn't he?

Thankfully, Catherine has dropped James off and is on her way to Stamford in Lincolnshire, but her traveling buddy is very much on her mind.

Last time he told me, spend it all, Catherine, spend it all, and I did.

And now I've got nothing left because it all went horribly wrong.

James, I'm going to have to be strategic.

NARRATOR: Get your game face on, Catherine.

Ready for St Martin's Antique Center in the aforementioned Stamford.

Oh, this is a lovely cup of tea.

I'm enjoying this tea so much.

NARRATOR: Make yourself at home, eh?

This is weird, isn't it?

It's a very thin sort of plywood.

But I'm intrigued by these little holes here.

What is it?

There's straw down the side here, so I think that this is probably like a traveling box or something for-- would it be birds, pigeons?

That would make a really nice sewing box, though, I think.

Something like that?

You convinced?

NARRATOR: Ahem.

There we are.

Shaped bird box, 24 pounds.

If that could be just under 20, I think that's got some potential.

Do you?

NARRATOR: Yeah, I do.

Sure, why not?

Well, it's certainly going cheap, cheap, cheap.

It might even be an unusual fishing creel where anglers stash their gear.

Right, I'm cooking on gas here.

Anything else?

A little biscuit tin.

I've bought one of these before and I've done really well with them.

It's a little biscuit tin in the form of a suitcase.

It's a little bit scratched, but that's its appeal, really.

NARRATOR: This one once held bikkies made by Glasgow-based MacFarlane and Lang biscuit makers, hence the initials on the trunk.

Quite collectable.

The tin dates back to the 1930s.

I always think these are lovely.

35 pounds.

Again, that is a possibility.

Right, we are really doing well here now.

NARRATOR: Phew.

I'm breathless at the speed of it all.

What about that?

NARRATOR: What, more?

Ladder, ladder.

That's nice?

What's the name on that?

The Hatherly?

The Hatherly?

No idea.

NARRATOR: The early 20th century Hatherly patent lattice step was a forerunner to step ladders, and with a cast iron maker's label, it's another great find.

Ticket price, 32 pounds.

Now, that is cheap.

You see, this would be really nice if you had a library.

We've all got a library, haven't we?

NARRATOR: Who doesn't, dearie?

This would be nice little steps to lead up to just get that book on the top shelf that you just can't reach.

Right, OK. That's three potentials.

Lynn, Lynn.

Hello, Catherine.

Lynn, Lynn, Lynn.

Right.

What I'm thinking is I would quite like to buy the bird box.

You've got 24 on it.

I was thinking 15.

OK. And I was thinking you've got 35 on this little box.

Right.

And I was thinking maybe 25.

OK. And then, good things come in threes.

I was thinking about this ladder and wondered if you could do that for 25.

Well, I'm going to have to check that with the dealer.

- OK. - OK. NARRATOR: OK. After a quick call to check in with the dealers, Lynn is back.

Right, Catherine, you're in luck and they have confirmed you could have it for that price.

Lovely.

So 25, 25, and 15?

Yeah.

Fantastic.

Lynn, I like you very much and I like your shop.

Thank you, Catherine.

I like you.

NARRATOR: That's all three items for 65 pounds.

Nice work, Catherine.

Oh, hang on, now what's she up to?

Oh, you see, sometimes it's really dangerous to buy all three things in one area because then you explore the rest of the center in depth and you see this.

Oh, this is a corker.

This is a cigar cutter, a gentleman's cigar cutter, or maybe a cigarette cutter because it's quite, quite small.

But what does it say here?

A maritime type cigar cutter.

Well, yes, it is maritime, but it's in the shape of a telegraph.

So the telegraph where you would send the messages up to the captain.

This is such a cool thing.

I have never seen anything like this.

It hasn't got a huge amount of age to it.

It's probably only sort of 50 years old.

I really like that.

I rate that a lot.

NARRATOR: It's priced at 28 pounds.

I know it's smoking and not really everybody's cup of tea, but you try and find another one of those.

I'm going to have to add this no matter what to my bag of gems.

NARRATOR: Lynn?

Oh, is that my 5 pound change?

Yes, Catherine,here's your change.

Thank you, but I have actually found something else.

Oh my goodness.

I know.

Well, it's too good here, you know?

I love this.

You've got 28 pounds on the telegraph.

What could you do on that?

I could do it for 25 pounds.

20-- right.

You keep the 5.

That'll be great.

I will shake your hand.

You keep the 5.

And there we go, there we are.

It's another crisp-- Thank you so much.

- --pair of 10s.

- Thank you.

That's lovely.

NARRATOR: What a haul, eh?

And all for a total of 90 pounds.

That girl short can motor.

In the meanwhile, James has taken a break from shopping to head just north of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.

He's here to visit Wood Walton Fen, a national nature reserve and a special area of conservation.

Henry Stanya, a monitoring officer from the Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust, is his guide.

So what does this lovely landscape, this wetland landscape, support?

What wildlife?

There's a wealth of wildlife.

We can talk about birds, we can talk about herons.

We have things like the gray heron that people are very familiar with, but also now we have things like the great egret, little egret, the booming bitten, and that loves these reed beds.

Mammals as well.

It's a real haven for water voles, and also otters.

Otters breed here in this area.

Why is this area special?

It's an area where we're trying to protect the fens, the peat in particular, and that's a habitat that we've lost.

We've lost over 99% of it, basically to intensive agriculture.

It's been plowed.

That then destroys the peat, and it just blows away, and so we're actually trying to protect that, because it's a real hotspot for wildlife in the country.

NARRATOR: And that's what attracted one of the world's wealthiest men from a family whose surname is a byword for power and influence to set up his summer residence here in the heart of the fen.

Now, who built this rather grand bungalow?

This brings Charles Rothschild into the story.

So he was an eminent naturalist.

He was an entomologist studying insects in the area in the fens, and this is their summer house.

And this has been here since about 1911.

It's lovely, isn't it?

It is.

It's very nice.

NARRATOR: It may come as a surprise that banker Charles Rothschild was an environmental pioneer dubbed the father of modern conservation by those in the know.

A passionate entomologist, in 1910 he bought the fen to ensure its survival, and this hideaway was the base for his field trips, where he monitored and recorded the wildlife in the landscape around him.

Would this be his sort of library, his workroom here?

Yeah, this is where he set himself up.

Obviously, he was out in the field as much as he could be, but at the end of the day, you had records to process and maybe specimens to identify that you couldn't do in the field.

Because that was the important thing, recording your observations.

So you can communicate it.

That's right.

They were obviously trying to say, look, this site is really important, why you should protect it.

NARRATOR: His mission was to protect British wildlife and habitats against the growth of industrialization.

In 1915, he put together a list of 284 sites across Britain that he considered worthy of preservation.

It was to be the start of the wildlife trusts and wildlife conservation as we know it.

And that's exactly what Henry does today, recording the wildlife on the reserve and monitoring its progress as the fen develops and thrives.

So what, what are you handling, a vital tool here?

That's right.

This is my pond dipping net.

We're looking to see what is using this particular body of water.

Oh, blimey.

I don't think I found the margin.

I found the depths here.

So you just go along the margin?

Yes.

It's just the wildlife along the edge there.

There we are.

I think it could-- Tip it in.

Tip it in.

And we'll have a look and see what we got.

Tip it in.

So that's a water stick insect.

And there's, there's your ram's horn.

The ram's horn snail there.

Again, [INAUDIBLE].

It does look like a ram's horn, doesn't it?

Exactly so.

Nature is beautiful, isn't it?

It is.

What's your ultimate goal here in the fens?

So really, we want to help to transform a part of the fens.

What we're trying to create is rather than just having a few isolated nature reserves, we want a living landscape for the wildlife and the people, which means creating fresh habitat around the existing reserves, linking them together.

So that buffers them against any change now or in the future.

NARRATOR: And that is something that Charles Rothschild would certainly have been delighted to see.

Meanwhile, Catherine has mosied on to St. Neots in Cambridgeshire, where settlements have existed for over 3,000 years.

In more recent history, Catherine has just been on a shopping bonanza.

I ended up buying not one, not two, not three, but four items.

I feel pretty good about that.

And I'm off to my last shop to watch James running around like a headless chicken.

NARRATOR: She still has almost 138 pounds to spend should anything take her fancy in the St. Neots Emporium.

Family run and cozy, it's crammed with oodles to browse through.

This is a really nice emporium, but I'm in such a good position, and it's just nice to know that I can just sit here and relax and wait for James to arrive.

NARRATOR: Won't be long.

He's hot on your heels.

So I've got just over 60 pounds.

Hopefully I'll buy two items.

Shall I give this to Catherine?

Lucky Catherine.

NARRATOR: You feeling lucky, punk?

Or rather, dunk?

I can't just sit here and do nothing.

I've got to have a look.

I've got to have a mooch.

That's what I'm going to do, I'm going to mooch.

NARRATOR: Look out behind you.

Oh, Miss Southon, how are you doing?

I'm looking at handbags, which is always a-- Handbags.

You-- - --a difficult thing for me.

- Have you got-- I'm happy.

Have you got money to spare on handbags then?

Oh, I've got so much money.

How much money have you got?

I couldn't possibly tell you, but there are a few little pounds left, a little bit of funds.

What, 10s or 100s?

Oh, sorry, you didn't have 100s to spare, did you?

NARRATOR: Ouch.

Time to exit, James.

Oh, I like this.

This is one of these Aladdin's lamps, isn't it?

Do you think if I rub this I might go back into the lamp slightly smaller?

Just rub the lamp and I'll just disappear.

NARRATOR: Abracadabra.

Nah.

We'd miss you, really.

Rather nice Denby jug, modeled as an owl.

And I always think good design also has that little touch of humor.

You can tell it's sort of slightly handmade.

Look at the variation of that modeling there.

So it's slightly lopsided, isn't it?

NARRATOR: Just like the one you made at Denby, eh, James?

It's got this lovely electric blue glaze.

1920s, 1930s.

50 quid?

It's nice, it's perfect.

That's the great thing about stoneware.

It's very robust.

A vitreous stoneware.

I like that.

I want to get that a little cheaper.

NARRATOR: That's one possibility.

Next door to it is another jug.

This is lovely.

This is a real art deco shape, isn't it?

So 1920's shape.

It's made by a lady called Susie Cooper.

NARRATOR: A big player in British ceramic design, her career spanned from the 1920s to the 1980s, and her art deco creations are highly sought after.

This is a time of transport.

This is a time of rather glamorous adventure.

Time of Hollywood.

That's more my budget.

22.

22 pounds.

I need to find Jacqueline.

NARRATOR: There she is.

Quick.

Not one, but two jugs.

Go on then, James.

What's your offer?

What, for the two?

For the two.

For the two, we're at 30 quid.

For the two?

Yeah.

NARRATOR: I can hardly bear to look.

Um, yes.

Go on.

Thank you very much indeed.

NARRATOR: Hurrah.

That's 20 for the Denby owl jug and 10 for the Susie Cooper milk jug.

Jacqueline, thank you very much indeed.

30 quid.

There you are.

NARRATOR: But Catherine's leaving the emporium empty-handed, and that's both of our delightful experts all shopped out.

Feeling soppy, anyone?

Last leg, Catherine.

Will you be-- will you be sad to wave me farewell?

I thought you were going to ask me to marry you then.

Will you be my wife?

No.

Will you-- will I what, James?

Will you-- Will I drive you around forever?

No.

No.

Will I be a your road trip companion again?

Yes, I would.

- Me too.

- Aw.

It's been lovely.

[INAUDIBLE].

NARRATOR: Yes, it certainly has.

But all good things and all that.

Anyway, time for some shuteye.

And so here we are at last.

Bourne in Lincolnshire is the setting for the final face-off.

Flat around here, isn't it?

It could go either way, James, today.

It could do.

One of us is going to come out of here smiling.

Do you think?

We both will.

The other one weeping.

NARRATOR: With our twosome so evenly matched, what a clash of the titans it promises to be at Golding Young Auctioneers.

James didn't quite spend all, but he bagged five eclectic lots, including his most expensive item of this trip, the 19th century shadow picture and the not so costly 1920s wicker laundry basket.

Well, it's not the most exciting thing here on offer in the auction, but this laundry basket James paid 20 pounds for, he's copying my little rustic idea.

Brown and rustic.

20 pounds paid, absolute bargain.

NARRATOR: Yeah.

Catherine only parted with 110 pounds for her five lots, but with no big ticket items, whose strategy will win the day?

It's a lovely item.

It feels as though it should be heavier, though.

It's got a nice brass column.

The, the base I think could have been bronze, really.

I think it's a lovely item, and Catherine told me 25 pounds.

My bid for stardom and fame and victory may be undone by this cigar cutter.

NARRATOR: Auctioneer Colin Young has a couple of favorites.

The owl jug is a great looking lot.

Beautiful colors, beautiful glaze on it.

Yep, plenty of buyers.

The stepladder is a really good rustic item, and ideal for anybody that wants to go up in the world.

NARRATOR: The old ones are the best ones, eh, Colin?

Bless you.

This place is abuzz with bidders, and there's online bidding too.

Right, take your places, you two.

It's exciting, isn't it?

Can't believe this is the last auction, actually.

There's a good-- there's a good crowd.

Good, good.

Good crowd.

NARRATOR: Here we go.

It's Catherine's traveling bird box or fishing creel.

10 pounds.

10 is now bid.

10.

12 again now then.

- Keep going, keep going.

10 bid.

12 now.

12 bid.

15.

18 [INAUDIBLE] 20 [INAUDIBLE] now at 18 [INAUDIBLE] are we all done?

20 [INAUDIBLE] now then.

18 pounds is now bid.

Last call then, hammer's up, selling at 18 pounds.

NARRATOR: That's 3 pounds profit.

I put my head in the box, so I could have-- Well, that's very foolish.

I could have maggots crawling.

I can't see any.

Would you like me to join?

Would you like to join heads?

That's all right.

No, thank you.

NARRATOR: James' 1920s wicker laundry basket is next.

30 is bid.

At 30.

Bid 2, 32, 35, 38.

38 bid.

40 now.

At 38 [INAUDIBLE].

40 now surely.

At 38 pounds is bid.

Any more?

40 is bid.

40 in the second row.

Lovely.

There you go.

That's what I said.

40 pound I'm bid.

Any more now then?

40 pound I'm bid.

2 for anybody else?

Then goes at 40 pounds.

NARRATOR: Nice start there, James.

Brilliant.

You have doubled your money on that.

Well done.

Well done.

NARRATOR: Now it's Catherine's 1930s cigar cutter.

20 pounds is bid.

At 20 bid, 2, 22, 25, 25, 28 bid, 30.

- Last of the big spenders.

- 32, do I see?

32.

35.

38 now.

38 bid.

Do I see 35?

[INAUDIBLE] 38.

Surely at 35 [INAUDIBLE] it's a snip of the price.

35 [INAUDIBLE].

[INAUDIBLE].

Come on.

Then goes this time then back row.

At 35 pounds and done.

NARRATOR: That's a tenner for Catherine.

Oh, that's really disappointing.

That's a profit.

That's a-- James, it's a pathetic profit.

NARRATOR: Now, here's James's art deco Susie Cooper jug.

Give me a tenner.

Tenner.

It's got to be sold.

10 bid.

At 10.

12.

Bid at 12.

15 now.

15 bid.

15.

18 now.

15 [INAUDIBLE] 18 for anybody else now.

At 15 in the back row.

15 pounds is bid.

18 for anybody else.

18.

20 in the room.

22 now.

Doubled.

20 pounds bid.

Last call then.

Back in the room then.

Hammer's up.

And I will sell at 20 pounds.

Your bid, sir.

NARRATOR: Wow, James doubles his money again.

Oh, [INAUDIBLE].

You've got a friend there.

Well done, sir.

Lovely jug there, sir.

Lovely jug.

NARRATOR: Don't pack up yet, Catherine.

Here's the collectable 1930s biscuit tin.

Fiver.

5.

And bid 5 [INAUDIBLE].

NARRATOR: A fiver?

Ouch.

[INAUDIBLE] 8 pound.

10 now.

10.

Bid at 10.

12.

12 bid.

15 now.

15.

Also 18.

20.

2 Again now then.

22.

22 pounds is now bid.

- Come on, come on, come on.

- And 22.

Anybody else want to have a last dip?

No?

All done and finished then.

Going this time then.

Last call then.

Going then.

It's slam dunk at 22.

NARRATOR: That's a shame for such a lovely item.

[INAUDIBLE] bid 5 pounds?

NARRATOR: Twit, twoo.

Yes, it's James' owl jug next.

10 pounds.

10, 12, 15, 18 now.

18 [INAUDIBLE] 20 [INAUDIBLE].

2, 5.

5 bid.

5 now.

Do I see 25?

Hello, come on, it's a lovely owl.

5 again now, surely?

At 22 and 5 is the last call then.

5, 28, 30.

Have another one, it'll be a hoot.

30.

- Oh.

30.

2 now.

32.

35 now.

No, never works twice.

32 bid.

5 for anybody else then?

Last call then.

Sell second row at 32 pounds.

NARRATOR: That's another 12 pounds in the bag of James.

Yes.

Little bit of a profit.

Little bit.

Bet you must be happy with that, Catherine.

I thought that would make more, actually.

So did I. NARRATOR: Now, Catherine's hedging her bets with her trio of horticultural tools.

20 pounds anybody?

10 to go then.

10.

Got to be worth a tenner.

Fiver is bid.

5.

6 now do I see?

5 pounds bid.

6 for anybody else there?

5 pound bid.

6 now do I see?

Anybody else going to go now?

5 pound bid.

6 now.

It's only 2 pound [INAUDIBLE].

Oh, come on.

How can you possibly say that?

Maiden bid has it.

Nobody else wants to join in.

Going then at 5 pounds.

That's yours then, sir.

NARRATOR: Oh, dear.

They didn't rake it in then.

Will it be plain sailing for a big profit for James's 19th century shadow picture?

20 pounds is bid.

At 20 bid.

Any more now then?

NARRATOR: Oh, dear.

That's a low start.

50.

50.

60's here.

I'll take 5 if it's going to help.

And it slows down.

Anybody, 65?

Any more bids then?

NARRATOR: Oh, dear, Catherine That's going to hurt.

Sold at 65 pounds.

That's yours.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: What a shame.

Has that sunk James' chance of winning?

Oh.

NARRATOR: Catherine's last hurrah is the vintage stepladder.

Bid me a tenner.

Got to be sold.

10 pounds.

10, 12, 15, 18, 20.

2, 5, 8 now.

28.

30.

2, 5, 8, 40.

No.

38 pounds is now bid in the middle of the room then.

38 [INAUDIBLE] bid.

40.

- I love you.

- 40.

40 bid.

42 bid.

45 now.

45.

This is the best.

- Put the gavel down.

- Yes, no.

Shh.

- 50 now.

50 bid.

55 bid.

60 now.

60 bid.

65 bid.

Don't believe it.

Catherine.

My bid is in the room then.

The hammer's up.

At 75.

8 or not?

Last call.

Sells at 75 pounds.

NARRATOR: Now that's what you call a step in the right direction.

That-- You hated that more than anything.

I did hate it.

You've just earned 50 pounds.

NARRATOR: The final item is James's trumpet in its own box with accessories.

Will it blow his chances or make sweet music?

10 [INAUDIBLE] At 10.

12 bid.

At 12.

15.

15 bid.

15.

18 now.

18 bid.

20.

20 bid.

At 2.

2 [INAUDIBLE] 5, 5.

Bid at 5.

28, 28.

Bid 30.

At 30.

Bid 2 now.

30 bid.

2 now.

Do I see at 30 [INAUDIBLE] now?

32, Low, isn't it?

Any more bids?

Last call then.

Any more bids then?

We go this time then at 38 pounds.

Nobody else interested?

Sells then at 38 pounds.

NARRATOR: That's blown it.

Oh, disappointing 12 pound loss.

- Who knows.

- Who knows.

We have profits.

We have losses, we have losses, we have profits.

Could go either way still.

It could go.

Oh, exciting stuff.

Come on.

Come on.

NARRATOR: Deep breath and drumroll please.

James began this leg ahead with 254 pounds, but a mixed bag of an auction after a couple of gamble purchases means that after auction costs, he ends up with 193 pounds and 90p in his piggy.

The grin is a giveaway, but Catherine, who began slightly behind on 247 pounds and 98 pence, is left after auction costs with 265 pounds and 8p, which makes her the winner of this leg and of the trip, so well done.

And the final profit goes to Children In Need.

Super duper.

Oh, James.

All hail the winner.

Listen, that has been so much fun.

It's been brilliant.

It was.

We have laughed together.

We have cried together.

Cried together.

Yeah.

I do the crying, you do the laughing.

No, come on.

But no, it's been, been lovely, Catherine.

Really lovely.

It's been really happy, happy times and happy memories.

- Happy memories.

- Come on.

Come on.

Let's go think about our time on the road.

NARRATOR: And what a time it's been.

OK, Ringo, how you feeling about this?

I'm feeling really good, Paul.

Catch.

Ooh!

Rub the lamp and I'll just disappear.

Oh.

Have a tea on me.

It's very strange in here.

[WHISTLE] Wow, that is so loud.

Do you think this is my leg?

That's definitely your leg.

Will I be your road trip companion again?

Yes, I would.

- Me too.

- Aw.

It's been lovely.

[INAUDIBLE].

NARRATOR: How sweet.

[MUSIC PLAYING]