(CAR HORN) VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts... Howdy, li'l lady.

VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car... Oh yes!

VO: ..and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

Looking for some bargains?

VO: The aim... MARGIE: Yay!

VO: ..to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners...

Yes!

It is my lucky day!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

I actually can't believe that.

Annoying.

VO: Will it be the high road to glory... Yo, yo, yo!

VO: ..or the slow road to disaster?

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's destination Devon, as our lovable pair in the shiny white motor approach the end of their road.

TIM: Can you believe it?

We're at our last leg.

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, hasn't it?

It has.

Mainly going up, I think.

VO: I'm not sure whether that would obey the law of physics, actually.

Although it does serve to illustrate the buoyant outlook of auctioneer Hettie Jago and the dealer by her side, Tim Medhurst.

TIM: You've been the most amazing companion to have on the road.

HETTIE: Aww.

And hunting for antiques is just the best thing to do in the world.

What could be better?

My face hurts from laughing.

VO: Yes, there's certainly been a gaggle of giggles, and absolutely no breaking down - touch wood - thanks to their reliable and powerful roadster.

Do you think Poky the car has served us well?

(ENGINE REVS) HETTIE: Poky the car has... Wow!

It is poky.

TIM: Would you consider owning one of these?

If I could afford one, I'd have one.

VO: Well, why not?

After all, they bought quite a collection between them on this outing together...

Fancy.

VO: ..including six - yes, six!

- animal themed items, more than a few coins, and candlesticks.

Plus the occasional wildly off-piste purchase.

Ha!

I'm gonna buy a saw.

VO: And sometimes they've even made money.

We've got 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, £80.

And done.

VO: It's all about auction victories, of course, though, and Tim's already won the week with an insurmountable lead.

But Hettie can still be triumphant at their very last visit to the saleroom.

The brilliant thing is it's a clean slate, so anything's to play for.

VO: With another £200 each to spend.

May the best antiquer win.

Antiquer, is that a word?

VO: It is now!

(LAUGHS) They started in Sussex, and after a tour that took them through several home counties, they began to head west, with the finishing line situated firmly in Devonshire.

Right, here we go.

Off to the next stop.

Woohoo!

(HORN BEEPS) Woo!

VO: Their West Country rummage will take them towards Topsham.

But the deals begin in Hele.

With a village - the antiques one!

- where Hettie takes the first turn.

£200 to spend, remember.

In a very large former cider factory.

HETTIE: This is quite good, isn't it?

Very unusual thing.

I'll see whether I can give myself an eye test.

I can read the bottom line of that.

I'm quite a regular at the opticians, to be honest.

I'm wearing contact lenses right now.

Otherwise I wouldn't be able to read this.

VO: What about right at the bottom, Ms?

HETTIE: It says "Snellen".

Now, Snellen actually invented this type of eyesight test during the Victorian period.

And this, I would say, is probably late 19th century, but actually in incredibly good condition considering its age.

VO: Dutch ophthalmologist Herman Snellen invented his visual acuity test in 1862.

Now, let's have a look at the ticket.

HETTIE: "Snellen Eye Chart, circa late 19th century.

Salvaged from Norfolk Chemists.

Rare."

Now, it has £120 on the ticket, which I think is too much.

So unfortunately, I'm gonna have to leave it.

But it's interesting and it's given me an eye test.

And I can read the bottom line, so we're all good.

VO: 20-20.

But I don't see a profit in it.

VO: Clearly not lacking business acuity either - ha!

There's plenty more within range though.

I don't know a huge amount about cards.

I'm not sure what game this is particularly for.

Let me have a look at them.

So you've got all the suits.

Says "NO TRUMPS".

What is trumps?

VO: Typically in Bridge, "no trumps" indicates that clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades are not relevant.

What I like about this is the design of it.

It's very, very art deco.

It's gonna be '20s or '30s.

HETTIE: It's quite a well-made little figurine as well.

I think it's probably made from brass.

But you could just imagine this in the center of a game of cards, can't you?

In the middle of the table.

You've got the same suit on each side.

I think it's a really interesting thing and quite decorative as well.

Now, it has £85 on the ticket, which is quite a lot of money, quite a lot of my budget.

But if there's some sort of negotiation on this, then I think it might be coming to auction with me, cuz it's a really unusual thing and very, very beautiful.

So I'm gonna leave it there for now.

But unusual, attractive.

It's on my maybe list.

VO: So, it's on the cards, you might say.

Ha!

Now, who knows their mighty Gothic architecture?

Yep, the next destination is the cathedral city of Exeter, on the river Exe, where Tim's about to start his treasure seeking... ..at the Antiques Center on the Quay.

Formerly all fish in here at one point, of course.

It's saying "£200 available to spend, spend, spend..." TIM: Ooh, look at that.

Looky here.

Oh, it's a bit lighter than I thought it would be.

It's quite smart, isn't it?

Little brass fleur de lis, and it's been mounted on this ebonized base, which probably would have been the base for a trophy at some point.

And fleur de lis, I mean, they're very well known all over the world, aren't they?

French flag, Buckingham Palace gates.

And they've even got their own emoji.

MUSIC: "La Marseillaise" VO: Oui, oui, oui!

An heraldic symbol found all over, but especially in France.

Do you know what?

I think it's probably 19th century or early 20th century.

So it has got quite a lot of age.

And I think quite a lot of the market for antiques now is decorative.

And that is certainly decorative, isn't it?

I quite like the look of that.

So, I think at £42, if you could get that down to nearer the 30, that might be worth taking to auction.

TIM: So, one to come back to, I think.

I'll pop that there.

VO: Yep, early days as yet.

What else is to be found?

That's an interesting walking stick.

TIM: There's a big market for walking sticks in auctions.

And this one's got a carved finial here at the top, and it's really well done.

There's a nice face of a man with a beard here.

But it's got that patina, which I really like, where it's been used and used and used.

And you can tell this stick probably dates to around, I'd say 1850 to 1900.

We all know the term, "a dandy".

And back in the Georgian period, you'd have your dandy's walking cane.

And you could imagine all of the Georgian gents walking up and down the street, waving their sticks around.

But I suppose later on, you wanted something a little bit more unusual as well, so this is one of those.

And the wood's interesting, I think it's some kind of malacca.

That's quite a common wood for a walking stick.

But price wise, £20 doesn't seem a lot to me.

I'm quite pleased about that.

He has got an old split here.

But because that's part of the wood itself, I don't think that detracts from it at all and actually adds a bit of character.

So that might be, again, one to think about.

In fact, I might just dandy off that way.

VO: And we'll also dandy off.

Back to Hele, where Hettie's' search goes on.

She's already taken a shine to the trump marker.

What else does she fancy?

This.

It's only got £20 on the ticket.

I think that's a really, really good price.

I'm talking quite quietly because I don't want anyone else to want to buy it.

HETTIE: It says "French art deco".

So it's a desk set or stand, so you'd have your dip pen that you'd place in here or you'd lie it along this groove here.

Now, this little dog, just trying to work out what he is made of.

I'm looking at the areas where it might have worn.

You can see on the ear here that a little bit of sort of spelter is coming through, so you know it's not bronze.

It's quite a nice quality thing.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma about this, because I have spent money on desk-related, fountain-pen related items afore, and it has lost me money.

But at £20, can I really lose that much?

I don't think so.

I'm just having a really good look at this to make sure there isn't any damage to it.

The dog appears to be in good condition.

VO: Wet nose, shiny coat.

At £20, there's gotta be a profit in it.

I really like it.

I think it's definitely coming with me.

VO: Right, talk to the top dog.

Ha!

HETTIE: Hello, Clive.

CLIVE: Oh, hi.

What have you found?

First of all, this.

CLIVE: Right.

VO: A novelty trump marker accessory.

HETTIE: To continue with the art deco vibe... CLIVE: Yeah.

HETTIE: ..I've also picked this up.

£20.

Yes.

My question is, what would be your best price?

75.

75.

Could you do 65?

OK. Good.

I'm really pleased with that.

VO: Quite right, too.

45 for the trump marker and 20 for the pen stand.

HETTIE: There you go.

Thank you very much.

VO: 135 left over.

Time to take your leave, while we take another look at events in Exeter, where Tim's found himself a dandy walking stick and Graham's available when required.

Although he's changed his mind about the fleur de lis, thanks very much.

TIM: Oh, I like these a lot.

These are right up my street.

VO: Yup.

More candlesticks.

TIM: These are really, really lovely.

They remind me of a designer called William Arthur Smith Benson, WAS Benson, and he was sort of an innovator of design in the arts and crafts period.

And he made lots of candlesticks that looked just like this.

VO: Ticket price, £64.

TIM: Because he was so popular, obviously, things get copied.

But I think the idea with these would be see what the very, very best price would be, and that will make my decision.

And if I can get them down to like 40, maybe 50, I think they're in with a chance.

But for now, I think I'll plow on and see what else I can find.

VO: Excited of Exeter!

Ha!

Any more?

TIM: That's an interesting looking bit of stone.

I like this.

What does it say?

Oh, this is really interesting.

It says, "Exeter Cathedral, local blue lias stone from an original column in the Chapter House.

AD 1220."

Isn't that wonderful?

So in Exeter Cathedral, they would have probably been doing some renovation work, and they had a spare column.

And what they've done is they've cut down slithers and then sold them to help raise funds for the cathedral.

And it's only £16.

VO: Unfortunately, an ashtray.

Filthy habit.

But you could use it maybe as a jewelry dish, something like that.

Or I would just display it like this in a cabinet of curiosities.

And that would be a great talking point, wouldn't it?

Especially if you lived in Devon.

So at £16, I mean, I'm not just going to leave that there.

TIM: That is coming with me to the auction, so I'm gonna buy this.

VO: Three possible purchases in prospect.

Graham, hello.

Hello, Tim.

TIM: I've found a few things I'm interested in.

This wonderful little bit of Exeter Cathedral.

GRAHAM: Yeah.

TIM: A carved walking stick.

And also, do you know that pair of candlesticks?

GRAHAM: Oh, yes.

TIM: Well, they're 64, 16 and 20... GRAHAM: Mm-hm.

TIM: ..so, £100, but I'm sort of seeing, can you be quite kind to me?

Well, how would 80 suit you?

TIM: I think 80 would be fantastic.

GRAHAM: Is that alright?

TIM: Very pleased.

GRAHAM: OK. Jolly good.

TIM: Thank you very much.

VO: Super duper - making the candlesticks 47, the dandy stick 18, and the lump of cathedral 15.

Ha!

Meaning he exits with 120 remaining.

Although Tim won't actually be exiting Exeter just yet.

Because the pair are about to take a brief break from the shopping at one of the city's largest employers.

The Meteorological Office has been recording and forecasting the weather since the mid-19th century, a role which in today's climate crisis seems ever more vital.

And Hettie has come to meet Met Office archivist, Catherine Ross... Hello, Catherine.

Hello, Hettie.

VO: ..to find out about how the institution stepped up during an earlier desperate struggle.

The Met Office offered their services to the military back at the start of the First World War in 1914.

But the answer came back, "The army does not go to war with umbrellas."

Oh.

Not the best thought out military strategy in the world.

CATHERINE: But as time went on, the Royal Flying Corps needed forecasting.

The military started to get bogged down into those trench warfare conditions.

So during 1916, the approach was made, "Please can you send some forecasters over and please can you help us?"

So the Met Office came over to France, and they were part of the Royal Engineers, and they were right on the front lines.

They were taking observations, particularly wind direction.

That was very, very important for gas forecasting.

And then you had a group of more senior forecasters, slightly back from the front lines, who were taking all of that information and producing the forecast that the commanders needed.

So they really got involved then?

Oh, yes.

Since then, it's always been absolutely pivotal.

The forecast is where all decisions start for military strategy from then on.

VO: By the time of World War II, the Met Office's forecast was actively sought, especially for the RAF Bomber and Coastal Commands.

And it was arguably thanks to one meteorologist that a huge battle was won.

So the Met Office was involved in the plannings of the D-Day landings then?

Absolutely, yes.

The weather was absolutely critical to the Normandy landings, Operation Neptune.

It was the largest armada in history, so getting all of those troops safely across the channel, nothing was more important than the weather in order to achieve that.

And one of the big differences was that by that point in the war, the Allies had control of the Atlantic so they could see what was coming.

VO: However, when Group Captain James Stagg studied the forecasts for June the fifth 1944, the date when the landings were to take place, he concluded that the weather conditions would be too dangerous, and then successfully persuaded General Eisenhower to make a short delay.

You can see here we've got a weather front sitting right across the channel.

It would have been rough, very windy.

We'd have lost a good part of the army before they even reached France.

Wow.

CATHERINE: And then, by comparison, looking across at the sixth of June, those isobars are still quite tight, which is why these wind arrows aren't as good as they'd hoped for.

But there's a high pressure building in, bringing that better weather, giving them that almost 48 hours window that they were looking for.

It was hell on the beaches, but it made it less horrendous than it could have been.

What would have happened if Stagg hadn't have intervened?

Sending those soldiers across the Channel into those conditions, it would have involved catastrophic loss of life.

It would probably have written off the opportunity to invade, certainly changed the outcome of the war.

It's universally agreed as the most important forecast the Met Office has ever made.

VO: Nowadays, thanks in part to advances in technology, their forecasts have become more and more accurate, even though some of their data collection methods remain unchanged.

Tim's about to witness a bit of the hard graft with operational meteorologist, Kat Chalk.

It's such a simple looking bit of kit.

It really is as simple as it looks.

So once it rains, if I open this up, you can see that just runs through... TIM: Uh-huh.

KAT: ..and underneath... TIM: There's a milk bottle.

KAT: ..there is a milk bottle.

And that is what will be recording rainfall.

So when you read the forecast and it says there's 10 millimeters, 20 millimeters of rain... KAT: Yeah.

TIM: ..there is 10 millimeters.

10 and a half millimeters would be the reading.

TIM: Wow.

Usually we do this on a daily basis.

TIM: How fascinating.

And what's in your little briefcase?

Is that your lunch box?

My little briefcase is an anemometer.

Not your packed lunch.

Not my packed lunch.

Oh, look at that.

It's a really lovely device.

It measures... Well, do you know what it measured?

I'm guess it's to do with the wind.

It is.

You're absolutely correct.

So these cups, they'll blow, and then we'll get the reading off from that.

Needs a good old blow... KAT: Take... TIM: ..doesn't it?

It needs a big blow.

Gusts of...

I can blow 20 knots, look.

TIM: So this, along with all the other automated equipment, is how you read the weather.

VO: Of course, simple but vital data like wind speed and rainfall then has to be fed into a super computer, along with those frightening increases in temperature.

It looks like a beehive, Kat.

What's that all about?

It does look like a beehive.

I'm afraid it's not a beehive.

TIM: Aww.

It's actually a Stevenson screen.

KAT: Feel free to open it up and see.

We have two different thermometers here.

TIM: OK.

So it's 25 and a half degrees.

KAT: That is about... TIM: Twenty...three.

..23 degrees, I would say.

TIM: How does this thing work then?

KAT: So these were developed in 1864, and it means that everything is regulated.

So really, it's out of direct sunlight, it's got ventilation.

It's amazing, isn't it?

That 1864, and we're still using it like this now.

That is exactly right.

VO: A bit like the good old TV weather bulletin, which has been with us in the UK for 70 years.

Tim's about to try his hand at a broadcasting staple in the company of Alex Deakin.

TIM: Hello.

Hi.

Good to meet you, Tim.

You as well.

I finally meet a real weather man.

Well, hopefully you can do the job for me.

VO: Coming to you in three, two, one.

Good afternoon, and welcome to Antiques Road Trip national weather.

TIM: We've had a couple of scorchio days, but today is no exception, although we do have some rain coming over from the north...er, west, which is coming over to the Midlands, erm, and covering the south of the country as well.

Overnight, it's still a pretty warm temperature, apart from up here and over there.

HETTIE: That was so good.

TIM: Did you like it?

Yeah, it was really good.

But I'm just wondering where we put the car.

TIM: I think it's that way.

HETTIE: That's... Yeah.

TIM: Isn't it?

Yeah.

HETTIE: (LAUGHS) VO: And now, just before close down, time for the epilogue.

TIM: Are you feeling dozy?

I am a little bit, yeah.

Do you need noises to help go to sleep?

Cuz I could do some whale noises.

Could you?

(IMITATES WHALE SOUNDS) VO: Is there no end to his talents?

Can you make any animal noises?

I can do a guinea pig.

Do you know what they sound like?

TIM: No, I don't.

HETTIE: They go... (IMITATES GUINEA PIG) VO: Nighty night.

VO: Next morning, the noises must have worked, because they do appear well rested.

I think the best thing about an Antiques Road Trip is that you get put with somebody that's very like-minded to you.

It is strange.

Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself, and we finish each other's sentences.

TIM: Yeah, I know, yeah.

HETTIE: It's weird, isn't it?

VO: Uncanny.

Although they did manage to separate long enough to buy quite a few items, with Tim acquiring yet more candlesticks, a walking stick, and a lump of Exeter Cathedral...

I'm not just going to leave that there.

That is coming with me to the auction.

VO: ..leaving him with £120 to be going along with.

While Hettie purchased a novelty trump marker and a doggy pen stand.

I'm talking quite quietly because I don't want anyone else to want to buy it.

VO: Meanwhile, she now has £135 in her wallet.

And after all the time they've spent together, one huge claim to fame.

I have introduced you to the cheesy chip.

Yeah, I've been going wrong, and you've made me right.

I put cheese on everything.

TIM: Do you?

HETTIE: Yeah.

VO: Crackers, the pair of them!

Our next Devon destination is to be found in Ottery Saint Mary, the birthplace of Romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, where Hettie's about to enjoy a bit of stately pleasure - in here.

Ah, there she goes... ..having been dropped off at The Vintage Trading Post, which is big, very big.

But maybe not quite that big.

Got £135 left to spend, remember.

This is really quite an attractive looking vase.

Now, from just picking it up, I know it's definitely bronze, because it's got a really, really good weight to it.

But just looking at the base, someone's scratched it here just to double check that bronze color's coming through.

HETTIE: But in terms of where it's come from, it's definitely oriental style.

I'd probably say it's Japanese rather than Chinese.

I'm not 100% sure quite how old it is.

It could be Meiji period, so 1868 to 1912.

VO: Ticket price, £25.

HETTIE: The patina is beautiful.

So it's this lovely brown color, so you wouldn't know it was bronze just from looking at it.

I've just noticed that there's a dent in it, which hurts my heart a little bit.

I want to have a proper look at the age of it, so I'm going to just shine my torch in here and see.

Actually, inside, it looks a lot older than it does on the outside.

So I would say, potentially is Meiji period.

I think it's a beautiful thing.

It's got a good price on it.

So I'm going to take this with me and go and ask about it, because I really like it.

VO: Super.

Let's leave her to that and find out where Tim's got to.

Down by the seaside at Sidmouth, where they hold a summer folk festival.

So, our country music-loving expert will surely feel (AMERICAN ACCENT) right at home!

Say howdy to Antiques On High.

OK, let's get down to business then.

Cor, look at that.

That is wacky.

Ah.

VO: (AMERICAN ACCENT) Get outta here!

(OWN ACCENT) £120 to spend.

That's a really good-looking thing, that.

Isn't that a lovely-looking decorative panel?

It's sort of Indian or Burmese, I should think.

TIM: But what I love about it is how deeply carved this particular one is.

Whoever has carved this has got amazing skill in what they do, and it's gone right deep inside.

And I have no idea how you would carve around so you've got things like little arms and branches that are completely separate and 3-D. And it's a wonderful panel, cuz it's sort of talking about a story of everyday life.

What strikes me about this, which is quite something, is that they're completely surrounded by wildlife.

So, maybe just need to step back and just think, actually, nature is so important and we need it in our lives.

Price wise, what's this?

£40.

£40 for all of that work.

I think that is actually quite amazing.

It's decorative, it's got some age, and it's nice quality as well.

So that probably is one to think about.

Really like that.

VO: He's awfully enamored, isn't he?

Over to Ottery, where Hettie has this vase on her short list.

And Anya will be the person to talk turkey with.

Any other cunning plans?

Gosh, that's quite heavy.

That's really, really nice.

HETTIE: So it's a door knocker in the form of a head.

(METAL CLINKS) Works well.

VO: True.

HETTIE: It's a really nice quality, heavy thing.

But what I really love is the patina on this.

It's so weathered, it's so worn, but that just shows its age.

So, on here, it's actually turning green, which is called verdigris.

So, it's basically where it's reacting with the air and the water from being outside.

MUSIC: "The Star-Spangled Banner" VO: Known as patination, this is a rather more famous example.

Now, if I turn it over... OK, somebody's tried to drill a hole into the back of it, so that's not ideal.

We'll ignore that.

It's got its original screw as well.

Now, this has probably hung on somebody's door for over 100 years, and it still looks really, really beautiful.

It has £35 on the ticket.

HETTIE: But this is a really usable antique.

She's telling me to buy her.

I think I'm gonna buy her.

VO: Knock, knock!

Who's there?

Anya.

Hello, Anya.

Hello, how you doing?

I found these that I really like.

On this vase, you've got £25, and on the door knock, you've got 35.

Just wondering, if I bought the two together, what sort of price you could do for me?

I could do 20 on the vase and...30?

HETTIE: Could you drop to 22 on the door knocker by any chance?

ANYA: He would do 25.

OK.

I'm happy with 25.

Thank you so much.

ANYA: Brilliant.

I'll shake your hand.

Thank you.

VO: Nicely done.

£45 in total.

HETTIE: Thank you.

Lovely to meet you.

Thanks.

Bye.

VO: 90 left to spend.

Back to sunny Sidmouth now, where Vince is the man in charge, and Tim is still enthusiastically exploring.

Oh.

It's the loo.

VO: Not everything's for sale, of course - ha-ha!

Although he does already have this carved panel set aside.

That is a lovely little bit of treen.

Nice, tactile thing.

And on the face of it, it looks like a little barrel, doesn't it?

TIM: Which is what it's purporting to be.

But of course, when you're a Victorian, you need something for everything.

And in this case, it's for a ball of string, look.

You would put your string inside the barrel here, and there's a little hole right at the bottom where you would thread the tip of the string through.

And then out of the spout here of the barrel, you could pull your string to whatever length you wanted.

On the front here - sadly, it's missing - but you can see there's a little hole here, and that would once have held a little steel cutter.

And price, £22.

That isn't bad, because you could easily find a little steel cutter and put it on there, and then it's almost as good as new.

VO: If not better.

TIM: Date wise, it's around 1880, 1900.

So it's got good age to it.

And for £22, I think that's an absolute bargain.

That might well be a contender.

Actually, it's too good to leave.

I'm taking it.

VO: Time to tie up a deal.

TIM: Vince, hello.

Oh, hello, Tim.

How are you?

I'm very well.

Always good to see you.

Thank you.

TIM: And your shirts.

Yeah.

Yes.

No comment.

I've found two interesting little things here.

TIM: The price between the two of them, I'm struggling, because it doesn't leave me with very much.

No.

I've actually just had an idea.

I'll be back in a sec.

TIM: Hang on.

VINCE: OK. VO: The combined ticket price is £62, by the way.

Just talk amongst yourselves, eh?

La-di-da... Oh, there we go.

That was quick.

TIM: What do you think of my stick?

VINCE: Yeah.

VO: Bought for £18.

TIM: I was thinking we could do a little deal with it, if you like.

Yeah, go on.

What's your deal?

Well, I was thinking, if we did the stick and £20 for those two - how does that grab you?

Yeah, go on.

VO: Deal done.

20 for the panel and a straight swap, treen wise.

Oh, I'm glad you didn't tell me where to stick it.

VINCE: Yeah!

TIM: See you soon.

VINCE: Take care, Tim.

Cheers.

TIM: Cheers.

VO: £100 left.

And several squillion pebbles to have a rummage through.

TIM: Ah, that's a good 'un.

I've got one decent one.

VO: Guessed yet?

TIM: Oh, look at that.

That's a nice skimmeroo there, look.

VO: Getting ready to launch.

Right.

Give it a good old... VO: One, two, three... TIM: Oh!

VO: Oh, four.

Not bad.

TIM: Woohoo!

VO: Shopping soon, eh?

Because this is their very last buying opportunity on this trip.

It's to be found beside the river Exe in Topsham.

And down on the quay in a former warehouse, they have an antique center, where Hettie's already hard at work.

Still has a very nice £90 burning a hole in her pocket, of course.

Now, this looks like a pen knife, and that's because it's based on the design of a pen knife.

But actually, this was invented to cut fruit.

HETTIE: Now, we know this is a fruit knife rather than a pen knife because the blade is made of silver.

And that's because if it was stainless steel, it would corrode in contact with anything acidic.

But also, this is made of mother of pearl.

For the same reason, it doesn't react to the acidity of the fruit.

So we can see here it has the full set of British hallmarks.

So we know that it's definitely sterling silver, and it's made in Sheffield.

And based on the design of it, I'd say it's probably 20th century rather than Georgian or Victorian.

This one's quite a simple design.

The ones that do better at auction, they're a little bit more ostentatious than this one.

So it's too simple, really.

It has £35 on the ticket.

I don't think there's a profit in it for me.

VO: So, no thanks, old fruit.

And here's our beachcomber on the premises.

I wonder when they'll bump into each other, what with having almost 850 square meters to rummage through.

Then, when they do find something, look out for Helen.

Tim has £100 left to spend.

Isn't that lovely?

Look at that color.

TIM: I like this.

It's 19th century, Victorian, and it's known as pink lusterware for obvious reasons.

But the metallic glaze that was used at the time this was made gave it a wonderful sort of shiny pink surface.

Look at that.

It's almost like a tie-dye T-shirt or something like that.

VO: Yep.

Lusterware generally hails from Sunderland.

TIM: But it's a lovely little bowl.

Whether it was part of a bigger set, might've been a tea set or something like that, and this was the sugar bowl.

It could be a slop bowl, where you poured your excess tea out with all the tea leaves and all the grimy bits at the bottom of your tea so you could have a fresh cup.

But date wise, it's around, I would say, 1850, that sort of date.

So you're finding something in an antique shop that's full of stuff, that's well over 150 years old.

It's in perfect condition, very pretty, and it's £14.

I think that's wonderful.

And you can just own that any day of the week.

So get yourself to an antique shop and have a look around.

VO: And that's precisely what Hettie is doing at this very moment.

I'm looking at jewelry again.

This is very pretty.

Now, this brooch is definitely Victorian.

You've got this beautiful forget-me-not flower motif, which is quite a common motif in Victorian jewelry.

HETTIE: The forget-me-not motif is actually a symbolism of love and friendship, but it's also to do with mourning as well.

But this isn't a mourning brooch.

This is more of a happy brooch.

So it's set with turquoise, and turquoise, again, is a sort of stone that represents friendship and love.

This plaque is some sort of quartz, I think it's made of chalcedony, which is a stone that sort of represents positivity.

Everything about this brooch, I really like.

It's a happy purchase.

VO: Apart from one slight drawback.

The price is £110, which is out of my budget.

HETTIE: Helen?

HELEN: Hello.

HETTIE: I can't quite afford it.

Is there any chance of sort of squeezing the price down a bit?

OK, well, I can certainly ask the dealer and... HETTIE: OK.

Thank you.

..see what we can do for you.

VO: Good luck, everyone.

HELEN: Oh, hi, Beverly.

It's Helen from the Quay Center.

I've got Hettie here with me, and she'd like to purchase your Victorian gold and turquoise brooch.

VO: Ticket price, 110, remember.

OK. OK. That's great.

Alright.

Thank you, Beverly.

Bye.

Is it good news then?

Yes.

So, she's willing to come down to 90.

Fab, that's all I have left, so that's perfect.

I will shake your hand at 90.

VO: Ha-ha!

Well, that all turned out nicely.

HETTIE: That's great, thank you so much.

HELEN: Thank you.

Bye bye.

HETTIE: Lovely to meet you.

VO: So, what about Tim?

Does he also have a purchase in prospect?

This is quite a sweet little pot.

TIM: It's Japanese, and I wonder if it's a rice wine or sake pot.

But it's nice quality and it's got some age.

But what strikes me about it is the form.

I think it's really nice quality.

There's no marks on the base.

It's got this sort of unglazed finish.

Erm... Oh, look, but inside the lid, there's six character marks.

Which, if you could read Japanese, would tell you an awful lot.

VO: Yeah, probably late Meiji period, circa 1900.

TIM: And it's in good nick as well.

The little lugs here are in nice condition, and the finial, so it's ready to go.

Unfortunately, it's just the pot, but it is the star of the show.

And actually, it makes a perfectly nice decorative item just in its own right.

It's priced at £40, which I don't think is an awful lot of money for something so beautiful like that.

VO: Over to Helen.

TIM: Helen, hello.

HELEN: Hello.

TIM: Hi.

I've found a little Japanese sake or rice wine pot, and it's priced at £40.

I was just wondering if you've got any movement on price?

I can reduce it down to 35.

35.

Is that the very, very best?

It is.

I'll take it for 35.

Thank you very much.

HELEN: Thank you.

TIM: It's a deal.

VO: £65 left over.

And time for a brief moment of reflection.

Can't believe this is it.

That was our last shop.

I know.

I'm quite sad, actually.

I've had a really nice time.

I have as well.

And it only feels like yesterday that we literally just started off on our first... HETTIE: I know.

TIM: ..so...

But what a lovely place to finish off our trip.

It is beautiful.

TIM: What sort of boat would you have if you had a boat?

HETTIE: I'm not sure.

What would you have?

I'd probably go... Chinese junk.

I think you're more of a speed boat girl, actually.

Yeah.

I'm cruising around in style.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, anyway, would you like a sake?

HETTIE: Of course.

TIM: There we are.

HETTIE: Thank you very much.

TIM: I'll have some too.

TIM: Cheers.

HETTIE: Cheers.

VO: Chin chin!

(CHUCKLES) And shuteye.

VO: L is for Lichfield.

Well, it was the birthplace of Samuel Johnson, the man who wrote that early and very influential English dictionary.

Which begins with D, just like Devon, where they did all their shopping before bringing it all to Staffordshire, to Richard Winterton, where they'll be selling in the room, on the net and on the phone, with Richard himself on the podium.

We are sold at £5,000.

Oh, here we are.

You're a bit of a keen bean today.

Keep up.

I've only got little legs.

VO: Tim's got the overall prize already, of course, but Hettie could win today, and she spent all of her £200 on five auction lots.

Any banging items, Richard?

RICHARD: The late Victorian door knockers.

Door knockers are always popular.

This is a really good example.

It should have a lot of interest.

VO: Tim parted with quite a bit less - £135 for his five offerings.

RICHARD: I love this lot.

This little Victorian string.

Ah, I just love it.

Been load of interest.

It's beautiful to feel.

I'm really excited about this lot.

VO: Crikey.

And here's our lot, just in time.

I'm looking forward to this one, but I think I bought some really nice stuff this time.

VO: And Hettie's up first, with her art nouveau card game accessory.

Are you a keen bridge player?

I can't say personally I've ever played bridge.

I can imagine you sitting there with your cup of tea and your bridge.

Yeah.

Maybe I should join a bridge club.

Bit of interest on this one, pre-sale as well.

HETTIE: Oh.

RICHARD: £10 I'm bid.

Oh.

Built that one up.

20.

Five.

30.

Five.

HETTIE: Yeah.

RICHARD: 35.

40.

Five.

45.

TIM: OK, look at... HETTIE: Ooh!

RICHARD: 45 I'm bid.

At £45.

Final time.

That's a shame... £45.

VO: Not flush, but not embarrassing either.

You look sad.

I am a bit sad about that.

You wear your heart on your sleeve, don't you?

HETTIE: I do... TIM: What?

That was a deliberate joke, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was.

VO: Tim's turn - his incredible string thing.

Nice bit of treen.

Tactile.

£15 straight in.

Worth a lot more.

£20 I'm bid.

25.

30.

RICHARD: Five.

40.

Five.

£50 I am bid.

You are out.

At £50.

60 in the room?

No?

£50, all done?

And sold, £50.

VO: It lived up to its promise.

You happy?

You look very happy now.

Yeah.

I feel relaxed.

I'm a bit worried now.

VO: Never fear.

Your inexpensive pen holder with pooch appeal is next.

I've gone art deco again.

Seems you're on a bit of a theme.

HETTIE: Love that period.

Yeah.

TIM: Yeah.

So stylish.

Love animals... TIM: Yeah.

HETTIE: ..love art deco.

£5, start me then.

Room bid.

Fiver bid in the room.

Oh.

Oh, good, you've got a room bid.

10.

£10, internet.

15, the room.

15.

TIM: Come on.

Yes!

RICHARD: £20, the internet.

RICHARD: Walking away.

£20 I'm bid.

HETTIE: Oh.

Internet has it, hammer's up.

25, the internet.

Ooh!

RICHARD: New bid.

At £25.

HETTIE: Hang on.

RICHARD: Hammer's up.

I'm holding out hope.

RICHARD: All done?

TIM: You've gone a bit red.

RICHARD: Internet's got it.

£25.

Goes at 25.

VO: They all count, even the tiddlers.

Are you trying to high five me?

Yeah, is that alright?

HETTIE: My £5 profit?

TIM: Why not?

VO: Tim's favorite coming up now.

Introduce it, please.

We've got now my profusely carved panel.

Profusely carved?

Which I really like.

Very deep carving.

The only problem is though, it'd be quite hard to dust.

£10.

£15.

£20.

£25.

Yes!

Anyone in the room going to have a little tickle?

Here at 25, all done?

Hammer's up then.

It's a profit.

HETTIE: Yeah, it is.

RICHARD: £25 VO: Definitely not to be sniffed at.

The classic £5 profit.

I know.

We're good at those, aren't we?

VO: Hettie's inexpensive Japanese bronze vase.

This is a bit of a speculative lot... TIM: Mm.

HETTIE: ..I think.

Cuz initially it doesn't look that old, but I think it's Meiji period.

Fiver the bid.

HETTIE: Oh.

Oh, dear.

RICHARD: £5 I'm bid.

TIM: Oh.

RICHARD: £10 I'm bid, 15 I'm bid.

£20 I'm bid.

25 I'm bid.

HETTIE: Ooh!

TIM: Well done.

RICHARD: Internet at 25.

Should be more than this.

RICHARD: The internet's at 25.

£30.

Woo!

£30 I'm bid.

£30...

It's like sitting next to a jack-in-the-box.

RICHARD: The internet has it at £30.

Hammer's up, all done?

And sold, £30.

VO: Well, that's a very nice improvement.

I'm quite happy with that.

Nice result.

VO: With Tim's Gothic fragment hot on its tail.

Now, what I didn't think about when I bought this is that once I bought it in Exeter, which was amazing, it wouldn't be sold in Exeter.

No.

So I'm sort of taking it away from its market.

You sort of have, yeah.

Do we have £5... Come on, it's worth £5.

HETTIE: Aw!

RICHARD: £5 bid.

There we go.

Do we have six anywhere?

£6 I'm bid.

They've got competition.

Now looking for seven.

It's only another pound.

RICHARD: At £6.

Are we having seven now?

TIM: Would you like a little Exeter Cathedral dish?

TIM: No?

OK. That's a shame.

RICHARD: At £6.

Anyone...

Seven?

I thought that's why you were here.

And £7 bid.

Now looking for eight.

£8 bid.

TIM: Come on.

RICHARD: £9 bid.

TIM: Yes.

RICHARD: £10 bid.

HETTIE: Gosh, they love it now.

TIM: We're getting there.

£10 I'm bid.

Everybody wants a bit of Exeter Cathedral.

Anyone 12?

Hammer's up then.

All done?

And sold.

RICHARD: Thank you, at £10.

VO: I think it did quite well, considering the challenge.

I really liked it.

It was a nice piece of history, but we'll just leave it there, shall we?

We'll leave it there.

Yeah, we'll close the church doors on that one.

VO: And talking of doors, who'd like to buy Hettie's next lot?

I'm always full of enthusiasm for everything I buy.

TIM: You are.

HETTIE: As you very well know.

But this, out of everything that I've bought, is probably my best shot at a good profit.

Your knocker.

My knocker.

£20 I'm bid.

£20.

Five.

30.

Five.

40.

HETTIE: Yes!

RICHARD: £40 bid.

RICHARD: £40.

TIM: Fantastic, well done.

Should be more though, should be more.

TIM: Yeah, yeah.

RICHARD: You're all out.

45.

Woo!

RICHARD: 45.

45.

HETTIE: Sorry.

£50.

£50... Well done.

All done?

And sold, at £50.

HETTIE: Yay!

TIM: Well done.

Thank you.

Good effort, that one.

VO: Definitely.

She doubled her money.

RICHARD: One-six...

The knocker did you well.

It did, served me well.

VO: Tim's penultimate offering now, the latest in a long line.

I love my little pair of candlesticks.

They might be by Benson.

I don't think they are, they're not marked or anything.

They're very sweet, very pretty.

TIM: The only problem with them is, is that they're small but they cost £47.

HETTIE: OK.

Which...is a bit of a punt.

We're straight in at 25.

Oh, good.

RICHARD: £25 I'm bid.

£30.

£35.

£35.

Do you think they might be Benson?

They might be.

Who knows?

£40, telephone.

£45 I'm bid.

RICHARD: £50 I'm bid.

At £50 I'm bid.

£50, the internet's out.

Room, you're out?

Sold then at £50.

VO: Reaping a very modest reward.

You wouldn't leave £3 on the floor, would you?

I wouldn't, no.

TIM: I'm very happy with £3.

HETTIE: Good.

VO: All or nothing time.

Hettie's last lot, and the one she spent almost half her money on.

I bought jewelry, because it's my thing.

It's your thing.

I know, and I wanted my last purchase on this road trip to be something that I really love.

It's got a lot of going for it, but I do think I paid too much for it.

You've sold it to me.

Straight in at £20... Oh, dear.

20's not good.

RICHARD: £20.

Five.

30.

£30.

35.

35.

£40.

£40, the room's out.

TIM: A bit more.

Oh, no.

HETTIE: Oh, dear.

HETTIE: Oh, Tim.

TIM: You're only £50 down.

Oh, dear.

Only?

And sold, £40.

Oh, dear.

(GAVEL) Gone at 40.

VO: Well, if you're gonna make a loss, why not make a big 'un?

That was really painful.

I'm sorry.

That's wiped out any profit I've made.

VO: And bringing up the rear is going to be Tim's sake dispenser.

I like the pot.

Yeah.

I like it as well.

Nice little Japanese thing.

£5 I'm bid.

I paid 35 for this.

I mean, they've got £5, so you're on your way.

RICHARD: £6.

TIM: Oh, he's got six.

£7.

Now looking for eight.

£10.

£15.

Got another 20 to go.

RICHARD: At £15 I'm bid.

Long way home, as they say.

Drinks might be on you tonight.

£15, all done?

And sold.

You win some, you lose some.

Yeah, that's our motto.

Yeah, and I lost some.

I lost quite a lot of some.

VO: Ah, well.

A disappointing loss there.

TIM: Well, there we are.

HETTIE: There we are.

I have no idea where we stand.

I think you've won.

I've made a few little losses there.

Yeah.

I made one very large loss.

Let's go and work it out.

HETTIE: Yeah, OK. (LAUGHS) TIM: I can't believe that was our last auction.

VO: Yeah, just leave it to me.

And Hettie, after auction costs, has, as she feared, made a bit of a loss.

So she ends up with £155.80.

While Tim, also with saleroom fees deducted, made a slightly smaller loss, leaving him with £188.

So, he wins the competition 4-1.

And all profits from the week go to Children In Need.

Congratulations.

Thank you very much.

But I can't believe it's our last ever auction.

I know, it's very sad.

But I think that was a very well deserved win.

TIM: Thank you very much.

It's been the best time ever.

VO: Oh, yes.

Even if it hasn't been pitch perfect.

TIM: Got my foot stuck in the door.

HETTIE: Hello, how are you?

JULIA: (LAUGHING) I'm alright.

Hello.

Hello.

What a nifty safe space-y.

Safe space-y?

Space safe... Are you the antique shop dog?

Oh!

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