It's the nation's favorite antiques experts!

I think I've found something.

Pretty good, yeah.

Behind the wheel of a classic car.

- Oh!

- Stop it!

And a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

- Ooh!

- I think it's brilliant.

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction.

- (GAVEL) - But it's no mean feat.

You're some man!

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

- (LAUGHS) - No!

Will it be the high road to glory... ..or the slow road to disaster?

- (GEARS CRUNCH) - Oh, no!

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Top dollar!

VOICEOVER (VO): It's a new day!

It's a new road trip!

It's a new couple!

Out together for the first time.

How sweet.

So, Tash.

You couldn't avoid me anymore.

Here we are on this lovely road trip.

For years I've been saying, "Please don't put me with Raj.

Please".

What have I done to deserve this?!

VO: Charming!

Glasgow girl Natasha Raskin Sharp studied Art History, and adores all things art nouveau.

While auctioneer Raj Bisram had a previous life as an army physical training instructor.

They're on the road in this 1961 Sunbeam Rapier, customized for rallying!

Check the belts on those ejector seats!

- This is a brilliant car!

- Really amazing.

I mean we're gonna go rallying.

I mean, you've got to be my co-pilot.

Raj, what!?

You're supposed to have a map in front of you.

A helmet on.

(LAUGHS) A wee microphone, is that right?

That's the one, that's the one.

Five meters, five meters, turn turn turn!

VO: Dick Dastardly and Muttley are setting out on their wacky races with £200 apiece.

And will be touring the home counties before making for a final auction in Willingham, near Cambridge.

But, they begin in Raj's neck of the woods, Kent.

Do you know all the dealers, are you gonna get the best bargains?

I do hope so.

(LAUGHS) Well you certainly live in a beautiful part of the world, Raj.

Ah, it's gorgeous.

Well it's known as the garden of England.

Named by Henry VIII... - OK. ..because he loved the cherries.

VO: Mmm, me too!

They'll cross into Essex for their auction number one in Rayleigh.

But Natasha's first Kentish shop this morning is in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Down Lane Hall Antiques.

Thank goodness she packed a brolly.

- Hello, good morning.

- Good morning.

Am I your first customer?

You are indeed, on a horrible day.

Nice to see you.

- Lovely to meet you, I'm Tasha.

- Hello, I'm Mike.

Lovely to meet you, Mike.

This looks like you've got plenty of antiques.

- I should have a look around.

- Have a look, yeah.

- I'll catch up with you, Mike.

- OK, thanks.

Thank you.

Cool place.

VO: It's a former Victorian Methodist chapel, and it looks like it houses a fine collection of quality antiques to pique m'lady's interest.

This...

It does say Prince Albert.

This is super cute.

Royal memorabilia, but not as we know it now, really.

When you think of royal memorabilia we think of stamps, and coins, and crested china.

But look at this: Prince Albert, written in silver, this is marked sterling.

Easy to date because Prince Albert was of course married to Queen Victoria so we know this is a Victorian item.

Holding it in my hand feels really quite special.

The right stopper, for sure, because the mounting matches that on the body.

Forget all that, because this is so romantic.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were famously hugely in love.

And so if you were a young lady looking for her Prince Albert, it might be quite nice to have one of these on your dressing table, and to think of your future prince.

VO: She'll be curtseying before the day's out!

We'll leave her perusing and catch up with Raj in the only Sunbeam to be seen in Kent this morning.

He's taken the B roads north to Brasted, just outside Sevenoaks.

And is escaping the rain at Courtyard Antiques.

This place is positively bursting with antiques, retro, and vintage, belonging to 24 different dealers.

But what's got your name on it, Raj?

This is a quite nice little piece.

It's a pine stick stand.

Now I can remember when I started out in antiques, everything we bought was pine.

Because we could afford it, because it wasn't so expensive.

It wasn't like walnut, or rosewood, or mahogany.

You could afford to buy pine things, and I mean this is a stick stand.

He's got £22 on the ticket.

If I can get this between ten and 12, maybe up to 15, I've got a chance of making a small profit.

That's not too bad.

I'm going to see if the owner can do something.

Iain?

- Hello.

- Hi, Iain.

You're going to make a fortune out of me, I'm afraid.

Oh, well.

OK, but, yeah...

It's cheap and affordable, but I just wondered.

You've got £22 on the ticket.

What could you do it for?

Um... Could probably... We could do it for 13?

13?

At £13, 13's normally unlucky, I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll give you 14 for it.

- Perfect.

- OK?

You happy with that?

- Yup.

Good.

- Let's shake hands.

- Thank you, Iain.

- No problem.

Well let me pay you straight away.

- That's great.

- I've got some £20 notes.

VO: £14 seems a bit of a snip!

We'll leave Raj to carry on browsing.

And return to a very damp Tunbridge Wells, to see if Natasha is any closer to a deal.

Now I like this, because recently I visited Seville, in southern Spain, which was extremely hot.

And really into its Catholic iconography.

And the apartment in which I was staying had such amazing decoration.

It was old meets new, and above the bed, on either side, was a clock just like this.

They also look fantastic in somewhere like a church with very ornate design.

Because this is... carved out of wood.

There's nothing plastic or, you know, molded about this.

This is hand-carved, gilded wood.

This is from the early 20th century, 1900 to 1910, something like that, maybe 1920s.

I'm just going to take it off the wall to see if there is a key.

There is.

There is a key to wind what is quite clearly a French movement.

This has recently been wound, watch it go...

Tick, tick, tick.

Set it to the right time, and this will keep time.

VO: Positively a ray of sunshine.

And the clock's nice too!

Ha ha!

Time to speak to Mike.

I could stay here for about four weeks, you have the coolest stuff.

I've seen a few things, but I think there are two I've whittled it down to.

I love the Prince Albert scent bottle, perhaps what it is?

Love it.

And then I'm really into the sunburst clock.

So they couldn't be more different, actually.

- No.

- But I love them both.

Neither of them have prices on them, which is just my luck.

So Mike, what do you reckon, what's the price for each?

- The Prince Albert is 45.

- 45.

And the starburst is 120.

VO: What will she offer for the two?

Couldn't do 110?

If you can't you can't.

But it would be great if we could do that.

- OK then.

- 110?

- 110.

- Oh, go on Mike.

You're some guy.

Thank you so much.

VO: That's 80 for the clock, and 30 for the scent bottle.

- 20 for you.

- Thank you very much.

VO: Off she goes with a bit of sunshine and romance in the bag, and a purse that still contains £90.

Now, has canny Raj found anything to persuade him to part with more cash?

This is a lovely school bell.

And you can imagine in the school grounds, you know.

Dinner time's ready and they give this... (RINGS BELL) ..a good old ring.

It's got a lovely sound to it.

Solid brass.

And what a lovely mahogany handle as well.

It's in really good condition, been well cleaned, well looked after.

That's a really nice little thing with a nice sound.

So, nice school bell.

And next to it, we've got this very very pretty penknife.

And this is actually a Georgian one, the hallmark is 1827 I believe.

And it's got a mother of pearl handle.

And pen knives have actually become very very collectable.

And what's so nice about this one is it's got its box.

And you don't find many of them that have got their boxes.

So I'm going to speak to the owner, and see what she can do.

VO: That would be Elaine.

Stand lively.

Now you've got £30 on each one.

Rather than me haggle, you tell me what is your best price.

Um... Well I can do 15.

Yeah, uh-huh.

And this could be 18.

Listen, I'm not going to quibble, I think those are very very fair prices, Elaine.

I'm going to shake your hand.

Thank you very much indeed.

- You're welcome.

- Fantastic.

Brilliant.

Great.

VO: And with his pockets lighter, but still jingling with £153, he's off.

Natasha, meanwhile, has ventured northerly to the former RAF station at Biggin Hill.

Where a memorial museum is dedicated to preserving the stories of the people who served here, and the community that supported them.

Museum volunteer Geoff Goldsmith is Natasha's guide.

Biggin Hill is probably most famous for its part in the Battle of Britain, and indeed the Second World War.

But what's not generally known is that it started as a center of wireless communication.

Wireless was in its infancy, radio was in its infancy.

They could not communicate easily from the ground to the air, or from the air to the ground.

And more importantly, they couldn't actually communicate from aircraft to aircraft.

An important development was the Morse code.

VO: Radio telegraphy developed here using Morse code was crucial during the First World War, when it enabled Biggin Hill's 141 Squadron to fend off the biggest aerial attack of that conflict in 1918.

Morse code is known throughout the world.

Yes.

I know that I'm standing in front of a machine here that I have no idea how to use.

Well, I understand it fundamentally, but I don't know Morse code.

This is your world.

So tell me, what do you think I could manage?

Uh, you could probably send the classic distress signal, SOS.

Which in Morse is de-de-de, da-da-da, de-de-de.

See I think dots and dashes.

Oh, no no no.

Don't think dots and dashes.

That's... You'll never get it.

OK, so... De-de-de, da-da-da, de-de-de.

Let's do it, you ready?

Come on, you have to do the da-da-da bit.

(MORSE CODE BEEPS) - First class.

- What do you reckon?

First class.

SOS, we'll be rescued.

VO: During the Second World War, when Spitfires, Hurricanes and Wellingtons flew overhead, Geoff was a child, living at Biggin Hill.

I was born in what was then the Nightingale Cafe.

On what indeed was then Biggin Hill's South Camp.

It's where we are now, about a mile up the road.

And it operated uniquely as a private cafe on a military airfield in wartime.

VO: Geoff's family needed ID cards to gain access to their own home.

And their Nightingale Cafe catered exclusively for military personnel and for prisoners of war.

They came into the cafe, they didn't have any money, of course.

Ostensibly.

And my father fed them for nothing.

The Germans still had their uniforms on.

But they'd come into the cafe.

The Italians were sitting the war out, I feel.

And my dad always called them Antonio.

Because there was a song in the war, "Oh no, Antonio, and his ice-cream cart".

They used to sit in there with the ordinary men.

There was no animosity at all.

VO: Aerial communications developed here contributed to the supremacy of wartime British aircraft.

And no plane is more emblematic of victory than the Spitfire.

Here at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, a team of engineers are using 21st century skills in a special mission - to return as many Spitfires as possible to the skies.

Nice to see you, how are you?

VO: Peter Monk is the managing director.

We're working on a mark IX Spitfire, which belongs to the Greek air force.

It was a two year project.

We've been working on it now for 18 months, and we've got six months left to go.

Are there fewer and fewer people who know how to work on these planes?

Well yes, there are, but we've sort of had the foresight to start training up the youngsters.

And passing on the knowledge from the older generation that have worked on these pretty much since they were built in the war.

But now we're sort of passing that on.

So, actually, the number's growing.

So what can I do?

You're working on this.

Is there something that I can say, "I have helped to refurbish a Spitfire"?

There's a bolt that we're just putting on.

And if you want to tighten it up, you're more than welcome.

How's that?

I mean it doesn't look terribly interesting, but every bolt is crucial.

- It is.

Right, OK, so this is serious stuff.

OK, I've got to get this right.

Here we go.

So that goes on.

That's it.

Take the spanner...

I thought this would be a greasier, I can even keep my nice jacket on.

We cleaned the tools up for you.

- Oh, there we go.

- Yup, that's tight.

- That's it.

- Perfect.

- Hey, ooh!

- There you go.

Now I can officially say I've helped restore a Spitfire for the Greek air force.

You have.

Not everyone can say that.

Peter, thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your help.

It's been a pleasure to see you, and thank you for teaching me something else I didn't know about Spitfires.

Thanks.

VO: Let's get back to ground communication with Raj now.

He's rallying through the soggy Kent countryside to his next pit stop.

Otford, just north of Sevenoaks.

And to the charming 18th century building that now houses Otford Antique and Collectors Centre.

This emporium is home to an eclectic mix of things belonging to dealers with quite different interests.

Where to start, eh Raj?

Oh, spoiled for choice?

Phone a friend!

Hi Tash, it's Raj here.

I haven't a clue what to buy... Oh, hang on.

Oh dear.

VO: Come on soldier, pull yourself together!

Well this is quite a good lot.

It's a military lot.

These three are ammo boxes.

And you know, they are quite collectable.

People still use them for all sorts of things.

Funny enough, I've actually seen them used as lunchboxes as well.

But they've got all sorts of uses.

And they've still got... You know, they're still in very very good condition.

And of course we've got this as well.

This helmet.

Erm...

I mean obviously they can't be used for what they were used for, when they were made.

But they can be adapted.

I'm going to have to call the owner in.

VO: Angie is the quartermaster here today.

Well, these have got £5 each on them, OK?

- Yes, yes.

- I'm more than happy with that.

I couldn't find a ticket on this one.

What's the price on that?

The price on this one is £20.

Well that seems fair enough to me, so I'm not going to quibble on that either.

This is the one.

Can you do a bit on that, for me?

Could probably go to 25.

What about £50 for the lot?

Erm... 20 for that...

Yes, I think that'll be good.

You happy with that?

I'll be happy with that, yes, definitely.

OK, me too.

Well let's shake hands.

Thank you.

£50, fantastic.

Thank you.

Let's hope I make a profit, eh?

I do too!

(LAUGHS) £50.

20, 40, the ten there.

50.

Lovely, thank you very much.

Lovely.

Pleasure to do business with you.

VO: Good work!

Your mission now is to collect Natasha and return to barracks.

- Tash.

- Mm-hm?

I did a little bit of research and I found out that one of your relatives was a very famous magician!

My grandfather, Grampa Max!

Really?

Yes.

He had his own television show, called Magic With Max, and he was in the Magic Circle.

And he had his own signature trick.

Entertaining them with some magic, Max Raskin.

What about that famous six penny trick of yours?

Oh yes, another one Jack.

This is...

I never believe it.

Well, this er...

I like that magic powder though... One, two, three, four, five pennies.

And here I've got one, and I transfer that, like this... And I've got one, two, three, four... - Oh, my!

- ..five, six coins.

(LAUGHS) Isn't that marvelous?

Sell me some of your magic powder!

VO: What a magic grandpa!

And he was so cool...

There's still an award, in this day, presented to the young magician of the year, and it is the Max Raskin award.

- How fantastic.

- Isn't that cool?

That is great.

Because I don't know if you know this, but I really love magic.

So we'll pull over, and I will show you a trick.

And all I'm going to say to you is to stop whenever you want.

- OK. - VO: Brace yourselves.

Stop.

- Take the top card.

- Uh-huh.

Don't show it to me.

Remember the card, and... VO: Her card is the three of hearts.

..and put that card back anywhere you want.

Anywhere I want.

OK, OK, OK. Let me just remember what it is.

Yeah, OK, OK, OK, gotcha.

- OK, just don't forget it.

- OK, I have it.

OK, now what I want you to do, OK, you put the card back in here so it's now... OK, we don't know what the card is, but it's obviously back in here.

Yeah?

- (LAUGHS) Yeah.

- OK, what we're going to do is we're going to put all the cards back in the box... Uh-huh.

OK.

So all the cards go back in the box.

Now, look up there.

Under there.

(LAUGHS) Right, I want you to open up that envelope.

Raj, this is so cool.

This is the best thing ever.

- Right, OK, you ready?

- And inside is a little note.

And I'd like you to first of all take out the note.

It says Natasha.

"Natasha, the card you will choose is the three of hearts.

Let's make this a magical road trip, love Raj".

Oh Raj, I love it!

We've got to get going, yeah?

- Oh, please can we do one more.

- Antiques!

No, no antiques!

I just want to do magic!

- Bit later!

- Oh.

VO: Now you see them, now you don't!

Nighty night!

Abracadabra!

It's day two of our magic road trip, and how is our double act feeling about the show so far?

Oh, have you been doing magic tricks to try and get deals?

No.

To be honest, I haven't done any in the shop yet.

Oh, right.

No, no.

I'm keeping my magic tricks on this trip for you, Tash.

- Oh, thanks Raj.

- OK?

I might have bought two cool things yesterday, but the highlight of my day was 100% that magic trick.

I loved it.

Now you're just being kind.

I'm starting to worry.

(LAUGHS) And now you... Now you can tell me how you did it?

- I can't!

I'd have to kill you!

- Oh right, OK, OK. VO: Maybe he'll saw her in half later!

Ha!

Yesterday Natasha could not resist the scent of a royal love affair, and bought a Victorian glass bottle.

Holding it in my hand feels really quite special.

VO: She also bought a French sunburst clock.

And sets out today with £90.

While ex-military man Raj bagged a World War One helmet and ammunition boxes.

Funny, enough I've actually seen them used as lunch boxes.

VO: And added to his haul with a Georgian penknife, a stick stand, and a Victorian school bell.

Leaving him with £103 in his piggy.

Raj, tell me about your shirt.

It's quite something.

What's the significance of the acorn?

It must have a symbolic... Do you know... Well of course, if you think about an antique connection...

Yes.

..there used to be a program on TV called Acorn Antiques.

Ooh!

Miss Babs, Miss Babs, Acorn Antiques.

And of course, like an acorn finial.

So you're just... - Yeah!

Absolutely.

- You're just acorn... You're antique through and through, you're acorn through and through.

I am, I'm antique through and through.

VO: His words, not mine!

Ha!

Time to send them their own ways now, and after dropping off Raj, Natasha's headed out east to the Kent town of Faversham.

Where she'll be handing in her calling card at Upstairs Downstairs.

This Victorian brick building was once the town's gas works.

Now home to 20 or so dealers.

There's no shortage of fine looking things, which might appeal to Natasha.

I absolutely love this wall hanger.

You can tell instantly, from this side that it's been handmade.

Then of course if you look underneath you can see that it's been made by hand.

You can see where different strings have come to an end.

This hasn't been made by machine.

And it's just really...

It's almost suffragette colors.

And it has a big sunflower in the middle.

If you have a huge amount of space to cover on your wall.

Perhaps if you were covering a wee damp patch, or something?

This could be perfect.

One bar of wood at the top, hook it over, hang it down, Bob's your uncle.

It screams more country house.

So I don't know if it's for me for the auction.

But I would love to have it myself.

This would look fantastic.

VO: Best stay canny.

There are plenty more possibilities.

I like these vases.

They are very much in their style, art nouveau, so the beginning of the 20th century, very end of the 19th century.

And there's just something about them.

They're definitely Wardle, so Stoke-on-Trent, think that sort of area.

Yeah, Wardle & Co, pair of vases.

Stuart and Elizabethan.

OK, so you have to guess which one is which.

I'm going to say, yeah, she's Stuart, OK. And then this is Elizabethan.

So this is through the eyes of Wardle.

So I really like these.

It did say, what did it say for the pair, they're £48.

I have my doubts that they could even make that at auction.

But they could spark something, if I could get a bit of a discount.

I think they could make 40, so I'm going to try 20, 25.

VO: Andy's manning the desk today, and he's phoned the dealer.

Fingers crossed!

Hello, Sandra?

It's Andy here from Upstairs Downstairs.

I've got a lovely lady here, and she's interested in a couple of your lovely vases, they're Wardle & Co ltd. Yeah, now, you've got £48 for the pair.

She wants to make a very very cheeky offer.

(WHISPERS) 25!

Would you do 25?

You sure?

Excellent!

Oh, you've made her very happy.

OK, that's lovely.

Thanks a lot, cheers.

Bye, bye.

- Oh, cool, she went for 25?

- Yes.

Oh well, they have a hope, you know, at auction.

- That's quite cool.

- Good.

Right, Andy, thank you for your help.

That's alright, my pleasure.

I really appreciate it.

You've been awfully patient with me, I've been running around here, unsure what to do.

But I think I've found the answer.

30, there we are.

Lovely, thank you.

Thank you so much.

Both of you, I really appreciate that.

- Thanks Andy, cheerio.

- Bye.

VO: Excellent.

Take your vases, and be off with you.

Let's catch up with Raj now.

Our ex-soldier has journeyed east to Aylesford on the river Medway.

And to a community founded 100 years ago for soldiers with tuberculosis returning from the First World War trenches.

Steve Sherry is chief executive of the Royal British Legion Industries Village.

Well there was no known cure then, so it's a long process.

And in this wonderful hall here, Preston Hall, a hospital was set up, there was a large dining room, for up to 300 veterans to use.

And then housing and support around the village.

So it was a long term recovery.

So there was a mix of healthcare, welfare, some rehabilitation which was through sport, but also into employment.

VO: Preston Hall, and the village which grew up around it, provided a haven of rehabilitation after the Great War.

Because the need for this kind of care has never gone away, a century later the charity continues to provide housing, work, assistance, and support, to those who have served in the armed forces and their families.

Well living on the village now we have over 300 veterans, and their families.

And our job is to give them their independence back, and support them as needed with healthcare, welfare, rehabilitation.

And where necessary, employment.

VO: Royal British Legion Industries set up business here in the early 1920s producing soap, leather goods, and wooden toys.

Now called 'Britain's Bravest Manufacturing Company', one of their major contracts is the production of road and rail signs.

- This goes in here?

- That goes in there.

- Line it up.

- Line it up.

That looks pretty good.

And then, give it a wipe?

Yep.

VO: Veteran Steve Hammond has worked here for 22 years.

- Stand back.

- Foot on the button.

- Mind your head.

- And stand back.

And the magic will happen.

Just like that.

You don't want a full-time job, do you?

(LAUGHS) Think I've got enough to do at the moment.

I bet you have.

I joined in 1977.

1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

I was on Sir Galahad, when it was in the Falklands, got badly injured.

I tried to commit suicide, I got divorced.

But in the meantime, the Royal British Legion Industries got to know about it.

They brought me down here on an assessment.

They turned my life around.

I've got a young family now.

I've got a 17 year old son.

You know, it's... - All positive.

- ..all positive.

Fantastic.

And it's all because of this place.

So, it's brilliant.

VO: In its centenary year, the ethos remains the same as it was after those First World War soldiers found their healing here.

Care, dignity and community are at the heart of what this village is all about.

Oh, and camaraderie.

Charles and George are two of the oldest residents.

- Hello gentlemen.

- Ah, good morning Raj.

- I'm Raj.

George, isn't it?

- Yes.

Pleased to meet you.

Hello Raj.

And Charles, isn't it?

Can I sit down with you?

Well, you guys look extremely fit, I have to say.

Is there a fitness regime here?

Wine, women and song.

Wine, women and song.

(LAUGHS) So nothing's changed then?

We do actually have fitness training on Monday, which I take.

I'm a qualified fitness instructor.

My aim is to get them all doing press-ups, but the 87 year olds, they...they really don't take to that.

And camaraderie is extremely important to soldiers, so you know, you've gone from the beginning of your life, or the majority of it, you know, having this camaraderie to later on in life, having it again.

Yes, that's right.

It must be a nice feeling.

And it's... what finer way really, to - this is where I'm going to spend the rest of my life.

Yeah.

And I couldn't really wish to be anywhere else other than the Royal British Legion Industries Village.

I'm safe, secure, happy.

Well, I tell you, meeting you guys has made me feel extremely humble and you know, I'm really proud to have met you.

I can't tell you.

Maybe you can move in some day.

Oh yes, yeah.

I'll come back.

For sure, 100%.

I've already spoken to Steve.

You can have a bed next to George.

(LAUGHS) He'll show you his tricks.

VO: At ease, gentlemen.

Natasha meanwhile is the advance guard for the last mission of the day and she's en route to the village of Lenham.

Raj will be on his way soon but her ladyship is first to sample the wares at the lovely Corner House Antiques.

It's the one on the corner, you see.

Ha!

Oodles of interesting things here.

And she still has £65 left.

I really like the look of this.

Now, Mauchline is in Ayrshire, and Mauchlineware is tourist ware.

It's treen, essentially.

VO: For around 100 years, until 1933, these quality wooden souvenirs were made in factories in a quiet corner of southwest Scotland and sold to tourists across the British Isles and overseas.

What makes Mauchlinware particularly identifiable is that each piece has a transfer, and of course it's always a tourist hotspot.

And here you have the new jetty at Margate.

£48.

For a piece of late Victorian, early 20th century... ..touristy stuff.

I think the reason I love this is because think of tourist tat today, you know, you go to somewhere exotic and you buy something that is made of plastic and it's likely to be thrown away and unloved by the person to whom it is gifted.

But this has survived because of course you would take this gift and you would covet it.

Or you would take it home as a souvenir.

And you would want to put it on your desk and remember that holiday to Margate.

So, I think this is a lovely thing.

VO: Ah, seaside holidays, eh?

Meanwhile the other platoon member has arrived and is busy hunting down potential purchases with £103 left to spend.

Nhmm... Nhmm... VO: Is... is that Raj?

Oh.

Showing off again!

This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen.

(LAUGHS) VO: Crikey, Moses.

There you go!

- Um... - Did you enjoy that?

(CHUCKLES) That was amazing!

Wasn't exactly a trick, but it was a little bit of magic.

You're a distraction.

I need to keep shopping.

OK, OK. Come on, help me find something.

VO: Back to the antiques.

Aha!

He's 'clogged' something.

Ha!

Just recently, I bought a similar pair but they were a bit smaller and in better condition, but I paid £40 for them, and they actually made £100 at auction.

So they are a bit different, but they're Lancashire shoes, 19th century, fairly rare.

I'm going to give them a go.

- Lynne.

- Lovely.

I like these shoes.

You've got £58 on the ticket.

You tell me, what's the best you can do?

Ah.

Mm.

As it's you, 35?

Could you do 30?

Go on then.

- You sure?

- Yeah.

- I want to be fair.

- Yep.

Are you sure you're happy with that?

- Yep.

- Let's shake hands.

Wonderful.

Thank you very much indeed Lynne.

That's really good.

VO: That's Raj done and dusted... - Thank you very much.

..but what about Natasha?

Now, I'm looking in that cabinet over there, because there's some really cool stuff.

(WHISPERS) But it's all quite expensive.

And I'm hoping - I don't see a price tag on this, but I'm hoping that I can afford it because it's super cute.

The style has to be 20s or 30s.

Now, the reason I think that is not because I know anything about the maker, or anything about the material or the design, other than that looks like an early 20th century linocut.

I mean, this is in the shape of a dish, but with a decoration like that, you'd be hanging it on the wall.

Obviously my favorite of these five penguins is this guy, because he's fallen over.

Drunk, clearly.

But everything about this is just that coming into the modern age.

It's gorgeous.

Oh, there is a label and there is a price.

OK, OK, OK, OK.

So, straight away, I like it because, WMF.

VO: That's W rttembergische Metallwarenfabrik.

The famous German manufacturer of silver plate.

Unusual piece.

Could do well.

Is the name enough to sell it in this condition?

I should think so.

Maybe if I could get it for about £15.

Yeah, I think I want to have a bash at that.

And then I want to frame it, and put it on a wall, and have it for the rest of my life.

But I don't think that's how this works!

VO: Nope.

It doesn't.

Time to take the plate, priced at £24, and the £48 Mauchlineware piece to Lynne.

- 24 plus 48 is 72.

- It is.

And exceeds my total budget.

(GASPS) - (LAUGHS) Quite considerably.

- Oh dear.

So, I just wondered if we could do a deal.

Mm-hm.

And I wondered if you would do the whole thing... ..the whole thing for 50?

VO: That would be £25 apiece.

Go on then.

As it's you.

£50?

Oh really?

Oh, I wasn't expecting that.

Oh.

Seek and ye shall find!

That's amazing, thank you so much!

OK. That's no worries.

VO: How does she do it?

Lovely.

Thank you so much.

I'm super grateful.

I just hope you've not been so generous with Raj.

(INHALES) That would be telling.

(LAUGHS) Lynne, thank you so much.

I really appreciate that.

- Take care.

- You're welcome.

- Bye, bye!

- Bye now.

RAJ: On our way!

VO: With their mission complete, it's time to hit the road and enjoy a ride in the Sunbeam.

We'll catch them after some shut-eye.

Good morning Essex!

Natasha and Raj have travelled north this morning to the ancient market town of Rayleigh.

Where they will be pinning their hopes of auction success at Stacey's.

How do you fancy your chances today, Raj?

Well Tash, I'm under instructions.

Buy high, sell low - that's how it works, isn't it?

No Raj, come on, let me teach you a thing or two.

Oh, really?

VO: Cheeky.

Natasha gaily parted with £185 on five lots.

Well Tash, the temperature's going up on this road trip already.

This lovely thermometer.

She's gone back to her Scottish roots.

This is Mauchlineware.

Very collectable.

They made lots of these little souvenir pieces.

I quite like it.

And it's in good condition.

Fantastic.

VO: Raj meanwhile shelled out a more modest £127 on his five lots.

Raj loves his militaria.

He was in the army.

As a physical training instructor.

So, this would very much appeal to that side of him.

And it will appeal to buyers, of course, because militaria is a great big market.

You have a helmet, on its own, that's saleable.

But together, with these cases.

Oh!

£50 he paid.

I'm trying to think, is there a profit in that?

Actually, he might be in a wee bit of trouble.

VO: And what does our auctioneer today, Mark Stacey think?

The Georgian fruit knife, fantastic clear hallmarks.

Very nice piece, in its original box.

I think this is going to be the star of the show.

My favorite lot - the penguin dish.

I think that's a really lovely, art deco, WMF piece which I think the market will have a strong appetite for.

I'm expecting good things for this.

Goodo!

Today they'll be bidding online, on the phone, and in the room.

Time to be seated.

Thank you!

This is good, isn't it?

A packed room!

- A comfy seat!

(LAUGHS) - Comfy seat.

And a good view, actually, of the auctioneer.

Do you know, I feel quite confident today.

- Oh, do you?

- And you?

- No.

- No?

No, I'm worried.

Packed house.

Everything's online.

What can go wrong?

Mm-hm.

Famous last words, Famous last words.

VO: Without further ado it's the first lot, Natasha's Victorian scent bottle.

Internet.

You've got to be more keener than that.

I have a £2 starting bid.

(LAUGHS) £2!

Seeing five, hands everywhere.

Five down the middle.

Five.

VO: Low start.

But bidding soon takes off.

30 back down the middle.

- Here we go.

- 35.

- Oh, good.

- VO: That's in profit.

Come on!

With you madam, at £55.

60, fresh bidder online.

RAJ: 60.

60 online.

Nope, you're out.

Don't lose it for £5, madam.

Yeah.

Listen to the auctioneer.

- He's good.

He's good.

- VO: Online bidding is at 65.

All done, all finished.

Hammer's going down.

(GAVEL) - That's double up.

- I think it was 60.

That's great.

VO: And Natasha's off to a flying start!

You must be happy with that, yeah?

Well, I am actually.

Because I just think - You don't look that happy.

No, I'm just a wee bit stunned that it took so long to get there.

VO: Yeah, it did take forever.

Moving swiftly on though, to the next lot, Raj's Georgian penknife.

Starting at 20.

20 is the bid.

Come on, come on.

Are we all done?

25 with the hand.

25 at the far back.

Surely.

25.

We've got internet.

£30.

35 at the far back.

I think you might have internet, phone, and room.

50 bid.

Online against you.

£50 internet now.

Oh, 50.

Are we done?

Are we finished?

Final bids please.

Coming on phone.

55.

Phone bid.

Yes, yes, yes.

Come on, come on, 55.

They're coming at you from all angles.

65.

£65 now.

Against the internet.

So I sell to the phone then, at £65.

Hammer's going down.

(GAVEL) Oh Raj, that's excellent.

Yeah, that'll do.

That'll do.

Phone, internet, in the room, that's what you want!

VO: Can't argue with that, can you?

It was a lovely little thing.

That was the only thing I could think I was definitely gonna get a profit on, so yes!

VO: Time now for Natasha's pair of Wardle & Co vases.

Internet straight in at £18.

18... Oh, I thought he said 80!

18... 18, 20, thank you madam.

£20 against the internet.

25 online.

Come on, come on.

Online at 25, all done then please?

No!

Last chance, then, I sell online at 25... (GAVEL) Paid a wee bit too much, then?

Well, no I don't think so.

I don't think so.

I mean the hammer price was 25.

I mean, that's OK!

VO: Not if that's what was paid.

You're my hype man, Raj.

(CHUCKLES) I'm you're hype man, yeah.

You're my hype-man.

Even though I've just lost money.

I might need you in a minute as my hype woman.

Yeah, OK. VO: Ding ding.

Under the hammer next is Raj's Victorian school bell.

Internet straight in, £18, on the saleroom at £18.

- 20 if you wish?

- Profit.

Come on.

£18 is the bid.

Any further bids... How can this be straight in at a profit?

Oh come on, come on.

All done then, the maiden bid.

No other bids, then?

Come on, 18?

£18, last chance, then.

£18, hammer's going down.

(GAVEL) Raj, look at you begging for more bids.

That made a profit!

Well I know, I'm shocked, I thought that was going to make a bit more!

It's a boring wee bell!

VO: Ouch!

Don't hold back!

- Profits are profits.

- Oh dear.

Oh.

- Well done.

- Hmph.

VO: Hmph, indeed.

On we go with Natasha's French sunburst clock.

Will it brighten things up?

30 is the bid, 35, 40 bid.

I paid 80.

Against the internet now, 45, 50 I have.

He's going slow, he's making it... - 55, fresh bidder... - No one in the room.

- £55.

60 back with me.

- Yeah, he's got bids.

Against the... 75 coming back in online.

Online at 75.

- Back in, back in.

- 80 I have.

- Ah, it's done it, done it.

- 80 is the bid.

- Come on!

- One more, internet.

Come on, internet.

Give us a profit.

You're thinking about it.

£85 back on the internet.

No further bids.

I'm selling then at £85.

(GAVEL) Sold internet, 85.

I'm disappointed.

VO: A tiny profit then for Natasha's big buy.

You still made a profit.

A small profit.

Don't they know how much this means to me?

VO: I do!

(SOBS) Such a shame!

That's cost you though.

Next up it's Raj's Lancashire clogs.

Online straight in at £25 is the bid.

Online at £25... - 25, come on.

- Oh, it's close.

30 bid.

Five.

40, five.

50, five.

- Raj, you are the clogman.

- Yeah.

Yeah, that's better.

Five, online.

£75, one more sir?

I'm giving fair warning to you, at 75.

Yeah, yup.

(GAVEL) Raj, you saw the beauty in those.

Yeah, I was justified.

Yep.

The mill girl who once wore them would be amazed!

You're the king of the clogs!

(LAUGHS) VO: Something else fashioned from wood now, Natasha's Mauchline Ware thermometer.

Internet straight in at £30.

Why?!

(LAUGHS) - Raj?

- At 35, 40 bid.

I genuinely thought this would struggle on its own.

Internet's at £50, where's the five?

At £50 now, any further bids at £50?

Last chance then...

I'm amazed.

Internet bidding.

Are you coming in, madam?

Do you think it must be a Margate buyer?

At £50 then, last chance then please at 50.

That's a wee surprise.

I said 30 to 50, and it made top end.

VO: Greetings, and £25 from Margate!

I'm starting to get very nervous, now, I've got competition.

VO: Don't panic, Mainwaring.

His steel helmet and ammunition boxes are the next lot.

Commission bid, £20.

20 bid, five.

30.

Is this them?

- Five online.

At £35.

- Oh right, hold on.

40 with your bid, sir.

40's on the left.

Still not... See look, someone in the room, I reckon in the room.

45, 50 bid.

£50, hammer's up, fair warning at 50.

Isn't it so annoying when you pay exactly what it makes at auction?

So I've lost money on that.

VO: Sad but true!

Yeah, I thought they might do a bit better.

Oh well.

VO: I'm looking forward to the next lot!

Natasha's silver plate.

Just how much profit will this drunk penguin waddle to?

Straight in at £25.

25 on the... - Look, already!

- 30 if you wish?

- Oh, wow!

- 30 down the middle, sir.

Here we go.

Thank you.

35 is the bid.

No, you're out?

- Oh!

I... Oh!

- 35 on the internet... New bidder, new bidder.

I did not have that much faith.

45, internet bidding against you.

- Go on.

- See.

Go on.

50 bid.

50 on my far right at £50.

- This feels better.

- Yeah, doesn't it.

55, still.

All done, then?

Are you coming on the phone?

£60, fresh bidder on the phone.

60, 65 is the internet.

- £70 bid.

- £70!

75.

Is this how it feels to make a profit, Raj?

£80 bid.

85 back online.

One more, yeah, one more.

£90 bid.

95... Wow!

Oh, wow.

This is gonna... Wow.

That's really good!

You're all done, you're all finished.

Final bids then please.

At 95... (GAVEL) Well done!

OK, I need to re-adjust my attitude, because I was negative about that.

- Yes.

Yeah you were.

- Despite its beauty.

VO: And Pingu makes her the biggest profit so far today.

- £70 profit!

- Unbelievable.

Fantastic.

One of those.

Raj, we're doing alright.

Yeah, you're doing fantastic now.

VO: It must be very close, but there's still one last item - Raj's rather stylish pine stick stand.

Commissions, 10, 12 bid.

£12 against the internet.

Come on, come on.

12, 15, 15, 18, £18 on commission.

I'm in profit.

I'll be with you in a moment, madam.

£20 now.

20, 25 back with me on the commission.

30 bid, 35.

You have internet, and commission... 45.

50, 55 is a fresh bidder.

Wait a minute.

Did you get a bidder in the room?

Yeah!

- That's a rare thing.

- Oh, that is quite rare.

- £65 now.

One more.

- £65.

- Maybe Ruskin did own it!

- Maybe he did!

Online at £70.

Last chances then, all done then.

One more, madam?

No, £70 then and selling at 70.

(GAVEL) Raj, put it there.

That is awesome.

That is... - For a wee broken stick stand!?

- I know!

VO: You just never can tell, eh!

What a lovely start.

OK. Let's hope it carries on this way.

Come on.

Let's go.

Both in profit.

Look at us.

VO: Time to do the maths.

Having started with £200, Natasha made fine profits on most of her purchases, and after saleroom fees, ends this time with a total of £277.40.

Well done that girl.

(GAVEL) But Raj gave her a run for her money and his starting budget has grown after auction costs, to £300.96, so he's pipped her at the post but there's less than £25 separating them.

Oh the excitement!

Look at us, Raj, First auction out the way, we've both made profits!

I can't actually believe it.

Do you think we can keep it up?

I'm sure we can, let's go.

I like your positivity.

VO: Next time, Natasha gets in the mood... And Raj steps out, East Anglian style.

I... Have you got a ten pound note on you?

And there's trickery.

It's now a fiver!

And possibly nuclear fallout!

Truly, this is...

This is rancid.

I'm so surprised.

Subtitling@stv.tv