NARRATOR: The nation's favorite celebrities.

Just want to touch base.

NARRATOR: Paired up with an expert.

Boo.

[GASPS] NARRATOR: And a classic car.

Their mission, to scour Britain for antiques.

My office.

Now.

NARRATOR: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no easy ride.

Who will find a hidden gem?

Like that.

NARRATOR: Who will take the biggest risk?

This could end in disaster.

NARRATOR: Will anybody follow expert advice?

But I love this.

Why would you buy something you're not going to use?

NARRATOR: There will be worthy winners and valiant losers.

No, I don't want to shake hands.

NARRATOR: Put your pedal to the metal.

Let me get out of first gear.

NARRATOR: This is the Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: Today's celebrities in the TVR are journalists Amol Rajan and Grace Dent.

AMOL RAJAN: Grace, what you know about antiques?

Amol, I'm going to be honest, I don't an awful lot.

At midnight last night, I was sitting in bed on my computer looking up "what is an antique."

NARRATOR: But the good news about journalists is that if they don't know something, they can generally find out, and from a reliable source.

Like me.

AMOL RAJAN: I've met Fiona Bruce a few times, so that would have helped.

You've met Fiona Bruce?

I worked with her at BBC News.

Where you're not just looking into her sultry eyes and imagining her in a leather catsuit?

NARRATOR: Yeah.

Amol reports on heavyweight programs like the General Election Special as the BBC's media editor.

While Grace is the author of several books and a TV food critic.

AMOL RAJAN: That's in gear.

NARRATOR: Their friendship got going on the Independent, but Grace was economist and Amol, an editor.

Grace, how long have we known each other, five years?

I've been a boss, I've been a friend.

I don't think you've ever had a chance to discover just how competitive I am.

Oh, Amol, I know exactly how competitive you are.

NARRATOR: Two brainy new media types who love their food and want to win.

Should make our Jag driving experts James Braxton and Catherine Southon very happy.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: I think these two are going to be the finest of the finest quality.

Yeah.

I think I'm already intimidated.

So am I. NARRATOR: It'll be fine.

So with 400 pounds for each celebrity to spend, let's put our best feet forward.

GRACE DENT: I was wondering whether we might be scrabbling in back-- in back sheds over things.

So I only wore a low heel.

We're not gonna get dirty, are we?

GRACE DENT: I hope not.

NARRATOR: Didn't they get the suitable clothing email then?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Good morning.

GRACE DENT: Good morning.

AMOL RAJAN: Hey, guys.

JAMES BRAXTON: It's a very elegant thing getting out of a car.

James, hello.

I hope you're going to look after us.

We are You're going to look after me.

I'm going to look after you?

That is so unbelievably reassuring.

So, guys, you need to know, I'm absolutely terrified about today.

Why?

Because I don't know very much about antiques.

Excellent.

I'm not worried about that.

Come on, we're up for the challenge.

AMOL RAJAN: Right.

Let's do it.

NARRATOR: Best way to learn.

All aboard.

NARRATOR: Today we're starting out in the Essex village of Great Baddow.

And after shopping around East Anglia, making for a seaside auction in Eastbourne, Sussex.

But first, the mind games.

GRACE DENT: I know some insider knowledge about Amol because I have known him for quite a long time.

Yeah.

He overanalyze this things.

Excellent.

And he's deeply, deeply unhappy if he's made to look silly.

Excellent.

Wheareas I don't mind looking slightly silly.

NARRATOR: Good thing too.

It has been known, you know.

JAMES BRAXTON: There's something about this car is bringing out this sort of competitive streak in me.

I think only losers say, it's the taking part that counts.

For me, winning is everything, I'm afraid, Catherine.

Well, don't you worry.

Because today we are team Amol.

You are in charge.

You are the boss, let me tell you.

NARRATOR: OK.

I wonder if the others realize there's been a shopping war declared.

JAMES BRAXTON: What I would suggest is look at an item, moot it, and then pause.

Don't rush in, don't fill the space.

Let them worry about it.

So sometimes it's allowing a very awkward silence.

Lovely.

Love it.

GRACE DENT: I don't think I have allowed anyone to have an awkward silence since 1986.

Come on.

Let's-- let's recreate that awkward silence.

It's just-- That's it.

You got it.

You got it.

But don't smile.

You're smiling.

So you just-- just look blankly I have so much to say.

NARRATOR: Me too.

Like, this is the Baddow Antique Center.

In we hop.

NARRATOR: And they're about to meet one of the dealers.

GRACE DENT: Hi.

- Hi.

Grace.

Tony.

Tony, James.

TONY: Hi, James.

Pleased to meet you.

Good to meet you.

Very good to me.

Ah, antiques, finally.

Real ones.

Real ones.

NARRATOR: There's been a lot of attention paid to bargaining techniques so far.

So just keep your eyes peeled.

NARRATOR: But what might the cash actually be spent on?

GRACE DENT: I like these, but do people collect them?

They used to be very trendy.

They used to make about 1,500, 2,000 pounds.

And then what happened?

Did the trend go against them?

JAMES BRAXTON: Well, I think everybody needs to keep an account.

So they-- yeah, NARRATOR: Oh, well, early days.

There's so much to learn.

Do you like that?

What is it?

We'll it's just a sort of Roman dancer.

She's got her little tambourines there, hasn't she?

It is a Chinese figure.

It's root carving on a water buffalo.

That sort of sought after.

GRACE DENT: And what about that one?

The little boy asleep?

Yeah.

It looks all right, but it's not a great subject matter.

You want sexy ladies, Grace.

NARRATOR: No luck.

Plus, the opposition's arrived.

AMOL RAJAN: Oh no.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Oh, we are behind already.

AMOL RAJAN: They've beaten us to it.

NARRATOR: I wouldn't panic.

- Oh.

- Hi there.

- How are you?

- I'm good.

- Nice seeing you.

And you are?

Bob.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Bob's the man today.

Bob, I'm Amol.

Great to see you.

Thanks for having us.

Thanks for coming.

Very nice.

I don't very much about antiques.

Nor do I.

What are you doing on our manor?

AMOL RAJAN: Hang on.

Why have you had a head start?

That's not allowed.

JAMES BRAXTON: We arrived years ago.

We left you.

Anyway, out the way.

Let's kick it.

NARRATOR: He wants to win, all right.

See, this is my kind of antique.

The key thing is, if you like to drink beer on a hot summer's day, doing it out of something like this is unbeatable.

NARRATOR: Oh.

I don't think anyone noticed.

Ah, more beer receptacles.

JAMES BRAXTON: Years ago, these would have been measures.

GRACE DENT: But by the time that is full, it's not as if one of the tavern girls would even be able to pick it up.

It would weigh more than her.

JAMES BRAXTON: Copper has this magical property of being antibacterial.

So it's brilliant.

Years ago, public places like cinemas, pubs, they had copper handles.

And it kills on contact, germs.

GRACE DENT: I know.

But it's so ugly.

OK. We'll put it away.

NARRATOR: Grace, it's all about you.

Well, strictly speaking, it is.

There's a little item around the corner which-- it's just one of the things that just grabbed me, jumped out at me, which is a sort of typewriter.

Can we go and have a look at that.

Journalist, yes, journalist.

NARRATOR: Not a financial journalist though.

It turns out it's not a typewriter at all, Bob.

Forgive my ignorance.

At a distance, I thought it looked like a very nice typewriter.

That's actually-- that's a till, isn't it?

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's a very nice one.

NARRATOR: Also, admired by Grace, of course.

GRACE DENT: Probably not hugely commercial, I wouldn't have thought.

Because who would buy something like that?

Who would want that?

I don't know.

What's the price on it?

BOB: That could be about 500 pounds.

Can you do it for 50?

NARRATOR: He's new to this luck.

Now the others seem to have found Tony's department.

JAMES BRAXTON: Wow.

What a bit of lapis.

TONY: Beautiful lapis lazuli.

Yeah.

11 and 1/2 kilos on it.

It's a nice piece of lapis, actually.

I mean, there's a little gold flecks in it.

- You want the gold?

- Yeah.

More gold in there, the better.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: This semi-precious stone has long been prized for its intense blue.

JAMES BRAXTON: How much is something like that?

Something like that, that would set you back somewhere in the region of 1,500 pounds.

NARRATOR: Mm.

What else has he got?

TONY: I like this.

Very interesting piece of silver.

It's an arts and crafts piece.

But this is by a lady called Winifred King.

She was associated with the Suffragette Movement.

And she set up a workshop in Coventry and she taught young ladies that wanted to get into silversmithing.

NARRATOR: It's a matchbox cover.

And you just hold-- hold the other item.

I'm bringing the loop up to your eye.

I'm having a loop lesson for the the first time.

So hang on a minute.

What am I doing?

JAMES BRAXTON: Bring that to your eye.

Bring that up.

And then bring the item to you.

Hang on a minute.

It's going to be magical when this works.

NARRATOR: Bit closer, grace.

TONY: Close.

Really close.

Like really close.

JAMES BRAXTON: See, it's revealing.

You see, that's what you want to buy, stories.

How much do you want for this, Tony?

TONY: I think if we went 45 pounds on that, I think that would really would show you a profit.

Can I squeezed you Tony?

Depends how hard.

40.

NARRATOR: Awkward silence.

- Yeah.

OK. We'll take 40.

I think we should take it.

Shake the man's hand.

I think you'll do well on that.

Smother him in kisses.

GRACE DENT: Thank you.

NARRATOR: Well, that went well.

He told me to be poker faced.

Yeah.

Poker face.

He told me-- he told me not to show how happy I was, but I love this.

JAMES BRAXTON: I love it.

NARRATOR: So cash for Tony.

Hang on a moment.

I have it.

I have it in my bra.

As all good feminists do.

There you go.

TONY I shall frame it.

NARRATOR: Any excitement elsewhere?

Come with me as I direct you to a violin.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Really?

Do you play the violin?

That's really not the reaction that we're hoping for.

NARRATOR: It's no Stradivarius, Amol.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: You give it a try and see if it sounds right.

What would my extensive violin experience?

Yes.

What grade did you get to?

AMOL RAJAN: Minus six.

Oh, go on.

Are you ready for this?

This one's-- this one's Mozart.

You ready?

Yeah.

[VIOLING PLAYING] How's that?

NARRATOR: What would front row say?

AMOL RAJAN: What's that?

Is that a wallet?

That's-- CATHERINE SOUTHON: It's like a little ladies purse.

I love that, Catherine.

Tell me that that's good, Catherine.

Tell me what you like.

I think that's gorgeous.

This is going to be dating from around, I would say, the early part of the 20th century.

NARRATOR: No price on that one though.

I tell you what I saw as soon as I came into this room.

These.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Their lovely, aren't they?

AMOL RAJAN: Wow.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: These are going to be for sewing.

And if I told you this was indeed Victorian and it was 35 quid?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: The reason that's cheap is because it's brass.

It's not gold, isn't it?

You don't want brass.

NARRATOR: But they do like silver.

AMOL RAJAN: I think that looks incredibly pretty.

And I think it's got-- it's a lovely, lovely, lovely pattern on it.

It's got a crown, a V for Roman numeral five, a lion.

Is that the Queen's head?

- Yeah.

Victoria's head.

And IIW CATHERINE SOUTHON: This is, I would say, probably one of the best fruit knives I've seen.

So it's not really a pen knife or anything like that.

It's basically a fruit knife.

This is mother of poets.

Absolutely beautiful quality.

You will walk around here-- there you go, there's another one.

You'll see hundreds of these.

But this, look at the workmanship here.

To tell you that this is a fruit knife, you look at the decoration there and you can see little apples and pears.

AMOL RAJAN: Oh yeah.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: All these other ones, you'll see, there are around 20, 30 pounds.

That's the best of the best.

And this is going to be close to 100, is it?

I hope not.

I hope it's going to say about 40, 50 pounds.

NARRATOR: Well, there's only one way to find out.

AMOL RAJAN: Tony, my favorite item in this entire shop is this beautiful, beautiful, beautiful leather wallet.

It's not that nice.

AMOL RAJAN: Catherine said that she reckons there might be a market for this at auction.

So everything hangs on a price.

Of course.

There is no price.

TONY: It was around sort of 25 pounds.

But I think we could let that go, I think, 15 pounds would be the death.

AMOL RAJAN: Would you go to 12?

I think that's a fair price?

AMOL RAJAN: And I'd be quite interested in buying it in conjunction with something else, which is-- Ah.

We're going to bundle, are we?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Do they go together?

They look quite nice together.

I mean, if that could be very cheap, sort of 10 pounds or something.

NARRATOR: Don't think he'd go for 10.

AMOL RAJAN: What about the knife?

TONY: Ah, it's a fabulous piece.

AMOL RAJAN: It doesn't have a price on it.

TONY: No.

To find one in this condition, it's actually quite rare.

I don't think it's actually ever been used.

The death on that is sort of 18 pounds.

AMOL RAJAN: Do we have to get 18?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: I think it's a good thing.

Let's take a punt on it.

We've got a very nice purse here for 12 quid, the two of these together for 30.

Yeah.

AMOL RAJAN: Cheers, Tony.

TONY: Thanks ever so much.

That's great.

NARRATOR: Is that it then?

So we're discarding this one?

Well.

I mean, it is very nice.

NARRATOR: A silver egg cup.

TONY: Well, it's a fabulous piece of silver, and it's very, very reasonable.

What's reasonable?

10 pounds.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: That to me has to [INAUDIBLE].. TONY: Has to make a profit.

Tony, I'll take it off you for a tenner.

I'll take your offer [INAUDIBLE]..

It's sold.

He loves a bargain.

He's got one.

NARRATOR: He might just have three.

Yay.

NARRATOR: Now, with Grace and James.

JAMES BRAXTON: This is nice.

It's an etching.

So we've got horses here.

Heavy horses, you know.

They're carrying a load.

Looks like a quarry, doesn't it?

GRACE DENT: Explain more about etchings because I know nothing about etchings other than it's something that people used to invite you up to see.

Did that not-- is that not-- [INAUDIBLE] a rude thing?

JAMES BRAXTON: Etching was a really clever way of reproducing pictures.

So this would be an original work.

Somebody would have come up with an unusual sketch.

You're actually cutting out the lines.

Copper plate and then you put ink over it and then you you press it.

I know the artist, it's Ernest Herbert Whydale.

NARRATOR: Horses were his speciality too.

Are people doing etchings now or am I just missing that?

- No.

- No?

No one's doing it?

Because we've all moved into color.

NARRATOR: Well, let's find out what it might cost.

We found this rather than nice etching.

Yeah.

Lovely etching.

Original.

Original.

Shame the frame ain't.

I'd be happy to pay 30, 40 pounds something like maybe even less, hopefully.

TONY: I know the gentleman was asking around 45.

JAMES BRAXTON: Was he?

TONY: I think he can be squeezed a little bit on that.

Could he?

I mean.

NARRATOR: Bothered, Grace?

I think-- I think we could go at 38.

I think he'll take that.

JAMES BRAXTON: What about 30?

TONY: I'll take a chance at 35.

I think we should buy it.

I think we should buy it.

Am I allowed to smile yet, James?

Thank you.

NARRATOR: She's getting good at this.

Did you feel the awkwardness?

You like that.

I didn't like the awkwardness.

I didn't like it.

NARRATOR: So with the formalities concluded.

Thank you, Tony.

Shall we go?

GRACE DENT: Thank you.

Bye bye.

NARRATOR: Let's grab our etching and go.

That's it.

Well done, Grace.

Very good.

NARRATOR: But while Grace and James take their leave, Catherine's been after some background.

Being an editor of The Independent, being the boss, the gov.

That was fun.

I mean, that must have been quite amazing.

It was actually an incredible experience.

Of course, I feel very, very lucky to have done it.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: When I think traditionally of editors, I think of gentlemen in their sort of, I don't know, 50s, 60s.

So, 29?

I know.

I know.

Well, there's nothing that quite beats the fact that when you land a big story and the next day you see it in print, and that's really satisfying for you.

NARRATOR: Well, stop the presses because Amol and cub reporter Catherine are about to get the lowdown on one of the lesser known great Victorians in Chelmsford, the county town of Essex, where they've come to see an exhibition dedicated to electrical pioneer Rookes Evelyn Belle Crompton in the company of museum curator Tim Wander.

Colonel Crompton was a forgotten genius, who built the modern electrical age.

Everything we now known, alternating current, the mains that every house has in its wall, came from the work of Crompton here in Chelmsford.

NARRATOR: Yorkshire-born Crompton had already discovered an inclination towards engineering when he'd visited the Great Exhibition of 1851 as a child.

But it was a spell in the army that decided his career.

At the age of just 19, he joined the rifle brigade.

He immediately was shipped to India and started to work with royal engineers.

And they were putting the first railways into India.

And he immediately started to think, well, actually, some of the work they're doing is very, very poor.

And within two years, he's designing steam carriageways, new tracks, new couplings.

And really, I think, that's where his passion came from.

NARRATOR: Outside the museum, this lamp post from 1898 is a small reminder of what Crompton would go on to achieve from his adopted Essex home.

TIM: Chelmsford was a thrusting, growing town.

And when he came back to England in 1875, he went to join an agricultural machinery company here in Chelmsford.

Again, he realized that they weren't doing it very efficiently.

Three years later, he bought them out and took it over, and it became the Crompton Works.

NARRATOR: Crompton Britain's first electrical engineering firm, manufacturing arc lamps, light bulbs, motors, meters, and dynamos.

AMOL RAJAN: And the amazing thing about this museum is he made stuff, didn't he?

He made physical, actual things that you can pick up and you do stuff, which is very different to some of the internet companies today.

TIM: It is.

Huge devices.

We have a very small transformer here.

It weighs just under 3 tons.

Scale was never an issue with the Victorians, let's be perfectly honest.

They just built larger.

He had this dream of rolling out lighting throughout Chelmsford.

In 1881, he went to Alexandra Palace.

He lit it for the first time with filament lights.

He lit Windsor Castle.

He lit the Opera House.

Now this was all part of his entrepreneurial skill, because these were demonstrations.

People see it and that's what makes people buy it.

NARRATOR: Crompton soon began promoting domestic electricity as well, encouraging the next generation of inventors to transform the world.

TIM: You find with a lot of these pioneers that they have an almost charismatic ability to attract great people to them.

The best and the brightest out of the universities came to Crompton.

The first hairdryer, the first electric oven, the first toaster.

Imagine being in Colonel Compton's office when a young Scottish man came in and said, we can toast bread by heating electrical wires.

He went, what a great idea.

I can manufacture that.

AMOL RAJAN: Timmy, sounds like an inspirational man, as are you with your amazing passion for him.

Thank you so much.

- My pleasure.

Catherine.

- It's been wonderful.

I shall look at my toaster in a new way now.

NARRATOR: Meanwhile, out in the Essex countryside.

JAMES BRAXTON: Now grace do you own a Jag?

I don't.

I would like to one day.

It's impossible to feel anything less than regal.

And it's quite nice.

My hair's been blown around in the gentle-- the gentle breeze.

I feel as though somebody is sort of massaging my head.

I'm feeling as though hair follicles are growing.

Well, we'll have to get your haircut.

NARRATOR: Can it wait?

I'm not sure the village of Terling has a barbers.

It did once have a dairy though.

Now an antique shop.

JAMES BRAXTON: Here we are.

GRACE DENT: Here we are.

JAMES BRAXTON: Lovely.

NARRATOR: Very much a vintage sort of establishment this one.

Quite woody too.

That's a bit of timber, isn't it?

GRACE DENT: It's gorgeous.

It would make the perfect present for friends of mine in the food business who are only at their happiest when they're carving an enormous dead animal.

JAMES BRAXTON: So we think it's a butcher's block, do we?

I think it is.

NARRATOR: Well, let's consult proprietor, Shaney.

My husband likes to do lots of projects.

So what he's done is he's found this slab of wood from a local timber yard, and then waited to find the perfect thing to stick it on top of.

It would be ideal in a pub, restaurant, tearoom.

It's extremely heavy.

It had to be forklift in here as well GRACE DENT: Oh.

It is so heavy.

But it looks amazing.

JAMES BRAXTON: Let me feel.

SHANEY: It's still going to be a project.

JAMES BRAXTON: The Braxton barometer of quality.

No.

No.

From the knees.

From the knees, James.

JAMES BRAXTON: That is heavy, isn't it?

NARRATOR: I think we could have guessed that, James.

I can safely say, I've never seen anything like it.

JAMES BRAXTON: How much is that?

SHANEY: That is 745.

If you wanted to buy a really nice butcher spot, that sounds eminently reasonable.

NARRATOR: That looks less weighty.

GRACE DENT: I know lots of people in London who would absolutely love this.

JAMES BRAXTON: Is this German?

GRACE DENT: Yes.

JAMES BRAXTON: So we got eels.

What is that?

GRACE DENT: I don't-- well, it's a stor from the [INAUDIBLE],, obviously.

JAMES BRAXTON: We've got a fabulous salmon there.

And then we got various trout, rainbow trout, brown trout.

GRACE DENT: I like it because this is how sad Amol is going to be.

And it has a sort of bemused look about it.

He's saying, how could this have happened?

NARRATOR: I think they may be hooked.

JAMES BRAXTON: How much is this-- this rather interesting fellow here?

Well, I think the best price we could do is 50 pounds.

JAMES BRAXTON: You know, I told you about pausing?

- Yeah.

- Don't pause.

Shake the lady's hand.

It's everything I've learned is-- I know.

It's all gone out.

SHANEY: Thank you.

NARRATOR: Teamwork at its best.

JAMES BRAXTON: Well, well done you.

I think that was a fabulous find.

NARRATOR: Now time for a bit of a rest and recuperation.

Nighty night.

Wake up to a very special day.

Grace, do you know something?

GRACE DENT: What?

It's my birthday today, you know.

[GASPS] GRACE DENT: You're so lucky to spend it with me.

Um, I'm one of those guys.

GRACE DENT: OK.

I do need a birthday present.

Ah.

And I'm actually going to ask you for something quite specific.

GRACE DENT: Anything for you on your birthday.

AMOL RAJAN: Would you-- would you lend me some of your cash?

No way.

NARRATOR: Quite.

It's not as if he even needs the cash.

After having plumped for a leather purse, a silver fruit knife, and an egg cup yesterday.

He loves a bargain.

NARRATOR: Amol's got 360 pounds left in his wallet.

While Grace splashed out on a fish poster, an etching, and a silver vesta case.

You told me not to show how happy I was, but I love this.

NARRATOR: But she still has 275 tucked away for anything that takes her fancy today.

AMOL RAJAN: What exactly does objet d'art mean?

GRACE DENT: Objet d'art is a word that I would use to describe any object that is artful.

Did you not do GCSE French?

Yeah.

But how's your antiques knowledge?

Oh, it's tip top right at the moment.

NARRATOR: They'll be interviewing their sources soon, we hope.

What do you think me driving?

I think you're an excellent driver, Catherine.

Do you?

You could speed up a bit though.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Am I doing about two miles an hour?

NARRATOR: Lordy.

Let's get this show on the road then.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Hey.

AMOL RAJAN: Hey, guys.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Good morning.

Good morning.

Morning.

GRACE DENT: Here we go again.

Lovely to see you again.

How are we feeling?

Well, we are raring to go.

Have a good day.

Have a nice day, guys.

Good luck, guys.

NARRATOR: Later, our journalists will be heading towards the South Coast and an auction in Eastbourne.

But our first stop today is in the village of Steeple Bumpstead.

So, what are the headlines?

GRACE DENT: I'm feeling quietly jubilant.

Is it important that you beat your editor?

GRACE DENT: My birthday gift to Amol is the gift-- Certain defeat.

GRACE DENT: And the ongoing gift of learning some humility.

I can feel a column coming on.

NARRATOR: Now in the interests of balance.

AMOL RAJAN: So we've got absolutely loads of cash to spend.

We've got-- if we won 360 pound, a little part of me with this sort of endulgent personality that I have would think, why don't we just spend all our money on one killer item?

Wow.

AMOL RAJAN: Is that a bit risky?

NARRATOR: It would be fun though.

Steeple Bumpsdead is on the border between Essex, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.

JAMES BRAXTON: Here we are.

The clue's in the name.

GRACE DENT: Amazing.

Antiques.

The three graces.

The three-- oh, well done.

It's a sign.

NARRATOR: Why not?

Ah.

This is my sort of place.

Hello, good sir.

- Good morning.

- James.

- James.

Graham.

Grahama, very nice to meet you.

And you are Grace.

Hi.

Nice to see you.

Nice to see you both.

JAMES BRAXTON: This is lovely.

Thank you for coming.

As you're almost semi-professional now, Grace.

Why don't we split up?

Why don't we go around for five minutes and then we'll come back and I'll show you mine.

OK. OK?

I feel like I've got new responsibilities.

This is a threat.

I'm going this way.

OK, I'm going this way.

NARRATOR: So with one up and one down.

[INAUDIBLE] NARRATOR: What can they unearth?

I do like this.

So this is like a copper.

I'm wondering if it's an urn.

There isn't any ashes inside it at the moment.

19th century copper Guernsey vessel with lid and brass motiff.

I think that's pretty, 28 pounds.

NARRATOR: And only one previous owner.

I love all this military uniform.

But I don't know whether I'm thinking straight about this.

It's very small.

This was obviously a very, very small soldier.

I was born on an army base.

So whenever I see uniforms, I don't know, it just kind of reminds me of watching my dad get ready for work.

How are you doing, Grace?

NARRATOR: Dressing up mostly, James.

JAMES BRAXTON: Look at these.

What are these?

Did you like this?

GRACE DENT: I liked one of them.

And then I didn't like the other ones.

What do you think?

JAMES BRAXTON: This is probably one of the coolest manufacturers, sought after manufacturers.

It's by Fornasetti, who are Italian makers based in Milan.

I've got tea.

What have you got there?

GRACE DENT: Spices.

Is it cocoa?

Oh, it's cocoa.

We got coffee there, I see.

This is sort of 1970s Chip and Dale, you know.

This is hallowed territory.

GRACE DENT: Would they not have lids on them?

And then sugar.

I think definitely they had lids.

What a shame.

NARRATOR: But while they take a look at what James has discovered down below, let's catch up with Catherine and the birthday boy.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Today, it's all about your choices.

You find things you love and that talk to you.

AMOL RAJAN: Shall we go and do this?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Yes.

En route to the county town of Cambridgeshire.

That seat of learning on the River Cam, where Amol was an undergraduate.

AMOL RAJAN: Back in Cambridge.

The nostalgia is overwhelming.

NARRATOR: Just around the corner at Downing College, actually.

STEVEN: Hello.

Hello.

STEVEN: My name is Steven.

Hi, Steven, Catherine.

How do you do, Catherine?

AMOL RAJAN: Steven, Amol.

Very nice to meet you.

- How do you do?

Thank you for having us.

You're very welcome.

Thank you for coming.

I'm very excited to be here.

So it goes m expert.

In between.

NARRATOR: This looks a nice place to explore.

AMOL RAJAN: There's some lovely stuff here.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Really nice, isn't it?

NARRATOR: But what's shouting the loudest?

Aha!

Now this is a serious bit of work.

Stuart Sturridge made some of the most famous bats in England around the '70s and '80s in particular.

Some of the great players used them.

That's not very antique-y, is it?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Be nice if we had a few signatures on it.

WC Grace or something like that.

No, no, no.

WC Grace would never use a Stuart Sturridge bat.

But anyway, I'm thinking about the practicalities for this not having a grip, which means if I wanted to play the perfect-- Careful, careful.

NARRATOR: Catherine at silly point.

The perfect square cut.

Yeah.

AMOL RAJAN: It'd be harder to play because there isn't a perfect new grip on this.

And it's got to be sort of in the V of your thumb, isn't it?

Something like that?

That's exactly right, Catherine.

NARRATOR: Yes.

Top marks.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: What's it worth?

AMOL RAJAN: If it had been used by a famous player, if Ian Botham or Viv Richards had used it, I'd pay a lot for it.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Not for us.

AMOL RAJAN: That's not going to do very well in the auction, is it?

This is a very, very small cricket ball.

So this is almost like a practice ball, which you might use in the nets to learn how to swing or maybe spin the ball.

Yeah.

Crickey.

Oh.

Go on.

See?

I spent my life.

That is really something.

Spinning balls.

NARRATOR: He's even written a book about it.

AMOL RAJAN: Do you know what a googly is?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Oh yeah.

- Say the batsman is over there.

So a normal leg break would come out there and the ball would spin in the direction of the seam.

Go that way.

But if you bowl a googly, it comes out of the back of the hand.

So the back of the hand faces the ground.

And if you look as I do that, the seam's facing the other way.

So it comes out and spins in the opposite direction.

NARRATOR: Also useful against tricky interviewees.

Very interesting.

NARRATOR: And that could be just his type too.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: There you are buying typewriters.

What you want to look for is a pre-QWERTY keyboard.

AMOL RAJAN: When does a QWERTY date from roughly?

Oh, gosh, now you're asking.

NARRATOR: 1870s actually.

Mark Twain was an early adopter.

AMOL RAJAN: I really like this hat box.

It's 28 pounds.

It's-- CATHERINE SOUTHON: All leather.

Yeah.

It's got a little button.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: It's very small ladies hat.

Thing is, would you buy it for a hat?

No, you wouldn't.

You'd just buy it because it looked nice in your dressing table.

It takes up quite a lot of room if you're not going to do anything inside it, doesn't it?

You could put things in it.

You could put a stash of, I don't know.

Money.

Money.

NARRATOR: And your hat.

In the safe, perhaps.

I don't think that's going to set the auction alight, is it?

NARRATOR: So much for their fighting talk.

What about in Steeple Bumpsdead though?

JAMES BRAXTON: So this is a Winston Churchill cigar.

I think you must have only had a couple of pops.

NARRATOR: As given to a Mr. Percy Smith.

GRACE DENT: "This is to certify this was presented to me on the occasion I was acting as his personal attendant."

Oh, I love that.

That's so sweet.

JAMES BRAXTON: Graham, what could this be?

GRAHAM: It has been independently valued by a firm of auctioneers.

JAMES BRAXTON: Yeah.

That's between 400 and 600 pounds.

JAMES BRAXTON: Yeah.

GRAHAM: So there's your starting figure and we can work downwards.

I would need to try and get a couple of hundred pounds for it to break even and then.

Yeah.

It's quite tight for us, isn't it?

Our auction is coming up quite shortly, isn't it?

GRAHAM: So real risk.

But it might pay dividends.

JAMES BRAXTON: Would 150 buy it, Graham?

No.

I'm-- I'm sorry it won't.

I'll do 180, but I can't go any lower than that.

NARRATOR: Grace seems to have dropped the deadpan.

This was meant to be just be a pleasant couple of days.

I know you're feeling very anxious about it.

But sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling, and I think we should buy this at 180.

OK. NARRATOR: Bravo.

JAMES BRAXTON: We're holding something the Man of the Century once sucked on.

NARRATOR: When you put it like that, James.

JAMES BRAXTON: Give Graham the money.

180 please.

NARRATOR: Now with that fairly weighty sum handed over, it's Grace's turn.

Would that resell?

And how much do you think?

JAMES BRAXTON: That looks a good soda siphon, doesn't it?

It's very stylish, isn't it?

It's very heavy.

Wow, they are heavy.

Every home and every bar and every hotel would have had one of these.

But they're great, aren't they?

It's quite a cool art deco look, isn't it?

GRACE DENT: Yeah.

There's lots of bartenders that love and collect that kind of thing.

NARRATOR: From the 1920s.

There seems to be a pair.

The other one's brighter and shiny.

JAMES BRAXTON: This one's got a couple of rogue [INAUDIBLE].. Graham, what price do you have on these.

Oh, we haven't got any price on those at the moment, simply because they're behind the bar and they may well be used in due course.

JAMES BRAXTON: Could they be cheap?

GRAHAM: They can be very cheap.

The pair at 30 pounds, 15 pounds each.

GRACE DENT: I love them and that seems like a good price.

Is that your best price?

No.

I can go up.

I can do-- I can do 20 each or 50 pounds for the pair.

I'm trying to do my poker face.

I think give him 30 pounds immediately.

NARRATOR: Sage advice.

Well done, partner.

Well done.

NARRATOR: Careful with that precious booty, mind.

Tell you what, I'll guide you in.

You hang on to that.

Don't touch the door.

Go on.

Full service.

There we are.

Oh.

Thank you.

JAMES BRAXTON: I can see it's deteriorating already.

NARRATOR: But while Grace and James depart.

Bye, Graham.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Let's go up to Cambridge.

AMOL RAJAN: Well, I'm instinctively drawn to this kettle, I guess.

It just makes me feel good.

I just think it's really nice.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: When I walked in, that was the first thing I saw.

What's it made of?

That is a really nice thing.

So it's copper.

Essentially, just copper and brass.

It's art nouveau, so we're talking early 20th century.

Art nouveau was all about having really good design, good curves, good shapes.

Would people buy this to actually use it?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: I think in a country kitchen it looks fantastic.

This is a nice design and I think it could be-- could be by somebody called Karl [INAUDIBLE].

NARRATOR: Described as Jugendstil, the German form of art nouveau.

How much do you think we should be paying for something like this?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: My feeling is somewhere between 30 and 40.

At a push, 45 for it.

AMOL RAJAN: Well, we might be in a spot of bother because this kettle teapot on stand is 98 pounds.

NARRATOR: They still have 360 pounds left, of course.

Over to Steven.

Steven?

How can I help?

AMOL RAJAN: I really, really like this piece.

So I'm wondering how flexible you might be on the price?

OK.

It's got 98 on it.

I suppose because you really love it and because I love it and because I'm excited when people love things that I've bought, 50?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: OK. NARRATOR: Quite a reduction.

Is there any way we can pinch a little bit more?

OK. Death, 40 pounds.

Now that's got to excite you even more.

AMOL RAJAN: That does excite me.

That does.

Before we say a definite yes, can I just show you one thing just to throw something very random in?

NARRATOR: Just a bit.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: It's not pretty.

It's a safe.

A victorian safe.

1870.

AMOL RAJAN: Oh, it looks very cool actually.

Oh, wow.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: What do you think?

AMOL RAJAN: Is it in decent condition?

Was does that say?

Thomas Perry Condition is not important when you come to a safe, as long as you've got the key.

NARRATOR: Well said.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: OK, when you want to go and buy safe today, they are so expensive, crazily expensive.

But look at this good, solid, cast iron safe.

I think that is smashing.

But it's 175 pounds.

I think if that was 120 quid, it would be a steal.

NARRATOR: Unfortunate choice of words.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: This might be more of a gamble.

AMOL RAJAN: I like gambles.

Let me just check, actually.

NARRATOR: What for?

Leftover cash?

Diamonds?

Should we go and chat Steven about it?

Let's get and chat.

Let's do that.

Steven.

I'm very excited about your kettle.

Possibly soon to be our kettle.

But there's a slightly larger object.

That brown safe, do you think we could maybe have a quick chat about it?

That actually came into stock yesterday.

NARRATOR: Gird your loins.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: I don't know what that would go for.

Can you do it for 90?

STEVEN: No.

God, you're straight in there, aren't you?

It can't be done for 90.

It hasn't been on sale for 24 hours yet.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: What sort of price are you thinking then?

I would have to say the absolute death on it is 100 pounds.

It's a punt, isn't it, Catherine?

It's a punt.

And we are in Cambridge.

NARRATOR: Boom boom.

AMOL RAJAN: I had a feeling about the kettle.

It jumped out at me.

But-- We can have both.

We can have both.

AMOL RAJAN: We can.

We can afford both.

Steven, let's do it.

100 pounds-- 100 pounds for the safe and 40 for the kettle?

Fine.

Thank you very much.

Deal.

NARRATOR: Now they just have to take it away.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: I'm carrying this.

You're carrying the safe.

NARRATOR: Now, what about their Jag driving rivals?

GRACE DENT: I am aware that we look like a pair of [INAUDIBLE] Very definitely.

I could be Nigel Havers.

GRACE DENT: And I look like your slightly inappropriate secretary.

And we look like we're up to no good.

It could only be improved by half a lobster and a glass of champagne, really.

NARRATOR: Our gourmands are on their way to an important gastronomic destination in the Essex market town formerly known as Chipping Walden, which several years ago was renamed in honor of the highly profitable spice once grown here.

- Hi.

- Hello, I'm Grace.

How are you doing?

Pleased to meet you.

And you.

NARRATOR: David Smell has recently revived saffron growing in Essex.

Isn't it lovely?

NARRATOR: And here at Bridge End Gardens, there's a small plot of the seasoning and coloring agent called Crocus sativus.

JAMES BRAXTON: Oh, here we are.

DAVE: Have you got one?

JAMES BRAXTON: I feel like an archeologist.

Look, there we are.

So that's a bulb.

And at the moment, they've all decided to go to sleep, shed all their leaves until late September.

And then they will start shooting through unlike normal bulbs, where you've considered in your spring garden.

And literally within a week or two of getting the shoots, you'll start getting flowers.

NARRATOR: David began growing saffron back in 2004.

Even consulting a Tudor manuscript to find out how to cultivate one of the world's most expensive substances.

GRACE DENT: Am I right in thinking that it's a very small amount in each?

There's my finger nail.

How much?

- Smaller than that.

- No.

Yeah.

Oh.

See, now I'm seeing how why it's expensive.

21 milligrams per flower, if that means anything to you.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Really?

Tiny, tiny amount.

Yeah.

GRACE DENT: And is it quite an easy thing to grow?

Does it need a lot of love?

DAVID: It needs love.

But we're actually perfect for saffron in this area because it's dry and it's warm.

Where we grow it, it's about seven miles away from the driest part of England.

Our microclimate around Essex is very similar to what you'd get in hotter areas where it's growing.

So is the saffron grown here unique or does it just taste like-- I shouldn't say any old saffron-- but any old saffron?

DAVID: So this saffron is sweeter than imported saffrons.

So it doesn't have that quite-- quite so bitter taste.

NARRATOR: During Tudor times, the fields around the town would have been filled with row upon row of purple flowers, with every spare acre, including the churchyard, put to use.

Because back then, British saffron was a sort of miracle ingredient to medicine and perfume, and used by the local wool trade.

DAVID: Originally, it was probably used as much, if not more, as a dye than a food.

So if you look at the [INAUDIBLE] portraits of, say, Henry VIII.

Yeah.

And he's got his yellow tights.

They're all dyed with saffron.

JAMES BRAXTON: Ah.

Anne Boleyn used to dye her hair with saffron.

It's just a status symbol saying, look at me, I've got so much saffron I don't have to eat it.

I can do other things with it.

NARRATOR: It's around 200 years since the local industry went into decline because it was cheaper to import the stuff.

But our food critic needs to taste the genuine article.

So they've headed to a local pub to cook with Chef David Webb.

I'm just mad about saffron.

I'm so excited because I've heard about antiques, and it was very nice.

But now we're getting into where I excell, and that eating.

NARRATOR: On the menu is saffron risotto.

OK.

So I'm just putting all of that in.

Yeah.

DAVID WEBB: Now we'll add the risotto rice.

Looking good.

So at this stage, we add the star ingredient.

OK. Can I smell that first?

Of course.

Oh, wow.

So this is saffron.

It's been infusing since about 12 o'clock.

JAMES BRAXTON: Infusing since the time of Henry VIII?

Indeed.

Yeah.

GRACE DENT: And we've got to put all of that in?

DAVID WEBB: All of that.

There's about 15 stamens in there.

They're all going in.

It's all going in, the whole lot.

I'm anxious thinking about the chefs who I've been awful to.

Pulling up a chair the length and breadth of the country and laughing.

DAVID WEBB: And I think the rest of that chicken stock can go in there.

- Can I pour?

James, off you go.

DAVID WEBB: Get the butter in.

GRACE DENT: All of that butter.

DAVID WEBB: Most of it.

Maybe all of it.

You're a chef.

It's all going in, isn't it?

It's all going in.

[INAUDIBLE] Try shaking it?

Yeah.

Shake it in.

Wow.

Well done, Grace.

It's just a thing I do.

Oh my God.

Is it nice?

That is absolutely awesome.

NARRATOR: But while they tuck in, Amol and Catherine have found their way back to Essex.

It's been a lot of fun, don't you think?

It's been great.

I think Essex is a great county.

Lots of lovely little thatched cottages around here.

Stunning.

NARRATOR: The TVR too are also bound for Saffron Walden.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Last shop.

AMOL RAJAN: Last shop.

Let's make it a winner.

NARRATOR: Still as motivated as ever with 220 pounds left.

Here we go.

AMOL RAJAN: Hello.

Hello.

Market Row here.

It's very nice to see you.

Thank you so much for having us.

Hello.

Wow.

NARRATOR: Peter's little shop is crammed full of clocks.

But what's the plan?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: We've bought five items.

And what we would like to do is probably buy something to complement our other items.

So ideally, we quite like to buy a bit of silver.

PETER: [INAUDIBLE] silver pocket watch.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Oh, OK. PETER: 1960.

Does that necessarily go with our-- Egg cup.

Egg cup.

NARRATOR: Like an umbrella does on an ironing board.

I like this.

Yeah what is this?

I mean, to say this thing jumped out at us would be an understatement.

What is-- PETER: Tin plate.

Probably late '60s early '70s.

East European.

So how does this work.

How does this work.

You wind that in there.

It runs along the ground.

It hits the wall.

Like so.

It goes like that.

And it opens up.

Great fun, isn't it?

I think that's quite jolly.

Is that the sort of thing at an auction someone would pick up for a bit of money?

Tin plate stuff always sells, don't they?

It's not old old.

- Yeah.

No.

I mean, tin plate-- I mean, we go right back with tin plate.

My concern with this is that the letters, the names, and things are quite faded.

So it's not very striking in the colors.

But I'm sure that would be factored into the price.

I mean, what sort of price are you looking for on this?

45.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: I just think it looks quite fun.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: What I love is the little astronaut there.

Yeah.

It's real real '70s retro-y type thing, isn't it?

What is your best deal that you could do on that?

PETER: Could be 25.

That's a bit of a leap.

That's a nice leap, a giant leap for mankind.

NARRATOR: Backwards.

It is a retro rocket.

I've got a feeling about that rocket.

You've said that about everything.

AMOL RAJAN: It's the sort of thing that you want your son to own.

It's fun, it's cool, it's got an astronaut inside.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Look at the base of it.

Look at the fire coming out.

AMOL RAJAN: I think 25 pounds is not bad, is it?

That is pretty good.

AMOL RAJAN: Right.

Let's do it.

NARRATOR: Blast off.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: That is wonderful.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much indeed.

Are you happy with your toy?

I'm very happy with my toy.

It's really cool.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: You're going to be playing with it now.

Don't break it.

That's really cool.

NARRATOR: You do have to sell it though.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Bye bye.

I think it's magic.

Let's go Well done, partner.

Well done.

NARRATOR: Now mission accomplished, let's reveal all.

JAMES BRAXTON: My word.

GRACE DENT: Oh.

JAMES BRAXTON: Wow.

Tada.

Tada.

OK. AMOL RAJAN: OK. Don't OK-- Don't OK it.

Talk us through two day's work here.

Talk us through.

AMOL RAJAN: This here is a kettle.

It's a kettle that will be used not for practical purposes, but probably for display purposes.

It's a combination of copper and brass.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: It's German.

It's art nouveau.

It's Jugendstil and-- It's useless.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Oh.

Moving on.

Let me just explain to you.

This extraordinarily beautiful fruit knife.

JAMES BRAXTON: That's a lovely fruit knife.

It is beautiful.

Oh, thanks.

That is one of the nicest fruit knives that you'll see in England.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: We bought this little thing for 12 pounds and then we bought this fabulous rocket, which we love.

Show it off.

That is cool.

AMOL RAJAN: I want to show you something about this.

It's a safe.

I think it's a pretty exciting safe.

JAMES BRAXTON: Well, why don't you lift it up, Amol?

Come on.

I won't do that.

I won't do that.

But the key thing here, if you look inside-- I've never met anyone like him.

He's such a salesman.

JAMES BRAXTON: That is lovely.

What a lovely safe.

Right.

Come on then, clever clogs.

Come and show us yours.

NARRATOR: Definitely not as heavy.

GRACE DENT: So here are our beautiful purchases.

Shall we go through them?

We have an etching.

JAMES BRAXTON: We have an etching by a very famous chap, Ernest Herbert Whydale.

There we are.

Then we got the big educational poster.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: German?

It's all in German.

JAMES BRAXTON: It's German.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: That will be useful for Eastbourne.

JAMES BRAXTON: Yeah, it will be.

Yeah.

Didn't you hear there's this huge German community in Eastbourne.

And they love to fish.

They really love to fish.

GRACE DENT: There's so much beautiful detail.

And it's so, you know, it's not obvious.

No, it's not obvious at all.

You can say that again.

I'm very interested in the cigar with this letter from PJ Smith.

Is it Churchill?

Churchill.

It's a cigar from Churchill.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: That's interesting.

They can fetch big money.

I think that was worth 70 bob?

No.

More.

100?

More.

150?

More.

Oh my goodness.

You nutters.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Love your bit of arts and crafts.

JAMES BRAXTON: Winifred King.

That's very pretty.

What is it?

It's just a matchbox cover.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Interesting things-- I think we've all done very well.

But we'll see you at the auction.

It'll be fun.

See you at the auction, guys.

NARRATOR: Well, that was both full and frank.

GRACE DENT: On reflection, I possibly could have been nicer.

What-- what's about?

Their items?

GRACE DENT: Yeah.

JAMES BRAXTON: Oh, don't be silly.

I was pretending not to be interested in German fish, but I think that's quite cool.

That and the cigar.

- The cigar.

Yeah.

I think that could go through a lot of cash.

GRACE DENT: We were either going to have a wonderful victory.

Yeah.

Or we may have to run sheepishly to the car and never speak to them ever again.

NARRATOR: After getting started in Great Baddow, our celebrities and experts have gone South for an auction in the Sussex town of Eastbourne.

I've never been to an auction before?

Have you ever been to an auction?

GRACE DENT: Yeah.

Bought four cattle.

Do you think it's different?

NARRATOR: Welcome to the Victorian resort which holds the English record for the number of hours of sunshine in a month in July 1911, in case you're wondering.

And this is sunny Eastbourne sale room, with internet bidding and [INAUDIBLE] too.

And here they are.

GRACE DENT: Hello.

We are actually late.

Come on.

Hey, guys.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: We're late.

Are you all right?

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Are you ready for this.

AMOL RAJAN: I'm ready.

Let's do it.

CATHERINE SOUTHON: Yay.

Come on, Amol.

It's you and me agains the world.

Come on.

Let's do it.

Let's go.

NARRATOR: Amol and Catherine parted with 205 pounds for five auction lots.

One of them handily big enough to fit the others inside.

Good, solid, cast iron safe.

NARRATOR: While Grace and James spent a bit more, 335 pounds for their five auction lot.

We're holding something that the Man of the Century once sucked on.

NARRATOR: And their Cuban contribution is auctioneer Paul [INAUDIBLE] favorite lot.

The item I'm most interested in would be the Churchill cigar.

Can you imagine if he's actually smoked that cigar?

I like the knife.

It's well engraved.

It's nice with the pear engraving on it and the mother of pearl.

I'm curious as to why they bought the soda siphons.

We see an awful lot of them.

Very common item.

NARRATOR: Well, he likes the cigar at least.

How you feeling?

Looking forward to this?

I think the day is ours, Grace.

[INAUDIBLE] I'm still very, very confident about this, almost smug.

NARRATOR: First up, Amol's inexpensive little purse.

GRACE DENT: I didn't see the attraction, I'm not going to lie, guys.

I would file your purse under tat.

At 22 pounds I'm bid.

At 22.

[INAUDIBLE] 25 on the internet.

28 internet bid.

At 28.

At 28.

Where's 30?

30's bid.

And 2.

35.

At 35, internet.

38.

Tat, that is, Grace.

PAUL: 40?

At 38.

40's bid.

At 40 pounds.

Internet has it at 40 pounds.

At 42 pounds, Anyone else in the room then at 42?

45 bid.

- Come on.

Come on.

PAUL: At 45, still on the net.

At 45.

48 is it now.

At 48.

Internet has it at 48.

50 is it now.

All done and selling, 50 [INAUDIBLE].. At 50 pounds, all done.

Once, twice, are we all done then at 50 pounds?

Yes.

Something's gone horribly wrong.

Do you think they realized how small it is?

NARRATOR: It gave you a big profit.

I'm so sick and dry now.

He really-- she feels it, doesn't she?

You can feel that.

She's not happy.

God I love winning.

NARRATOR: I'm not sure that Grace's siphons will dampen his mood either.

It was our cheapest lot, wasn't it?

And how much did you pay?

30. Who's got 20 pounds to start them?

Who will open the bidding at 20?

Surely 20?

Well, bid me 10 then.

10, there it is, lady seated.

I've taken a 12 on the net.

15, 18, 20's on the net.

20's all right.

PAUL: 22, madam.

22 I've got on the net.

25, 28 is bid.

30 now.

At 30 pounds only.

Any advance then at 30?

32 bid.

Lady [INAUDIBLE].

32.

Take 5.

35 on the net.

38, madam.

35 pounds only.

You're nodding the wrong way.

You do realize that, don't you?

At 35.

Come back in 8?

38, come on, madam.

PAUL: Go 8?

Yes, 38 with you.

Now at 38.

Take 40 now.

At 38 pounds the bid.

Are we all done then?

I'm going to sell to the lady seated then at 38.

General stuff.

NARRATOR: Well, they certainly exceeded expectations.

We spent two days being quite nice to each other.

Now it's come to the [INAUDIBLE].. NARRATOR: Amol's safe.

Almost half his total spending.

We're going to get 250 for it.

No.

No, it won't.

Hey.

Let me-- let me-- That's a man on fire.

I have to bring you back down to Earth.

And who'll open the bidding at 50 pounds?

50?

50 is on the internet then.

At 50 pounds.

I'll take 5.

Two keys.

At 50 pounds only.

Anyone else?

Then at 50.

Opening bidder has it.

70 we're up to on the net then.

That's 70 pounds.

At 70 pounds.

80 were up to.

At 80 pound.

Bid me five.

At 80 pounds.

Come on internet bidder.

90.

PAUL: At 90 pounds.

All done then at 90?

Oh, come off it, mate.

NARRATOR: That small loss might calm things down a bit.

It's her fault.

She told me to buy the safe.

I didn't like the safe.

The safe didnt appeal to me.

You just loved it a minute ago.

NARRATOR: Time for Grace's vesta case with suffragette interest.

I've got really high hopes for this because it's beautiful and it has a story.

I think that we're going to come good here.

[INAUDIBLE] at 30 pounds for that one.

I see an opening bid of 30.

30's bid on the net.

32 net.

35 is it now.

35, 38 bid.

At 38 bid.

40's bid.

42, 45, 48, 50.

You're in profit.

PAUL: 50's bid.

5?

Five bid.

60's bid.

At 60.

5 bid.

70 is it?

That's good.

PAUL: At 65 pounds.

Still on the internet then at 65.

At 65 pounds only.

Raising the gavel then and selling to you at 65 pounds.

Well done.

Well done.

NARRATOR: That's evened things up a bit.

I loved it.

I think it would go for at least 100.

NARRATOR: Now I wonder who's after a fruit knife and an egg cup?

AMOL RAJAN: You worried about this egg cup?

Why are you being so negative?

Because who wants and egg cup?

You were quite happy to have them at the time [INAUDIBLE].. Who's in at 40 pounds to start it?

40 on the net straightaway.

50 I'm up to on the net.

50 pounds net bidder at 50.

I'll take five.

At 50 pounds only.

Ist there 5 again?

At 50.

60 we're up to.

Take 5 again.

300.

300?

65 still on the net.

In the room then?

It's 65 pounds.

It's the egg cup that'd doing it.

PAUL: [INAUDIBLE] at 65.

All done and I sell.

Yes.

NARRATOR: This is turning out rather well.

Very smart to buy that egg cup I thought.

I thought the egg cup showed real judgment in a penetrating intelligence.

Of course, it was I that suggested the egg cup.

NARRATOR: And it was Grace who found these German fish.

This is when I knew I'd found my vocation as an antique [INAUDIBLE].

Good luck.

Who's in at 40 for that one?

Oh, it's lovely.

Well, bid me 30 then.

Who's in at 30 pounds for it?

Surely 30.

- It's all right.

PAUL: Anybody?

30 I'm bid on the net.

There at 30 pounds.

30 pounds.

We'll give him a hand.

PAUL: At 30 pounds only.

32 bid.

35?

- Come on.

- Oh, come on.

PAUL: 35.

Bids on the net at 35.

Is there eight again?

At 35 pounds only, net bidder [INAUDIBLE] 35.

You know, a minute ago, when you said that you take full responsibility for it?

Do you still feel you take full responsibility for it?

I feel like I was slightly led by James, I'm not going to lie.

NARRATOR: He can take it, Grace.

I am an iconoclast.

I will never be understood within my time.

And history will show that I was right.

NARRATOR: Time for Amol's copper kettle, also German.

I hope it is Karl Heffner, otherwise, we're in the suit.

[INAUDIBLE] I hope it is Karl Heffner, otherwise, we're in the suit.

And who's in at 40 pounds for this lot?

40 pounds?

40 I'm bid.

At 40.

Take two now.

45.

At 45 bid.

48, 50.

And 5.

I think that's-- you've done well with that.

PAUL: Five bid, 60.

And five.

At 65.

70 is it on the net?

70's bid.

And five.

75, 80.

80's bid.

And five.

AMOL RAJAN: Yes.

PAUL: 85, 90.

And five.

100.

110 on the net.

120.

At 110, going to raise the gavel and sell and say fair warning to you now on the internet.

We're all done.

High five.

NARRATOR: The best profit of the day so far.

They're going to be livid when there's no flex.

Absolutely livid.

NARRATOR: Can Grace's horse etching do better than her fish?

Grace, you must stay true.

I'm trying.

We're in at 38.

Well done.

Good man.

Profit.

I'll take two.

At 40 pounds only.

JAMES BRAXTON: We could be on the brink of greatness here.

PAUL: At 42, 45.

At 45 pounds.

48 is it now?

At 45.

Where are the telephone bidders?

PAUL: 50 is it again?

At 48 pounds only then.

Internet bidder has it then.

We're all done then at 48 pounds.

It's good.

[INAUDIBLE] It's just you're just thinking about our kettle and how it really took off.

NARRATOR: Yes.

It's still a fine profit.

I've gone very quiet, haven't I?

You have.

NARRATOR: Amol's last lot is his toy rocket.

Who's got 10 pounds only to start that?

10?

Aww.

PAUL: 10 is on the net.

At 10-- [BARKING] - Oh.

It's a dog.

The dog loves it.

Dog likes it.

GRACE DENT: Oh my goodness.

PAUL: There we are.

[INAUDIBLE] the internet at 20 pounds.

22 right at the back there.

At 22, the bid's in the room at 22.

It's Rocketman.

PAUL: 28, sir?

28 your bid.

Fantastic.

We're making a profit on this too.

PAUL: 30 I'm bid, 32.

No?

At 30 pounds, the bid's still on the internet.

At 30 pounds only.

32 next door.

Well done that man.

PAUL: 35, 38, 38 is bid.

40's bid.

40, it's getting very exciting now.

These rockets are wonderful.

PAUL: 42 pounds.

We're selling it in the room then.

You're out on the internet then at 42.

We're all done.

There we go.

That's rocket power.

Rocket power.

Rocket power.

NARRATOR: Amol's over the moon before Grace's star lot.

This is the big dog coming up now.

I really commend you for taking a punt on this.

NARRATOR: But will it be her finest hour?

I'm worried about this from the moment we said yes.

We start this on commission here at 50 pounds.

At 50 only.

Five on the net.

60 in the room.

And five.

65, 70, sir.

70.

And five.

75, 80.

80's bid.

And five.

85, 90 [INAUDIBLE].

90 New Place.

At 90 pounds.

And five.

95, 100, 110.

110.

Bidding in the room.

PAUL: 120, 130, 140, 150.

This is getting better for you.

This is getting better for you.

PAUL: 150, 160, 170.

170's bid.

180.

180 holds it.

190.

Note, you're out on the phone.

Bid's in the room there at 180.

All done and selling then at 180.

Thank you.

Oh.

NARRATOR: Well worth the gamble though.

[INAUDIBLE].

This isn't the presidential election.

Come on.

Let's get out.

If anything, it's more important.

NARRATOR: Well, I just hope Grace will accept our arithmetic because we do have a winner.

Grace and James started out with 400 pounds.

And after auction costs, they made a loss of 34 pounds and 88p.

So they ended up with 365 pounds and 12 pence.

While Amol and Catherine who began with the same sum, made a profit after costs of 87 pounds and 74p.

So with a final total of 487 pounds and 74 pence, they are our victors.

All profit to children in need.

Oh, Grace, you look like you've really been through it.

I'm not going to lie, guys, it didn't go as well as I thought it might.

Funny enough, you're not lying, are you?

Listen, you did what you wanted to do.

Yeah.

I won.

And we had fun along the way, didn't we?

Thank you so much.

Come on.

Yeah, go on.

Be happy.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] NARRATOR: Before you go, can we expect a think piece, about thousand words?

GRACE DENT: The last few days has been life changing.

I want to go and buy things and take them home.

Whereas before, I just wanted new.

AMOL RAJAN: It's a passport into this whole world which I didn't know existed.

But actually, this country is full of people that essentially drive classic cars and buy really cool antiques.

NARRATOR: Cheerio.

[MUSIC PLAYING]