VO: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts...
Perfect.
Sold!
VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car.
Lovely day for it.
VO: And a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.
Every home should have one of these.
VO: The aim?
To make the biggest profit at auction.
But it's no mean feat.
Yes!
VO: There'll be worthy winners... 950.
I'm going to make £1,000!
VO: ..and valiant losers.
Nooooooo!
VO: Will it be the high road to glory?
Make me a big profit.
VO: Or the slow road to disaster?
Are we stuck?
IRITA & RAJ: Yay!
VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.
Yeah.
VO: Ah, the romance of Cornwall.
Famed for fisherfolk, smugglers and pirates.
Ahoy, mateys!
Here we go!
I don't even sound pirate.
Did that sound pirate?
Yeah.
I think all you got to do is shout loud in a funny accent, and it sounds pirate.
VO: Our two treasure hunters, Captain Irita Marriott and her first mate, Raj Bisram, are nearing journey's end in their trusty vessel, the MG Midget.
IRITA: What a trip!
RAJ: What a trip!
I'll remember this trip because of a lot of reasons, and there will be things that will remind me of it.
Because I'll be phoning up every week, going, "Do you remember me?"
No!
Hang up.
VO: You don't get rid of him that easily.
Their previous jaunt was certainly memorable for Irita.
She made a couple of very canny buys... Oh, my.
VO: ..which helps to keep her afloat at the auction.
RAJ: £38 profit.
IRITA: I know!
Woohoo!
VO: But Raj would rather forget the whole thing.
He was so pleased with his purchases.
There's an impressive inkwell, if ever I saw one.
VO: But in the sale room, they ran aground.
IRITA: Oh, Raj!
VO: Now there's not much clear water between them.
Well, two auctions each we've had, £40 apart.
That's pretty close, Irita.
Are you feeling under pressure?
Not at all.
VO: Don't you believe a word of it.
Irita started this trip with £200, and after a few ups and downs, she now has £352.60.
Raj began with the same amount and grew a commanding lead.
But the last battle saw his budget drop to £394.10.
With only £41 in it, we have a real fight on our hands.
Now, time to find out what delights Cornwall has to offer.
There was going to be a music festival this weekend.
Right.
But it's been cancelled.
Why?
Oh, the organizers couldn't decide whether to put the Jam on first or Cream.
Oh, Raj!
VO: One for the scone fans there.
This epic journey has taken them across the widest part of the country, from Halesworth in the far, far east, to the tip of Cornwall, way out west.
But for the last bout of shopping, we're not going far at all.
We'll end up in Penzance eventually, but we start a mere eight miles away in St Just.
The most westerly town in mainland Britain, its name is a bit of a mystery.
No-one's really sure who St Just was.
We all know this fella, though.
Our Raj is first up to bat today in Cape Cornwall Arts and Antiques.
Hi, Craig.
Hello, and welcome to my shop.
RAJ: It's... CRAIG: ..tiny?
RAJ: Yeah.
But... CRAIG: ..compact?
RAJ: Size doesn't matter, they say.
Well, supposedly.
VO: Cheeky!
Whilst it's true there's not much elbow room in here, this little shop has enough stock to give bigger establishments a run for their money.
Now where to begin?
How about some ethnographia?
RAJ: Some really interesting things here.
I mean, tribal items from all different countries, from what I can see.
But over here, we've got this 19th-century walking cane and there we go, you know, still in pretty good condition.
But what's so unusual about this is it's decorated with pokerwork.
You heated a hot poker and you did designs.
And traditionally, I mean, they were done on boxes.
They were done on furniture as well.
But you don't really see many canes with this work.
There's not one section that's been done.
It's the whole cane that's been done.
VO: Fancy.
No ticket on that, though.
It's going to be down to price, but I rather like that.
It's a little bit different.
VO: He's settling in nicely there.
Meanwhile, his mate in the motor is en route to her first retail opportunity, heading to the town of Newlyn.
IRITA: Oh, getting good at this parking malarky.
VO: It's only taken her the whole week.
IRITA: Can I get...?
Oh, get myself out of here.
VO: Not quite mastered that, though!
She's here to have a look around the Strand.
Let's do it, shall we?
Jam-packed full of all sorts, this place is a rummager's paradise.
Lots of curios, kitchenalia, interesting oddities and vintage clothing.
They are my dancing shoes.
Saturday nights only, groovy.
VO: Just don't sniff them.
And it's all looked after by Niki and her able assistant, Della.
Now, let's see what catches Irita's eye.
If you go to Venice for a holiday, you have to go to Murano.
And this little beauty comes from that island.
Basically glass beads that have been all hand-decorated, made into a necklace.
This would have been made in 1950s, and it's only £25.
The pattern, when it comes to these necklaces, to look for, is the wedding pattern, and that is the one that has roses on and that, instead of £25, it could be £100.
VO: As it isn't, let's just say ciao to that one and keep looking.
Back at Craig's tiny shop, Raj has moved on to the railwayana department and he has barely had to move.
RAJ: Now, they make so many replicas of railway signs because there's a lot of collectors.
I always stay a little bit clear of them because you never know whether they're old or whether they're new.
But this piece I know is genuine.
100%, because if we turn it over, look at that.
You know, if you were replicating something, I don't think you'd go to the effort of breaking it and then putting it together again, which is what's happened here.
So this is an absolutely genuine piece.
And from the front, you can't see the breaks.
VO: Nice bit of sleuthing there, Sherlock.
And another item without a price.
Again, I like that.
That could be a possibility.
VO: And don't think he's done with the place yet.
Oh, no.
Meanwhile, back in Newlyn, the browsing continues.
Nothing so far.
IRITA: Come on, let's find something.
Let's find a bargain.
I might need a god to help me in all this.
Why not pick an Indian god?
Shiva.
VO: One of the main deities in Hinduism, this is him depicted as the Lord of the Dance.
This particular one has got a bit of age, probably 90 years, 100 or there or thereabouts.
In the definition, it's not really the winner.
If this was in bronze and if the definition was crisp, they can be worth thousands of pounds.
VO: As that's priced at £25, I'm guessing that's not one of them.
I rather like it.
I feel it has some appeal.
It's a good size.
I can't say I've ever bought one of these before, but, you know, there's a first time for everything.
VO: Always good to try something new.
Now, having exhausted everything inside, Raj is popping out to have a gander at the militaria section.
What have you found?
RAJ: A nice little collection of lamps.
This one is a military lamp from the Second World War.
It was actually used for morse code.
You can see he's got a little button here.
I think you would look through that, look at your target, which would probably be another ship that's out there.
And then you use the morse code to send your message.
VO: Clever stuff.
And there's more.
Here we've got an air raid lamp and these were used in air raid shelters.
Top here so that, you know, aircraft from above couldn't see it.
That's quite nice.
I like that one.
And here, this lamp.
To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what this is for, but it's certainly got age.
VO: Well, two out of three ain't bad.
And all those are unpriced as well.
We'd better have a word.
RAJ: Hi, Craig.
CRAIG: Hiya.
I've seen some things that I'm interested in, but you don't seem to have a lot of prices on your things in the shop, I have to say.
No, but we can... we can discuss prices, of course.
RAJ: OK, well, let's start, then.
CRAIG: Yeah.
RAJ: You've got a pokerwork walking stick.
What would be the very best on that?
CRAIG: Oh, I can do 30.
RAJ: Really?
CRAIG: Yeah, I can do 30.
RAJ: Also, you've got three lamps.
Yeah, the Second World War.
Yeah.
What would you do all those three for?
£40?
OK, OK. And the other item I'm interested in is the Great Eastern Railway caution sign.
I'd say about £50.
VO: That comes to £120 for everything he fancies.
RAJ: If I were to buy all three items, what would be your best?
I could knock you a tenner off.
That's fair enough.
Yeah, every little bit helps.
VO: What a gent, Craig.
So, £30 for the stick, 40 for the lamps, and that sign comes down to 40 as well.
Thanks very much indeed.
CRAIG: Yeah, you're welcome.
RAJ: Cheers.
VO: And off he goes with an armful of goodies and £284 still in reserve.
Now, back in Newlyn, it looks like Irita's unearthed something.
So a plain piece of wood that somebody has painted this rather cute but naive picture of a farm.
Going by the wood and the way it's done, to me, it looks continental and date-wise, 1820s, 1850s, there or thereabouts.
I cannot see a signature.
Saying that, I can't see much in the picture.
VO: I can see a price tag, that's £100.
IRITA: Is that a donkey there?
Can you see that?
VO: I'm not getting a donkey.
Should we take it in daylight and have a look?
Come on.
VO: Couldn't hurt.
IRITA: Now look at that.
Look at the difference the daylight makes to it.
You can actually see there's a donkey in there.
VO: No, I'll have to take your word for it.
So what's the appeal?
IRITA: I grew up on a farm and we had pigs and I loved them.
Oh, my goodness, did I love them?
I even took them sometimes and hid them in my room, in my bed.
Don't judge me!
VO: Well, each to their own.
Shall we see if we can buy it?
IRITA: Niki?
NIKKI: Hi.
IRITA: Hello!
I've just been outside with your picture.
IRITA: I hope you don't mind.
NIKKI: That's fine, yeah.
It's priced at £100.
Quite appeals to me.
There's also the brass dainty.
VO: Or deity, if you prefer.
£25 on that.
125 for the two.
Both of them I will do for 70.
I shall do them for 70.
Let me pop that in my armpit.
VO: Nice and warm.
So that's 50 smackers for the painting and 20 for the Shiva statue.
IRITA: That's for you.
I shall grab that and be on my way out.
NIKKI: Lovely.
IRITA: Thank you very much.
VO: £282 left in her kitty.
Haven't we been busy?
Meanwhile, Raj has headed across the peninsula to the town of Penzance, and keen for some refreshment after all that shopping, he's heading to the Admiral Benbow.
Opened in 1695, it's alleged to be the inspiration for the tavern in Treasure Island.
No pirates or smugglers for Raj to be wary of nowadays.
But there are still a few strange folk around these parts.
VO: These are the Penzance Guizers, a ragtag troupe with a passion for keeping Cornish traditions alive, particularly the ancient practice known as guise dancing.
What a lovely surprise.
VO: And to find out about this strange custom, who better to ask than Cornish dance instructor Helen Musser?
Helen, where I come from, "geezers" mean something completely different.
HELEN: Well, it all derives from the same word.
HELEN: Gys.
RAJ: Gys.
HELEN: Gys, G-Y-S. We call the Cornish language Kernewek.
So the Kernewek word for a jester, a droll teller, to mock, to make fun.
So actually, a silly old "geezer" is probably originally a jester or a clown.
And so, taking that word, people then used that to go out and make merry generally and sometimes mischief and sometimes mayhem.
VO: Dating back to the Middle Ages, guising traditionally took place over Christmas.
Performers traveled from house to house to play music, dance or put on a play, getting some food or perhaps a small libation in return.
And with drink flowing and tomfoolery on the menu, "geezers", or "gysers", as it's sometimes pronounced, would wear masks to hide their identity.
In other words, a "dis-guise"!
If you were shy, I'm guessing if you had a mask on, you know, it helped, didn't it?
Definitely, still does.
Yeah, definitely.
The masks tend to be Venetian, sometimes grotesque, sometimes ludicrous.
And they would have some cross-dressing going on.
They would have mock posh, so the richer people might wear tatters all over their coats, and then the poor people would find a nice frock coat or tails and what have you, and top hats and wear them.
So, yes, there were many forms of "geezing" or "gysing".
Suspending the normal rules of society, allowing rich and poor to mingle and make mischief, was not unique to this area.
It happened all over Europe, in the Middle Ages, the Venice Carnevale being a prime example, but guising played a big part in defining the Cornish culture well into the 20th century.
I tell you what, I do happen to have a few bits of item here that may fit you.
RAJ: I think I may know what's coming here.
VO: So once our Raj is suitably attired... Don't you look while I'm getting dressed.
VO: ..it's time to hit the streets of Penzance with some other guisers.
HELEN: Here he is.
RAJ: Hi, Helen.
RAJ: Hey!
What do you think, then?
HELEN: I think that's superb.
VO: Having been a fixture of Cornwall for centuries, in the years after World War II, these ancient customs began to fade away.
But since the 1970s, there's been a real revival in Cornish culture.
And thanks to groups such as the Penzance Guizers, the music, merriment and dance goes on.
HELEN: One, two, three, four, five... VO: They're even recruiting new members.
HELEN: ..One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, three.
One, two, three.
One, two, two.
No, stamp.
One, two, one, two.
One, two.
Give us a mad bow.
RAJ: Well done, guys, brilliant!
VO: As were you, Raj.
A proper "geezer".
Now, out in the countryside, Irita's enjoying a different part of the Cornish experience.
Can you hear the birds?
So nice, isn't it?
Or maybe it's the silence that I really enjoy with Raj not being in the car!
VO: She's also heading to Penzance, taking the scenic route with £282 in her pocket.
Her next stop is Choughed-to-bits, after the celebrated bird on the county's coat of arms.
A bit of a Cornish pun there.
And it's not just the name that has a local flavor.
This is the most Cornish antique shop I have ever been in.
And what tells me that?
All the art pottery, art glass, because that is what Cornwall was known for.
For example, that, Norman Stuart Clarke.
Am I right?
I'm right.
VO: One of Britain's leading glassblowers in the late 20th century, he produced this iridescent glass not far from St Ives.
Look at the colors.
And I bet that was inspired by the skyline that he looked at every single day while living here.
I love this stuff.
Look at the color of it.
But to buy a collector's item that is signed and very easily found online of what it's worth in a shop and then sell in auction, I don't think that will be a goer.
So I need to keep looking.
I need to find something, I think, that isn't Cornish.
VO: Well, you might have come to the wrong place for that.
Or perhaps not.
IRITA: A little bookmark made out of steel.
What do you think?
VO: Well, it's not Cornish.
Bit of Glasgow School, maybe.
IRITA: I quite like the design.
Quite stylish, very art nouveau.
But then at the same time, you got the art deco influence.
Very simple, yet very sophisticated.
VO: A bit like you.
And that's not the only thing it's got going for it.
IRITA: Everything on these shelves, £5 or less.
Oh!
Well, I like the sound of that.
Now I'm the cheap, cheap, cheap cheapskate.
VO: Let's speak to the shop owner, shall we?
IRITA: Alan?
ALAN: Yes.
IRITA: Now, I've just found this on there.
I can't possibly haggle on a fiver, can I?
That would be so rude.
VO: Just a bit.
£5 paid.
Thank you.
I hope it does well in auction.
Oh, I hope so too.
See you later.
VO: And with her budget barely troubled by that purchase, still £277 left, let's head off for some early-evening sightseeing with your chum.
IRITA: Hey, we made it!
RAJ: Here we are!
IRITA: East to west all the way.
I have a surprise for you.
RAJ: You do?
IRITA: Do you want to join me?
RAJ: Yeah.
IRITA: Come on.
Yes.
We've still got some time for a little after-school activity.
RAJ: OK, here we go.
IRITA: You ready?
IRITA: Oh, yeah!
Woohoo!
Hey, the wind is perfect there.
RAJ: Oh, man, Irita.
You're in the way.
Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.
Why won't it stay up there?
I don't understand these things.
Why won't it just stay up there?
It's up!
It's up, it's up!
VO: Hours of innocent fun, eh?
Nighty night.
Next morning, Cornwall delivers yet again.
I like that.
IRITA: This is beautiful.
RAJ: Look at this.
This is absolutely stunning, isn't it?
This is amazing.
Do we have to leave?
VO: Not just yet.
You've got one last day of shopping to look forward to.
And each other's company, of course.
IRITA: As annoying as it sometimes is with you and all your jokes, you know what?
I'm going to really miss that.
Anything you will miss about me?
No.
RAJ: What can I say?
Of course I'll miss you.
You know how when you have a scratch and you just can't get rid of it?
Is that me?
You started it, OK?
Alright.
VO: Play nicely, children.
Yesterday, Raj found a one-stop shop and milked it for all it was worth, picking up a cast-iron railway sign, some World War II lights and a pokerwork cane.
It's the whole cane that's been done.
VO: And all that buying leaves him with just over £284 for today.
He wasn't the only one on a shopping spree.
Irita bagged a brass statue of Shiva, a folk art depiction of farming life, and an Art Nouveau-style letter opener.
IRITA: £5 or less.
Oh, I like the sound of that.
VO: So she now has £277 still in the tank.
RAJ: I only did one shop yesterday, but I bought three things.
Were they cheap cheap?
RAJ: No.
IRITA: No?
You get to this stage of the trip and you're only spending, let's say, a fiver on an item, that is very, very bad.
Very, very bad indeed.
I will not tell you that I spent a fiver on an item, then!
VO: She learnt from the master.
Later, those prized purchases will head off to their final auction at Newport in Shropshire.
But because they liked it so much yesterday, they're spending the entire last day of the trip exploring Penzance.
RAJ: Look at that.
The Egyptian House.
The famous Egyptian House.
Isn't that amazing?
That is so out of place, but so fantastic.
VO: Yeah, rather splendid, isn't it?
However, where you're going is on the other side of the road.
RAJ: I'm ready for this.
IRITA: Come on, then.
Let's go spend our pennies.
VO: There's an impressive haul of booty in the Past And Present Emporium.
18 traders have amassed treasures from distant lands and items from closer at home.
I think you got away with that one, Irita.
There's also a distinctly piratical air to the place, including the man at the helm today, Martin, who's definitely getting into the spirit of things.
So, with pocketfuls of doubloons at the ready, let's go plundering.
IRITA: A wall-mounted little box for your post that would have hung near the door so the butler could sort them into post or delivery.
I would love that on a wall at home.
VO: These letterboxes were all the rage in your Edwardian manor house.
But this example isn't without its faults.
IRITA: You turn it around and you figure out that the whole thing's been off and it's all been reglued.
Saying that, this has survived so much handling every single day in and out.
This might be quite a nice thing to just pop your keys in end of the day.
See, always a second use.
VO: And you could still put letters in it.
£95 is the price on that.
Now, what's Raj got his eye on?
RAJ: Oh, look at these.
Irita, I found one.
Hey, let's see if I can get it on your head.
Ready?
RAJ: Oh, that was close!
IRITA: That was close.
RAJ: No, I've got one as well.
Blackbeard.
IRITA: Hey, I've never worn one of these before.
VO: Well, when in Penzance... IRITA: Is that how we're traveling today?
RAJ: You've got one and I've got one.
Oh, you pirate.
Walk the plank!
Do you know what?
Right.
Final auction.
Loser walks the plank.
Listen, Demelza, who do you think you are?
VO: If you've quite finished?
PIRATE VOICE: Let's see if we can find some hidden treasure.
VO: That was more potato farmer than pirate, but, yes.
Now, what do you think of this beaut?
Arts and crafts at its best.
Solid oak.
Just look at these cut-outs.
Oh!
It's to die for.
And it's basically to sit on end of your couch to put your magazines in.
VO: Otherwise known sometimes as a Canterbury.
Ticket price is £145.
IRITA: This is a work of art.
This is something that was made in around 1900s and it was handmade.
It has style, it is of the period and it's telling me to take it with me.
VO: In that case, you'd better parlay with Martin.
IRITA: I'm coming in search of you.
MARTIN: Hello.
IRITA: I have wandered around your amazing emporium and you have some really nice bits.
MARTIN: Thank you.
Now, I have chosen two that I hope I will end up buying.
Fire away.
IRITA: Now there is oak arts and crafts magazine rack.
£145, that is.
And then there is a little letter rack just there.
VO: £95 on that, remember.
Good price for the both?
Yes, please.
How about 145 for the two?
Well, I think that's more than fair.
MARTIN: Thank you.
IRITA: More than fair.
Let me get my cash out.
VO: That makes £95 for the Canterbury and 50 for the letterbox.
And with £132 left, that's her last buy of the trip.
I hope you do really well on them.
IRITA: Fingers crossed.
Thank you.
MARTIN: Thank you.
Bye.
IRITA: Bye.
VO: Now, what of Raj?
This could be Irita guising.
VO: A bit rude!
He's drawn a blank in this emporium, so he's off to its sister shop.
Just one door up.
And it looks like he's spotted something before he even gets through the door.
Let's pop in and take a closer look.
RAJ: These are rather nice.
These are 19th-century Japanese bronze vases.
They've definitely got age, they're definitely 19th century.
There's even a repair under here that's been done, which I always find quite nice, you know, because then when you see repairs, as long as they're well done, it gives you the authenticity that it's... ..it's an old piece, and these are quite nice.
VO: £195 for the two.
Stands included.
RAJ: Whenever you buy a pair of something, you should always check that they actually match and they are actually a pair.
And these quite clearly are a pair.
Yeah, I'm interested in those.
VO: In that case, you'll need to talk to the lady in charge.
RAJ: Hi, Leigh.
LEIGH: Hi, Raj.
RAJ: I found something, I think.
LEIGH: Oh, goody.
I really like the Japanese vases that are in the window.
They're brilliant.
What is the very best that you can do?
The very, very best for you, Raj?
£80.
RAJ: Seriously?
LEIGH: Seriously.
We have a deal, Leigh.
Thank you very much indeed.
VO: Well, that was worth crossing the road for.
And he still has just over £200 for his last shop.
Now, where did you park that car of yours?
Having shopped her last shop, Irita finds herself with a bit of leisure time, so she's popping along the prom to a place where generations of Penzancians have come to cool off.
This is the Jubilee Pool, an art deco treasure that is now the UK's largest saltwater lido.
And to find out all about it, Irita's meeting Richard James, who runs the business.
IRITA: Hello there, Richard.
RICHARD: Hi, welcome to Jubilee Pool.
So built in 1935 to celebrate King George V's Jubilee.
They built this amazing piece of architecture which we're still using as an outdoor lido today.
What was here before the pool was built, though?
It was known as Battery Rocks and they were a sort of natural bathing pool area that the local community used to congregate at and spend hot days at.
So you basically upgraded it?
Yeah, just a touch!
VO: The pool was constructed at the height of a craze for outdoor swimming in Britain, with lidos popping up everywhere.
Its unique design was the work of borough surveyor and engineer Captain Frank Latham, whose plans were not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical for the pool's proposed location.
IRITA: The shape is the first thing that throws me.
It's a bit unusual.
You're right.
It's unique in its shape.
There aren't many triangular pools up and down the country.
It's the most effective shape to withstand the constant crashing waves against this exterior wall.
There's also some suggestions that this shape came about when looking at the shape of a seagull in flight.
VO: Jubilee Pool opened to great fanfare on the 31st of May 1935.
A crowd of thousands were entertained by swimming races, diving demonstrations, a water polo match and the Bathing Belles Beauty Parade.
It was an immediate hit.
And it still is to this day.
We have people who swim here who have mothers and grandmothers and sometimes even great-grandmothers who learnt to swim in this pool.
Am I wrong by saying that that is water out of the sea behind us?
RICHARD: Yeah.
So once a month, we empty it out back into the bay and then we pump in fresh sea water, about five million liters.
Do you ever end up with any creepy-crawlies that have sneaked their way in?
From time to time, we find the occasional starfish, some small fish, but we make sure they return to where they came from.
VO: The lido remained a popular spot with locals and tourists alike well into the post-war years of the '40s and '50s.
But by the '70s, British seaside resorts like Penzance just couldn't compete with the rise of package holidays abroad.
You saw a lot of lidos up and down the country falling into general disrepair, and this pool was no different.
It suffered just the same.
And it's been through quite a bit.
You know, in 1962, Ash Wednesday storms, all of this wall over here was destroyed, had to be rebuilt.
But every time, the local community have really got behind us and, you know, given their time and their love and their money to this place, to make sure that it's here for future generations.
VO: And Jubilee Pool, now owned by 1,400 community shareholders, continues to thrive and grow.
In 2020, they opened their hot pool, heated to 35 degrees using geothermal energy from deep underground.
But that's not the part of the pool that Irita will be taking a dip in.
Stand by.
Richard, you said this is easy.
People do this every day.
RICHARD: They do it every day, sometimes as early as 7.30 in the morning.
Just get your shoulders under there, you'll be fine.
IRITA: Ah!
VO: Blimey!
That'll scare off the starfish.
RICHARD: How is it?
IRITA: This is so cold.
VO: Nonsense!
It's a good couple of degrees warmer than the sea.
And you're wearing a hat.
IRITA: I'm like a mermaid now.
I can twirl.
VO: We'll never get her out now.
She's a good sport.
Next time, when we come back to Penzance, you'll find me in the deep, deep sea.
I'm off to find Raj.
VO: Elsewhere in Penzance, some of us have some work to do.
Isn't that right, Raj?
He's off to his, and our, last shop of the trip, Rose Fern Antiques.
RAJ: Hi, James?
JAMES: Yeah.
RAJ: Hi.
Nice to meet you.
VO: A proper old-school antique shop, this one.
Lots of fine furniture, fine art, and some fine bits and pieces to tempt our man into spending.
And with £204 still to play with, he can afford to go big.
What's calling to you, Raj?
RAJ: This is a lovely mirror.
It's a brass frame.
And it's got two sconces here.
Sconces are basically candlesticks.
The mirror's a little bit damaged, but this work, this lovely flower pattern round here, is so typical of Newlyn.
VO: More specifically, the Newlyn industrial class set up in 1890 by the artist John Drew MacKenzie.
It taught out-of-work fishermen the art of repousse or embossed metalwork to give them another source of income.
And it's highly collectable.
Is it Newlyn?
Big question.
It's not signed, but only 20% of their work was signed.
But there's a few clues here.
One is the label, this was framed here in Penzance and Newlyn is a mile down the road.
And I have to say, the work that's done on here, from the Newlyn that I've seen in the past, this looks very, very similar.
VO: But it's not made from copper, which is the more typical material that Newlyn was famous for.
It's a risky piece.
I like it.
Every now and then, you've got to take a chance.
And this is my chance.
VO: Well, as there's no price on it, better talk to the man in charge.
Hi, James.
JAMES: Hi, Raj.
RAJ: Hi, there.
RAJ: I found this, this mirror.
What would be your very best on this?
Well, as always, we want you to win.
RAJ: It's very kind.
JAMES: 120.
Do you know what?
I've got the money.
I'm not going to argue.
RAJ: We have a deal.
JAMES: Done!
RAJ: Thank you very much indeed.
VO: So Raj ends his shopping for the trip with £84 to spare.
And there's nothing more to be done.
It's in the lap of the auction gods now.
Go, find your friend.
Head out of Cornwall and on to the final battle.
Bye!
Have a good holiday.
COUPLE: Thanks for coming.
IRITA: You're welcome.
We'll be back.
(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: How's that for a send-off?
Time for some shut-eye.
VO: So, here we go, the decider, and with less than £50 in it, it's all to play for.
Last auction.
IRITA: I know!
RAJ: Exciting.
VO: Isn't it just?
And you'll be watching it all from this glorious slice of viticulture, the Swanaford vineyard.
IRITA: Oh, we're rolling.
Oh, yeah.
That's my job.
Handbrake, sorry.
IRITA: I gave you one job!
RAJ: I know.
RAJ: One little job.
I only had one little job.
You're right.
VO: I think they've arrived!
After messing about in Cornwall, they've wound up in Devon, just outside Exeter.
Meanwhile, everything they bought has headed north to Newport in Shropshire, and it's all up for sale at Brettells, with phone bidders, online punters and auction-goers in the room.
For £100.
Can we get 100?
(GAVEL BANGS) VO: Raj spent £310 on five auction lots.
Let's see what impressible auctioneer Gemima Brettell makes of them.
The Newlyn School mirror, unfortunately, it isn't stamped up.
If it was, it would make some serious money.
But we'll just have to see.
Hopefully it's got some legs today.
VO: Irita spent a bit less, £220, on her five lots.
Favorites, Gemima?
GEMIMA: Yeah, the letter rack, it's a lovely piece.
The only issue is there's a bit of condition error on the back of the gallery.
Yeah, it should do well.
VO: So, here we go.
Who will emerge victorious?
Tablets at the ready.
Let's find out.
I feel excited to find out what happens, but a bit down about the fact that it's over.
Yeah, but you must never be down.
You know, the end of something is always the beginning of something even better.
VO: Very deep, Raj.
First under the hammer is Irita's letter rack.
Will it deliver?
And you paid how much?
£50.
And what are you hoping for?
A profit.
I can start the bidding in at 30, two, 35, 38, 40, two, five, eight, 50, five online.
IRITA: Yes!
RAJ: Ooh!
55, 55, 60.
At £60 and five.
At 60.
RAJ: Wow.
65 and 70.
You've got to be happy with that.
IRITA: I'm happy with 70.
GEMIMA: At 80.
At £80.
IRITA: Oh, my God, 80!
RAJ: Whoo!
GEMIMA: At 85.
At 85 now.
Can we get it 90?
Ah, it's going up!
GEMIMA: 95.
IRITA: Go on, round it up.
You might as well.
One more.
GEMIMA: 100 bid.
At 100.
IRITA: Yes!
Double money.
RAJ: You doubled your money.
Can we go at 100?
(GAVEL BANGS) IRITA: It's not a bad start, is it?
That's a very good start.
VO: Yes, absolutely.
First class.
RAJ: Big smile on your face.
Yeah!
VO: Raj's shop window find's next.
That pair of Japanese bronze vases.
I'm starting in at 30 bid.
At £30 now, two.
IRITA: No!
RAJ: No.
40 for me, yeah?
£40 bid.
Now, can we get a two?
42?
42.
At 42 now bid.
42 now bid.
IRITA: Come on.
GEMIMA: 45.
BIDDER: Yes, please.
GEMIMA: Eight.
Shall we go 50?
BIDDER: Yes, please.
GEMIMA: £50 on the phone.
At 55 in the room.
IRITA: It's getting there.
GEMIMA: At 55 now.
Are you going to go 60?
£60 bid.
Five.
At 65, 65.
RAJ: Come on, come on.
GEMIMA: 70.
They've got a phone bid.
At 75, 75.
Go 80 quickly.
80.
Bit worrying when she starts low.
GEMIMA: 85 bid.
At 85.
IRITA: You're in profit!
GEMIMA: 90?
BIDDER: Yes, please.
GEMIMA: 90.
No, thank you, but thank you.
GEMIMA: At £90.
IRITA: Oh, no, the room's out.
For £90.
Here we go at 90.
(GAVEL BANGS) RAJ: Well, it's a profit.
IRITA: It's a profit.
VO: Better than the alternative, Raj.
Small one, OK, but it'll do.
VO: Irita's priciest item is up now, her arts and crafts magazine rack.
Start me in, £20 for it.
GEMIMA: £20.
IRITA: Oh!
£20 is bid.
At £20.
IRITA: That was like a stab at the heart.
GEMIMA: At £20.
22, 25, 28.
28 and 30, and 32.
Here we go.
She just starts low.
32 on the phone.
35.
IRITA: Why are they taking...?
GEMIMA: 38, 40.
They've got a phone bidder.
GEMIMA: 48 on the phone.
GEMIMA: 50.
BIDDER: Yes, please.
GEMIMA: And 55 on the phone.
IRITA: That is so cheap!
It's going up.
GEMIMA: 55, then, on the phone, then.
GEMIMA: Here we go once.
IRITA: No.
GEMIMA: Here we go twice.
IRITA: No!
Here we go at 55.
(GAVEL BANGS) Oh, Raj.
VO: Yeah.
She had high hopes for that.
That hurt so bad.
Oh, dear.
You really liked it.
Not any more!
VO: Time for a bit of stick from Raj.
£10 for it.
Don't go down.
GEMIMA: £5?
RAJ: Oh!
IRITA: Oh, she did not.
£5 bid.
RAJ: Oh, she... GEMIMA: £5 bid now.
Can we get an eight?
Here we go.
At £5 bid.
GEMIMA: Here we are at £5.
IRITA: No, come on.
IRITA: Come on.
RAJ: No.
GEMIMA: I'm selling online, then, for £5 only.
(GAVEL BANGS) IRITA: She did not.
VO: I think she did.
It's still nip and tuck at this point.
I thought at £30 you had had a bargain.
Whoever bought it for a fiver, now they've had a bargain.
VO: Next up is Shiva, the destroyer and creator of the universe.
Let's see which way this one goes.
GEMIMA: £10 is bid.
IRITA: Yes!
GEMIMA: £12 is bid.
15 is bid.
There we go.
Oh, my goodness.
Feeling like a rich woman right now.
15 bid.
Do I see 18 anywhere?
18.
At 18 bid now.
Can we get it at 20?
This is all online.
At £18.
Going once, and twice and third.
GEMIMA: It's had its time.
IRITA: Ooh!
I've sold away for £18.
(GAVEL BANGS) VO: Only a little bit of destruction there.
It had its time, apparently.
VO: Raj's railway sign is up next, complete with genuine cracks.
I'm starting in at £40.
Straight in!
At 40.
I'm looking for two.
At £40, then.
Here we go.
GEMIMA: Are we done?
RAJ: No.
I'm selling, then, online.
Last chance.
Last time I ask today.
Selling away online.
It can't be straight in and out.
(GAVEL BANGS) Oh, bogies.
VO: Which is the technical term for the wheel assemblies on railway carriages.
I'm disappointed with that.
You are?
You are?!
IRITA: Yeah!
RAJ: How do you think I feel?
VO: Irita's piggy painting now.
Still can't see the donkey.
I can start the bidding in at £30.
At £30.
IRITA: Oh, £30 in.
GEMIMA: At 30.
At 30.
Do I see two anywhere?
At 32.
Let's try to make a profit.
GEMIMA: At 35 now.
RAJ: She's got bidders on.
Do I see eight anywhere?
At 35 online here.
Any more interest?
Selling away, then, for £35.
(GAVEL BANGS) VO: Ooh, I can see it now.
It's just there on the right.
Donkey!
I would have bought that again and again and again.
VO: Time to put those lights out.
Raj's World War II lamps.
I'm starting in at 18, 22, five, eight.
IRITA: Keep going.
Oh, that's very steady.
GEMIMA: 32, five.
Do I see eight anywhere?
GEMIMA: At 35, then.
IRITA: Oh, no.
RAJ: Ohh.
GEMIMA: 35, then.
Twice and third and final time today.
I'm selling away online.
(GAVEL BANGS) IRITA: Wow.
RAJ: Another loss.
Small loss.
VO: Yes, but as it stands, first place could still go either way.
All these small losses are adding up and up and up.
VO: Last chance for Irita.
Her cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap letter opener.
RAJ: £5.
IRITA: I know.
GEMIMA: £10 for it.
£10.
IRITA: £10 would be fine.
GEMIMA: £10 is bid.
IRITA: Thank goodness for that.
GEMIMA: At £10, straight in.
RAJ: Yeah, yeah.
IRITA: She was considering a fiver there.
You've doubled up your money already.
GEMIMA: At £10, then, once... IRITA: Surely that's not it.
£10 only.
(GAVEL BANGS) IRITA: That was short and sweet.
RAJ: Yeah.
VO: She'll never be sniffy about a £5 purchase again.
You doubled up.
You doubled your money.
IRITA: I did double my money.
RAJ: Yeah, that's worth a smile.
VO: And finally, victory or defeat all hangs on this.
Raj's riskiest purchase will decide the outcome.
Start me in for 50.
(CLATTERING) There goes the mirror.
IRITA: I hope that was not the mirror.
Is that a bid?
30?
£30 in the room.
That is just so crazy low price.
GEMIMA: 32, 35.
38, 40.
Two, five, eight, 50, 55.
Go on.
60, thank you.
I can't believe she has to beg for a bid.
Yeah.
I can't believe it either.
GEMIMA: At £60.
At £60 in the room.
Here we go.
GEMIMA: Once.
RAJ: No.
GEMIMA: Twice.
RAJ: No.
A third and final warning.
I'm selling in the room.
Here we go.
At £60.
No, don't do it, girl!
60.
(GAVEL BANGS) Now that was a bargain.
VO: But the question is, was it enough to clinch it?
It has been so up and down.
I think you've got me right on the final button, though, Irita.
RAJ: Well done.
IRITA: I'm not sure.
VO: Well, let's find out, shall we?
Raj started with £394, but this, his final gamble, didn't pay off.
So, after auction costs, he ends the trip with £272.17.
A valiant effort, sir.
But Irita, who began with £352, lost a lot less, so after saleroom fees, she claims the crown with a final figure of £311.36.
And all those profits go to Children In Need.
RAJ: I'm definitely going to miss the car, but more than the car, I'm going to miss you.
IRITA: Oh, I'm going to miss you, too.
RAJ: I like being whupped.
(IRITA LAUGHS) Guess what, Raj?
I like whupping.
We're a great team.
VO: And what a team.
It's been a nonstop party with these two.
They put their glad rags on... (SHE WHISTLES) ..and painted the town red.
RAJ: Do your dance, do your songs.
IRITA: Whoop, whoop!
VO: They had snacks.
Mwah!
Bellissimo, baby.
VO: There was cake.
IRITA: Are you enjoying that?
RAJ: (SARCASTICALLY) No.
IRITA: No?
RAJ: Mmm.
VO: And even gifts to unwrap.
Oh, my.
VO: And it's been fun and games all the way.
IRITA: Whoo!
Oh, my God!
And just like that, it's all over, Raj.
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