VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts...

Which way are the bargains?

VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car... Do you know where we are?

No.

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

Act one, scene one.

VO: The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction.

Ta-da!

VO: But it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners...

Woo!

Happy dance!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

Heartbroken.

Close your ears.

VO: Will it be the high road to glory...

It's just delightful, isn't it?

VO: ..or the slow road to disaster?

VO: This is Antiques Road Trip.

VO: Yeah!

VO: It's back to Cymru for the second round of our trek, now about the Carmarthenshire coast and countryside with new-found bezzies Izzie and Mark.

Morning!

Bright and breezy.

What happened to you overnight?

VO: There's been more revelry than rivalry between this pair so far - 20th century design expert Mark Hill and jewelry specialist Izzie Balmer.

And I'm not a morning person, so, you know, it's amazing that I'm even managing to smile, let alone say nice things.

Well, you know what, Mark?

I know you're not a morning person, and I know - or surmised - you would probably not make it to breakfast, so...

..I've brought us both a croissant.

MARK: Aw!

IZZIE: However...

..I sort of sat on them.

VO: There'd better not be one buttery smear on the leather interior of the classic 1987 Lotus Eclat.

I mean, some people would probably quite appreciate a croissant that's been compressed by my derriere.

VO: Ooh, cheeky!

Are they squidgy or are they crispy?

IZZIE: (MUMBLES) I'll tell you.

MARK: Mm?

IZZIE: I would say the light, airy texture that you look for in a croissant... MARK: OK... IZZIE: ..is a little compressed.

Compressed by your bottom.

And, do you know what?

I'm afraid I'm going to spurn, I'm going to decline your croissant.

That's all the more for me.

I'm fine with that.

VO: That's the spirit!

Bristolite Izzie has been tapping into her mean streak recently.

Do you think he looks like Mark?

VO: Londoner Mark Hill can take it.

He has a trick or two up his sleeve, to say the least.

Abracadabra!

Look what I find.

VO: Izzie won the day at her very first foray in the saleroom... VO: ..but plenty of time for Mark to find his feet.

MARK: I was trying to find the accelerator, and I think I found the brake.

You've got to know which one it is, haven't you?

VO: He's right there!

Mark has £1,155 left of the £1,500 he started with for this trip... VO: ..while Izzie has £1,332 remaining.

How do you feel about today?

Your boyish exuberance is rubbing off on me.

Hey-hey!

I'm really looking forward to the day ahead.

MARK: Me too.

IZZIE: Genuinely excited.

Places to go, people to see, antiques to buy.

VO: Yes, indeed.

That's how the Antique Road Trip works.

This leg, Izzie and Mark will see even more of Wales before they make their way across the Cotswolds and Midlands, and then dip down to Hampshire for a final showdown.

We're clearly taking the scenic route to Carmarthen.

We are.

We are, most definitely.

Which I'm very much enjoying.

Do you like the Welsh countryside?

I love... Do you know what?

I love the countryside.

Any countryside.

VO: Their wondrous Welsh walkabout will come to a rest in Ammanford, but it all begins in Carmarthen.

VO: Yes, possibly the oldest town in Wales, this is a place full of folklore and Arthurian legend.

Merlin himself is said to have been born in a cave nearby.

MARK: Ah, first shop of the day!

IZZIE: Mark, you're so excited!

I know, but don't you get like this?

First shop of the day, new shop.

But you're like an exuberant little boy!

IZZIE: I love it!

MARK: After you, my dear!

IZZIE: (LAUGHS) VO: Aw!

There is something enchanting, though, about the Old Curiosity Antique Centre.

There's traditional Welsh furniture, pottery, glassware, and it looks like Izzie is barging straight in.

She seems to be on the search for something timeless in Chris' Curiosity Shop.

IZZIE: Chris?

CHRIS: Yeah?

What's this?

Why has it got these rolly bits?

Is it for, like, erm, threads and ribbons?

CHRIS: No.

I purchased it from a house, and they purchased it from a railway station.

There used to be labels on each one of these... CHRIS: ..OK?

IZZIE: Right.

CHRIS: Each one has got a different town.

They would put mail to go to these different places, in there.

IZZIE: And I presume it's late 19th century.

Yeah, and it's pitch pine.

IZZIE: Well, of course.

We are in Wales!

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: Pitch pine was used as a timber in some Welsh mines, as well as for creating durable pieces of furniture like this.

IZZIE: How much is it, Chris?

It's got to be 145.

Sorry... IZZIE: OK, well... CHRIS: Sorry, I'm... No, no, no.

I'll have a think about it.

It's very unusual.

VO: Izzie might need to ponder the pitch pine pigeonhole for a wee bit longer.

Meanwhile, has anything taken Mark's fancy?

MARK: Look at the shine on that.

How many pockets has that been in and out of?

And there it is.

A little glass hip flask with a silver-plated top and what looks to be its original cork.

I love them both, but this one doesn't have a price on it.

That's gonna be, what?

Mid-19th century, maybe a little bit later?

VO: Unpriced.

Mark will need to investigate this one.

Meanwhile, Izzie seems to have found a bit of novelty kitsch.

(WHISPERS) Mark.

Mark.

(WHISPERS) Why are you whispering?

Er...

I don't know.

(WHISPERS) There's no one else here.

What have you found?

Well, look at this.

But wait.

Wait, wait, wait...

It gets better.

OK.

It needs to.

(MUSICAL CHIMES) (GASPS) You could be lulled off to sleep after... MARK: ..one too many brandies.

IZZIE: Yes!

After a successful shopping day.

Exactly!

That's what I'm thinking.

Although we need to talk about brandy.

I'm not so sure.

A gentle white wine, maybe?

A little bit of Chablis?

Something light?

Sounds lovely!

On it for white wine.

VO: These two can always find time for a tipple.

IZZIE: So, necklace and earrings.

These earrings are very dainty and very delicate, and, admittedly, very simple.

But this is called Aurora Borealis.

VO: Designed by French fashion designer Christian Dior in the 1950s.

IZZIE: And it's just glass, and it's got this iridescent finish to it, which is meant to reflect the northern lights, the Aurora Borealis.

I just think they're really rather lovely.

And the best part about them - £5.

VO: That price sounds light and right to me.

IZZIE: The other item that I really quite like is this necklace here.

Now, I would call this a negligee necklace.

VO: Different from the nightwear variety, of course, a negligee is usually made of fine links, and two pendants hanging at different lengths.

IZZIE: But it is a lovely, lovely necklace, isn't it?

And it's £18.

Don't know what's not to like.

I mean, I think that's a...

I think it's definitely coming with me.

VO: Oh, Chris!

Chris... CHRIS: How are you, dear?

IZZIE: I'm good.

IZZIE: How are you doing?

CHRIS: Not too bad.

I really love your train station post... IZZIE: ..thing.

CHRIS: Yeah.

I don't love the price.

I know you said 145, but can we... Can we have a chat about this at all?

CHRIS: I'll knock another fiver off for you.

IZZIE: So, you're saying 140.

CHRIS: 40, yeah.

Now, I've also seen a pair of £5 earrings.

CHRIS: Yeah.

IZZIE: And an £18 necklace.

CHRIS: OK.

The earrings have got to be £5.

The earrings are five, yeah.

I could do the necklace for 15.

So we're saying 140, plus five, plus 15.

CHRIS: Yeah.

IZZIE: I can't do... Plus 20.

We're saying 160.

And that's your absolute... CHRIS: That's my best.

IZZIE: That's your death?

There's no point me getting on my knees... CHRIS: No, dear, no.

IZZIE: No.

IZZIE: Thank you very much.

CHRIS: Thank you.

IZZIE: I will get you £160, then.

VO: That means she now has £1,172 left.

Thank you.

It's been a pleasure.

CHRIS: Thank you, dear... Ta.

IZZIE: See you later.

VO: Now, what's that Mark looking at?

Now, that's kind of interesting.

What we've got here is a 1950s, '60s, '70s Murano glass lady.

So Murano, the island off Venice, has been world famous for producing incredible quality glass for centuries.

And after World War II, they went through this period of sort of a mushrooming in creativity.

VO: From clowns to couples kissing, there's a wide range indeed of Murano glass figurines.

Do I think bidders would want to add a sort of sense of whimsy and fun with this wonderfully tooled, hot-worked lady?

I think they probably would.

She's coming with me.

MARK: Hello, Chris?

CHRIS: Sorry.

Yeah?

I have this sort of fab '50s femme fatale, you could say, and she's got £20 on.

So, there's a hip flask, a glass hip flask, which is covered in leather.

That doesn't have a price.

Do you...?

Yeah.

It's got to be £35.

If I did 35 for the hip flask and this for 20, that makes 55.

Would you take 50?

CHRIS: Yeah, go on, then.

MARK: (LAUGHS) We've got a deal!

We've got a deal.

MARK: Thank you very much.

That's fantastic.

VO: Very kind of you, Chris.

Mark's walked away with a hip flask and Murano glass lady, and now has £1,105 to carry on with.

MARK: Thank you very much... CHRIS: Thank you very much.

I'm going to take her off for a samba round the saleroom.

VO: Now Izzie's made her way to the village of Myddfai.

She's got appropriate permission to pick flowers, including daffodils.

They can make you sick if you ingest them, but they have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries.

IZZIE: All these gorgeous wild flowers just growing in the hedgerows.

These are little celandines.

I always think of them as just really pretty little wild hedgerow flowers... ..but they're actually used as a herbal medicine as well.

Totally love flowers, herbal remedies, plants.

I just think there's so much to learn from plants and what they can give to us.

VO: Izzie's meeting community leader Hugh at the 13th century St Michael's Church... IZZIE: Hello, Hugh.

HUGH: Hello, Izzie.

VO: ..to learn of the influence that a family of medieval herbalists, the Physicians of Myddfai, had on herbal medicine as we know it today.

I am really looking forward to hearing more about Myddfai... OK. ..and I hear it's the home of the physicians.

HUGH: It is indeed.

A dynasty of healers that go back to the 13th century and continued for generation after generation after generation.

It's a long history, and very famous in Wales.

VO: The legendary Rhiwallon was a pioneering herbalist who passed on his trade to his descendants, some of whom are buried here.

Granted lands in Myddfai after treating the wounds of a local lord, Rhiwallon became world famous for discovering previously unknown herbal medicines, and his remedies are recorded in the 14th century Red Book of Hergest.

In the old days, there was called the Doctrine of Signatures, where people were treated with herbs according to what the herb looked like.

IZZIE: (LAUGHS) Right.

HUGH: So there's a herb called lungwort.

Called lungwort because if you look at the leaves, it looks like a lung... ..and it was used to treat bronchitis and pneumonia.

IZZIE: Did it actually work?

Well, you'll have to go back and ask the physicians that.

IZZIE: I couldn't help but notice all the gorgeous wild flowers growing.

Daffodils are interesting, because the bulbs of daffodils contain a chemical, galantamine, which is currently being researched and developed as a possible aid to help in Alzheimer's disease.

So they're not only the national flower of Wales, they could be a very important... HUGH: They could be, yep.

IZZIE: ..future medicine.

VO: The medieval work of the physicians influenced a new era of herbalism.

At the National Botanical Garden of Wales, Bruce mans an old Victorian apothecary.

IZZIE: Hello, Bruce.

BRUCE: Hello, Izzie!

IZZIE: Lovely to see you.

VO: Like an organic chemist, this place features many remedies first uncovered by those medieval trailblazers.

There is a long history in Wales of use of a plant called a meadowsweet.

IZZIE: Mm-hm.

It smells really medicinal, but it's been used since the times of the druids.

Oh!

We're going back here 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 years ago.

IZZIE: Yeah.

The Physicians of Myddfai used it for pneumonia.

It's been used all the way through history for people who've had fevers.

IZZIE: Mm-hm.

And in the 1890s, there was a Swiss scientist called Felix Hoffmann, and he used meadowsweet to create the first ever aspirin.

BRUCE: You ever had an aspirin?

IZZIE: Oh!

Yes!

Yes!

Most of us have had aspirin.

IZZIE: Yes!

BRUCE: And this... BRUCE: ..is a very old bottle that they used to give out aspirin for, before they actually branded it all.

If we look at something like the dandelion... IZZIE: Mm-hm.

..there's a lovely drawer here from the dandelion, scientists today are using dandelions to maybe look at our metabolism.

And maybe it has a potential use in diabetes, too.

IZZIE: Right.

BRUCE: Amazing!

IZZIE: That is!

BRUCE: So... IZZIE: Just from what most people consider a weed.

VO: From aspirin to morphine, there are hundreds of drugs derived from plants in use today, and it's a science the Physicians of Myddfai are recognized as being at the forefront.

VO: To keep the Welsh connection to herbalism going strong, molecular ecologist Dr Laura Jones has helped create the world's first DNA barcode for all Welsh flowering plants and conifers.

Press down to the first stop.

IZZIE: (SOFTLY) Press down... LAURA: Into the liquid.

IZZIE: Release.

I think you must have quite strong thumbs!

I think you put that on really firmly.

VO: Creating a barcode of flowers and plants helps create new avenues for research, and to identify future possibilities for herbal medicine.

Laura's letting Izzie have a try at pipetting to prepare a sample for extraction and sequencing.

We would then start disrupting that.

So we'd put it in that machine over there, which breaks it up.

Is that, like, with some violent shaking?

Yeah, with a bead and some violent shaking.

VO: Once pipetted, samples are taken through to the gel electrophoresis lab so that its DNA can be separated and a barcode for a plant created.

LAURA: That's our DNA barcode region that we've amplified up.

VO: Although I think Izzie may have just broken it.

We've got lots of nice bands, but then we've just got one here that hasn't worked very well.

So we know that that sample was unsuccessful.

VO: Only joking.

There are always one or two unsuccessful DNA extractions.

Just the one for barcoding is plenty.

The early Physicians of Myddfai, their interest in the study of plants is continuing today with the science and the research that goes into modern medicines.

VO: The early work of those physicians continues today.

I think the great thing is, as well, that Izzie and I are probably looking for very different things.

I'm going for decorative, and I think Izzie will probably be going...

Probably starting with jewelry, and some of the other pieces that she feels comfortable with.

But, yes, it's going to be a really interesting one to see what we both pick.

VO: Mark's heading towards the village of Rhydowen.

VO: The coziest curiosity shop, Alltyrodyn Antiques, has enough to keep Mark on his toes, and hands, and knees!

MARK: What fabulous colors.

They're not bright and jazzy and snazzy, but they're sort of subtle, but rich and opulent.

VO: This style and pattern developed in the 15th century and are sometimes called Moorish designs.

They were mass produced, of course, but this one would have looked perfectly good as a bedspread, I dare say.

I don't think it's got a great deal of age.

I mean, pfft... Late 19th century at the very earliest, but it's probably 20th century.

But what would interest me more is if I can find the price.

VO: Unpriced.

It could be one for the back burner.

MARK: So I'm going to pop that back...on the banister... ..for later reference.

Hello, handsome.

I do like a bit of arts and crafts.

And this hall lamp, or hall lantern, is typical of the period and typical of the style.

VO: A reaction against machine manufacture, fixtures and fittings of the arts and crafts movement of the 19th century celebrate anything handmade or finished.

It's £75.

It's not marked.

I kind of feel that's at the upper end of what I'd like to pay.

VO: Still beats buying new.

MARK: Now, that's what I call recycling with style.

VO: Time to see if owner Chris will make things simple, ie, cheap.

MARK: Hello, Chris?

Hello.

Thank you very much.

MARK: Sorry to bellow at you.

CHRIS: (CHUCKLES) I found two fantastic pieces in your beautifully lit, warm and wonderful emporium.

First of all, there's an arts and crafts brass lamp which is highly polished on the outside.

MARK: It's got 75 on it.

CHRIS: Mm-hm.

And then upstairs, there's a sort of tapestry.

There's something about the colors and the wealth of detail I just love about it.

MARK: How much is that?

CHRIS: £40.

MARK: If I was to buy the two... CHRIS: Yep.

..could I get something like a sort of... ..double-buy discount or something?

CHRIS: Yep.

MARK: OK. £80?

Yes, OK. VO: That works out at £60 for the brass lantern and £20 for the woven cloth.

MARK: Fabulous.

Thank you so much.

VO: See you soon!

MARK: Over to you.

Thank you very much, indeed!

See you soon.

Thank you.

VO: That means Mark now has £1,025 to last.

MARK: Good day?

Oh, it's always a good day with you, Mark.

MARK: Aw!

IZZIE: Do you know what?

That sounds so cheesy, and yet I genuinely mean it.

That's so sweet!

..such a fun day with you.

Aw!

Thank you very much.

No, you make my day complete, so thank you.

IZZIE: Aw, thank you.

MARK: Very, very sweet of you.

VO: Aw...those two are so cute.

There's more shopping to come in the morning.

VO: Nighty night.

VO: Up bright and early for a drive south to Swansea.

All Mark and Izzie have on their minds is last night's dinner.

MARK: Wasn't it delicious?

IZZIE: Oh, it was!

IZZIE: And so very Welsh.

MARK: Oh, yes.

IZZIE: Although... ..you were sophisticated and cultured with Vichyssoise, and I was like, "Bleurgh, I don't want cold soup, I'll have mine hot," and had leek and potato soup.

VO: Ha-ha.

Mark did wolf down four hearty purchases yesterday.

The menu was Murano glass, the 19th century hip flask, the woven silk cloth, and an arts and crafts lampshade.

Got to love a leek, is all I'm saying.

I love a leek.

VO: Enough of that.

He now has 1,025 remaining, while Izzie has £1,172 left after bagging the pendant necklace with nine carat earrings and the 19th century postal cabinet.

So, how are you feeling, being driven around?

Chauffeured, no less.

Mildly travel sick!

IZZIE: (LAUGHS) MARK: Oh, charming!

Look, I'm mastering the gears, alright?

Give me a break!

Well, open a window.

Then you can just, you know, barf out the window if you need to.

VO: Here's hoping the sea air of Swansea does you both good.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

MARK: I do.

IZZIE: Do you?!

Yeah, I actually do, yes.

I was not expecting you to say that!

Really?

What, you thought I was going to say, "No, I'm full of hate and spite"?

No, but... IZZIE: ..love at first sight?

MARK: Yeah.

So, have you got experience of that?

Yeah, every day of the week when I go out buying stuff.

IZZIE: Oh!

MARK: And, of course... ..every day of this road trip, when I get in the car with you.

Oh!

VO: Mark's dropping Izzie at the Mumbles, which mark the beginning of the Gower Peninsula.

Set just behind this popular coastline of Swansea is Langland Antiques.

Full of metalwork, Georgian silver and more, this could be the jewel in Izzie's crown.

Owner Jeff is hoping so.

(WHISPERS) Everything's so lovely and sparkly.

VO: She's like a veritable magpie sometimes, that girl.

(GASPS) I haven't got there yet.

Don't let it go by... (GASPS) Look at that.

Isn't this the most gorgeous art deco necklace?

Now, those are...either little paste or quartz crystals there.

So, paste being glass.

And then this...

This blue stone to the center.

That definitely looks like glass.

This one, because it's angular, I would say it's 1920s.

Now, let's have a look at this chain.

I'm just a bit befuddled by the fact that we've got glass, or paste, as it might have been called, set with, potentially, platinum.

But that explains why this piece has such a look about it, cuz it's clearly a very fine piece.

It also has no price tag.

So what does that mean?

Definitely one I'm gonna ask Jeff about, for sure, cuz I absolutely love that.

VO: It means it's unpriced, and one to check in with owner Jeff about later.

VO: Meanwhile, Mark's back in Carmarthen at St David's Church.

Built in the 1830s, this place closed as a church in 2003 after storm damage.

It's a different stairway to heaven for Mark today.

OK. North face of the Eiger next!

WILLIAM: (LAUGHS) OK. MARK: Here we go.

MARK: So, I'm gonna go for these yellowy things, right?

WILLIAM: Yep.

Helps if you look at where you place your feet as well.

MARK: (LAUGHS) WILLIAM: There you go.

Go on.

MARK: Actually, some of these are not so easy to grip.

WILLIAM: Well done.

Gonna look for those jugs that you've got your hands on there.

Really good.

Go on.

MARK: You see, I'm in practice, because if I'm gonna beat Izzie, I've got a mountain to climb.

VO: Though there's some difference between mountaineering and antique-ering, of course.

What happens now?

(LAUGHS) What you want to do now is sit back for me and let go of the wall.

Now... What?

Let go?

Yep.

Let go of the wall.

MARK: Really let go?

WILLIAM: Yep.

VO: He's always been a bit off the wall, this boy.

Ha!

WILLIAM: And I'll bring you down nice and slowly.

MARK: That's alright.

OK, this is good.

That's actually quite nice!

(LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) It is.

It's quite fun, isn't it?

Ooh.

That was actually very exhilarating.

VO: Brought back to Earth with a bump - ha!

- let's hope Mark can find his feet at the next shop in Crofty.

VO: He's hoping to pick up an overlooked treasure at Gower Reclamation Yard.

With antique chairs, floors, and furniture packed high, there's lots to investigate.

Look at the quality of this.

So, what we have is an Edwardian smoker's cabinet.

So, when you open up the door here, which is lockable to stop people stealing your tobacco, you find a row of pipe holders along here, and then space to store all sorts of other accoutrements, like maybe a tobacco jar to keep your tobacco nice and fresh, and pipe tampers and cleaners, and all the rest of it.

VO: Who says the younger generation doesn't appreciate the past, eh?

The price tag inside says £125, and my feeling is that unless I happen to find a sort of well-heeled smoker without a case who needed to keep all his accessories in a mini cupboard... VO: Or hers!

MARK: ..I'm just not sure that that's gonna give me a return on my investment.

For me, it's a no.

VO: Return is what it's all about.

Back to the Mumbles.

VO: Izzie's only had her eye on that art deco necklace so far.

IZZIE: This is extremely dapper, just like Mark.

It's a car mascot, and it's Pegasus, and it's a single-winged Pegasus.

VO: In the 1920s and '30s, it became quite fashionable to personalize your car bonnet with sculptures created by manufacturers of mascots like this.

IZZIE: I mean, there's no price, so it doesn't hurt to ask.

What do I think it'll do at auction?

Absolutely no idea.

Who knows?

I mean, Jeff might go, "Izzie, to you, 20 quid."

Who knows?

VO: You've got to roll with it sometimes, Izzie.

IZZIE: Ooh!

Ooh, look at that.

Ooh!

Oh, wow!

I needed to sort my hair out.

Oh, that is so cool.

But it's a little mirror.

One, I guess, that you'd just have in your handbag or in your purse.

And it's art deco.

You've got this totally gorgeous enameling.

VO: It looks like guilloche enamel, where intricate patterns are engraved into the surface.

But it's convex, so it shrinks my face, and I can see my whole scary face in that.

Ooh, that's weird.

VO: Weird and wonderful, Izzie.

IZZIE: No idea how much it is.

No price, but it's lovely.

VO: Time to inquire, then.

IZZIE: Hello, Jeff.

JEFF: Hi, Izzie.

Now, I've seen three items that I really like, and unfortunately, they haven't got price tags on, so I have no idea if they're in budget or not.

The first one is the car mascot.

The Pegasus car mascot.

OK.

The second one is your totally lovely glass art deco pendant necklace.

JEFF: Oh, yeah, gorgeous.

And the third one is the art deco chequerboard enameled little mirror.

What would be the absolute best that you could do on each of those?

JEFF: The pendant... IZZIE: Uh-huh.

JEFF: ..I think I could probably let it go for around 200.

IZZIE: OK. JEFF: Mm-hm.

Now, the car mascot is a little easier.

I could do that for 60 for you.

OK. And then what about the little silver hand mirror?

I'll do that for 95 for you.

What if I bought two, what could you bring what down to?

Which two?

I don't know, you tell me.

Well what I'd like you to buy, cuz I really want you to make... JEFF: ..good money on it... IZZIE: OK. ..is the checkered mirror... IZZIE: Yeah.

JEFF: ..and the necklace.

IZZIE: And what would we do those two for?

We've currently got 295.

JEFF: For you?

IZZIE: For me.

IZZIE: Well, for you as well.

JEFF: £260.

IZZIE: £260.

JEFF: Yeah.

That's a bargain.

IZZIE: That is tempting.

JEFF: Yeah...

I'd buy it myself.

You already have!

(LAUGHS) £260.

I don't even know if I've got £260 in my pocket.

Let's count it out and see if I have.

200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250.

JEFF: Hm.

IZZIE: Can we do that?

JEFF: OK, we'll do that... IZZIE: Really?

Truly?

Yeah, of course we will.

VO: Not bad.

£185 for the necklace and £65 for the mirror means Izzie now has £922 remaining.

But she must have left it in the car... Ha-ha!

Back in Crofty... MARK: Let's get into this cabinet.

Ah!

What an attractive architectural thing.

So, what does it say on the label?

It says, "Vintage oak pharmacy dispensing parchment stand from JT Davies Chemists in Swansea."

VO: Bit of a mouthful.

It looks like a kind of display pyramid for holding medicines of varying sizes.

It's made out of oak, and it comes from a chemist's.

So it's probably, what?

I don't know, mid-century?

Maybe '40s, '50s or '60s.

What's the price on it?

We've got £125.

It could do with a bit of oil.

Oh, my goodness, look at that!

Even here, you've got the name of the people who made it on a "JT Davies Chemists Limited" label.

So this was probably custom-made for them.

But I am a bit worried about this.

Do you know what?

I think that's a good thing.

And that is going to come with me.

VO: Time to dispense a deal with Les, the owner.

MARK: Hello, Les?

VO: Les?

LES: Hello... Mark.

MARK: It's such a huge place...

I don't know where you are!

Did you enjoy your journey?

Oh, my goodness.

It's just incredible.

You've got everything.

A little bit of everything, yeah.

So, I found this rather fantastic oak and plywood... What is it?

Dispensing parchment.

Mm-hm.

So, it's got 125 on it... OK. MARK: ..and much as I love it, I'm a bit worried about the rot on the back here.

Can you see?

LES: I can, yeah.

OK.

Right.

Erm, OK. Then let's say we'll knock the 25 off.

MARK: So it's... LES: How about £100?

We have a deal.

Thank you very much... LES: You're welcome.

MARK: Fantastic.

I'm going to give you this to hold on to for a moment while I get the all-important money out.

VO: He's spending big today!

MARK: Thank you very much, indeed.

Thank you very much.

MARK: That is brilliant.

LES: Thank you, Mark.

MARK: Thank you.

Take care, Les.

LES: Cheerio, bye bye.

VO: Mark now has £925 remaining of his original 1,500.

MARK: I'm loving driving this car, however.

It's got that sort of late '70s, '80s chic to it.

I want to...seat right back, unbutton my shirt.

I mean, if I had hairs on my chest, then I'd have a hairy chest, but then I could add a medallion to that, and I'd be just like medallion macho man in my sports car whizzing around the Welsh Valleys.

VO: I fear Mark may be having a bit of a wobble, though he's not the only one.

Izzie's made her way to Pantyffynnon Swing Bridge.

IZZIE: This is such a skippy bridge, cuz it, whoo, it bounces like a trampoline.

Woohoo!

(LAUGHS) This is how I get my kicks!

VO: Kicks, wobbles.

Whatever gets you through the day.

IZZIE: So this is the wobbly bridge, as it's known by the locals.

VO: Also known as a rope bridge, suspended bridge or hanging bridge.

Locals call it the swinging bridge because it's bouncy and beautiful.

Over here, you've got the start of the Brecon Beacons, and we're just on the edge of Carmarthenshire.

But you've got this really fabulous, fast-flowing river, the river Amman, coming down the center here.

VO: Someone knows a lot about geography.

VO: Hopefully, Izzie gets her sea legs back for the next shop, which is just two miles away in Ammanford.

VO: There are treasures galore at Ammanford Antiques, where owner Debra is enthroned at the till today.

Furniture fit for a queen, too.

IZZIE: All these chairs.

Hm.

(SIGHS) Nah, this one's a bit too bouncy.

Ooh!

OK, this chair is too hard.

That chair's soft in comparison.

Well, he seems to like the look of this chair.

VO: Who's been sitting in my chair?

Indeed!

Oh, and this one is just right.

And it rocks!

VO: Best to get your goods together before Mark Bear comes to get you, Izzie.

I just can't help myself.

It's a piece of jewelry.

It's a brooch.

And it's Victorian.

It's Etruscan-style.

VO: The Etruscans were a people of ancient Italy, well known for creating jewelry made up of intricate metalwork and soldered surfaces in minute gold.

IZZIE: It's probably 1880s.

Maybe a little earlier, even.

In jewelry, the way you most commonly see the Etruscan style reflected is in what we call granulation or bead detailing.

And that's this series of very small, very fine clusters of beads.

You've got them here on the top and on the bottom, graduated.

You've got these little bead ends.

There should be four.

This one's missing.

VO: If this were real Etruscan jewelry, the gold itself would probably be 22 carats.

The Victorian copies, however, weren't so pure.

IZZIE: I don't think it's gold.

I don't know what to do.

I mean, there's no price on it.

I need to find out how much this is to see if it's a goer, for me, because if they, too, were unsure whether it's gold or not, then they might be asking more of a gold price, and I certainly wouldn't want to pay that.

VO: Time to talk to Debra and discover if all that glitters is gold on this occasion.

IZZIE: Hello, Debra!

DEBRA: Hi, Izzie.

IZZIE: You look very busy.

Yes, just sorting through some jewelry.

Funny you should mention jewelry because I've seen your rather lovely Victorian brooch.

Now, most things in here are priced, and yet somehow, I seem to have picked up one item that isn't.

What would be your absolute, absolute best that you could do that for me on, please?

DEBRA: Well, I think we had it priced at £28, but we could probably do it for, erm, 20.

Debra, you spoil me.

That is really generous.

Yes, please.

DEBRA: No problem.

IZZIE: Thank you very much.

VO: Hey, a gold standard negotiation there, Izzie.

There we go.

£20.

DEBRA: Thank you.

IZZIE: No, thank you.

IZZIE: Enjoy the sorting.

DEBRA: Thanks.

Ta-ra.

VO: Izzie now has 902 of her £1,500 left.

VO: And it's time to call a close on time spent in Wales.

IZZIE: And we're leaving Wales now, aren't we?

We are, indeed.

Wales has been kind to me, has it been kind to you?

That has yet to be seen, but I tell you what has been kind.

MARK: Right.

IZZIE: The weather.

MARK: Hasn't it just?

Oh, look at that bay.

Bye bye, Wales!

IZZIE: Bye, Wales!

MARK: Thank you so much, bye!

Thanks for having us.

VO: Bye bye, Wales and cysgu'n dda, it's time for shuteye.

VO: Now is the time for our heroes once more to ready themselves for battle.

Mark, you know, it's still all to play for.

It is.

Let's get to it.

VO: Having waltzed through Wales, they're back in Market Harborough in Leicestershire... ..at Gildings Auctions, selling to locals in the room and making their wares available to the wider world online.

Are there any more bids?

60.

VO: Mark spent a mere £230 on five auction lots today.

What does the man with the gavel, Will Gilding, think has a good chance?

The Moorish-style bedspread or tablecloth tapestry is a wonderful piece of textile.

I think the quality stands out.

I'm sure bidders will be keen to acquire this one.

VO: Izzie spent £430 on her five lots.

Anything caught your eye, Will?

The 19th century Welsh Railways pigeonhole cupboard has got lots of commercial appeal here.

You've got the railway, interesting connection, as well.

It should make it a really very popular item in the sale.

VO: Let's see if it's Mark or Izzie who wins the day.

Feeling pretty confident, then, are we?

Maybe just a little?

(SIGHS) Yeah, but it was almost by default, wasn't it?

What, because you're so good?

It's just, you know, "Naturally, it's by default that I'm going to win."

"Because, you know, I choose the better things..." .."that make more money"?

MARK: Yeah, right!

IZZIE: No!

Mark!

That's not what I meant.

VO: Someone's looking a bit fragile today, just like the first lot, Mark's Murano glass figure.

I mean, it might not be everybody's cup of tea.

It's a little kitsch, but I think it's kind of cool as well.

Start me at £20, if you will.

£20 for a Murano courtesan.

At 20.

No takers at 20.

15, then, if I have to.

At 15.

At £15.

At 15.

Thank you, 15.

IZZIE: There you go.

£15.

MARK: Hey, £15, break even.

£18.

18.

And 20.

£20, at 20.

Back of the room at 20.

It's here in the seats at 20.

That is £20 worth of fantastic quality glass.

VO: She has a certain charm.

MARK: And I made a profit.

IZZIE: You did.

VO: And we're moving on to Izzie's negligee necklace and Aurora Borealis earrings.

Try and say that quickly.

One's silver, one's gold.

£20 for the two.

I think that's a deal.

You're like a little magpie, eagle-eye, spotting these things.

If it's sparkling, if it's sparkling, I'm there.

We'll start the bidding at a modest £10, please.

At 10.

£10.

We open the bidding at 10.

At £10.

At £10.

We open the bidding online, coming in at 10.

£10 bid.

At 10.

£12 bid, now at 12.

No further bids?

At 12.

15.

£15 bid.

MARK: It's lovely.

18.

And 20 bid.

Now at 20.

Have I got 20?

IZZIE: Is that a break even?

MARK: You've got 20.

Oh, OK.

It's a break even.

Fair warning, then.

Will sell... Not quite.

22.

At 22.

IZZIE: Yay!

A little £2 profit.

MARK: Well done.

£25 bid.

At 25.

Are you all done at 25?

IZZIE: £25.

MARK: Fantastic.

Someone is gonna look great wearing all of those.

IZZIE: They really are.

MARK: Super elegant.

VO: And more readies for Izzie.

MARK: Well done.

Profit.

IZZIE: Thank you.

VO: Can Mark make it three in a row with the hip flask?

Gents' accessories.

Antiques for boys, antiques for guys.

I just think there's a huge appeal for these.

And a hip flask, you know?

Rugged country hikes.

What do you need?

You need your hip flask.

Start, then, at £35.

At 35.

£35 bid.

35.

38.

40.

£40 bid.

40.

£40.

And selling to the absentee at 40... Well, they can enjoy a drink on me.

VO: Bottoms up.

Great, great piece.

And it looked fantastic displayed as well.

Well done, them.

Bravo.

VO: Cheers, indeed.

Now, approaching platform number four is Izzie's 19th century railway pigeonhole cabinet.

It's just fantastic.

It's got the names, the paper label remnants, still, of some of the Welsh railway stations.

It's even got, like, London stations on there for post that needs to go... MARK: Railway connections.

IZZIE: ..down the railway.

Yeah, down the railway to London.

Start at... Well, I think steadily climbing... Ooh, he said "steadily climbing".

120, 130.

At £140.

150.

MARK: Oh!

WILL: Still there at 150, then.

At 160.

Back in at 160.

IZZIE: One more, please.

WILL: Sold at 160.

MARK: Stop being greedy!

IZZIE: OK!

Alright.

MARK: Your profit-ette turned into a profit.

Well done!

Thank you.

VO: Izzie was on the right track with that one.

I love it.

I just loved it.

MARK: Great thing.

Great thing.

IZZIE: Thank you.

VO: Time to see if Mark can dispense with the 1950s pharmacist's stand.

A great place to stick all your bits and bobs on your desk, and it's connected to pharmacists, and it's connected to Wales.

So there's a little bit of sort of niche interest there.

It's practical, but I think you've also got that, erm...the sort of niche market who may find it appealing.

£25 online, your bid.

25.

25.

28.

(MUTTERS) £100.

32.

35.

Eight.

38 bid.

At £38...

I'm gonna stand up and look at it and take that loss like a man.

VO: That was a bitter pill to swallow.

I'll sit up straight with... And I'm gonna cry round the corner in a minute.

My shoulder's here.

VO: Here's hoping Izzie's art deco hand mirror reflects her talents.

It's not hallmarked, but it is silver.

And it's got this sort of lovely chequerboard, black-and-white enameling to it.

£12 bid.

£12.

Online at 12.

£12.

At 12.

12, 15.

£15 bid.

18.

20.

£20 bid.

20.

22.

£22.

At 22, and 25.

25, 28.

Last time, 28.

No, sir, not last time.

(GAVEL) IZZIE: (LAUGHS) Oh!

VO: Ah not the fairest of them all, then.

MARK: Oh, dear.

IZZIE: Oh, dear.

It was pretty.

It was a nice thing.

IZZIE: It was lovely.

MARK: Really good.

VO: Now, let's see if Mark's arts and crafts lantern will shine.

I'm a real sucker for these brass lamps, sort of pagoda-like shapes, and they're not big.

They can fit in today's homes anywhere.

I've always kind of liked the idea of hanging one in an alcove.

18 is with you online.

18.

20.

£20 bid.

20.

22.

All out in the room?

22.

25.

Room bid.

I took 25.

Not you online.

28.

£28.

A shake of the head.

28, your bid... 28 quid.

What is wrong with the world, Mark?

MARK: (FEIGNS SCREAM) IZZIE: (LAUGHS) VO: That's cast a shadow.

It's clearly not illuminated.

Had they bought that lampshade, they would have been illuminated.

VO: Time to lighten things up - ha!

- and see if Izzie's blue paste pendant and chain can swing things back in her favor.

This is a real heart-over-head purchase.

A risk?

Oh, mega risk.

£30 online.

You're ahead of me at 30.

£30 online.

32.

Nil desperandum.

It could pick up.

I'm just gonna sit here very quietly.

£40 bid.

42.

42.

45.

48, and 50.

(SOFTLY) Inching upwards.

Fair warning.

Selling.

60.

65.

Last time, then.

£65... (GAVEL) MARK: Oh!

IZZIE: What that's told me is... ..don't buy with my heart.

I need to buy with my head.

VO: Everyone's feeling a bit blue and pasty now.

Always trust your heart.

It was just an aberration, a one-off.

VO: Just one more to come from Mark.

Can his Moorish-style silk cloth brighten things up?

Textiles are not a great area for me, but I just loved it, and it's big enough to put over a double bed.

You could use it as a wall hanging, you could put it on a sofa.

Antiques in the home, bang, there you go.

What do you think?

What can I possibly say other than I love it?

WILL: 42.

45.

High bid.

Eight.

IZZIE: (GASPS) WILL: 50.

£50 here.

At 50.

I still think this is a deal, though.

At £50.

All done... (GAVEL) MARK: £50 it was.

Profit.

IZZIE: Double bubbled.

VO: Silky smooth, indeed, and Mark's third piece of profit of the day.

And someone's going to be very warm at toasty at night as well.

VO: Can Izzie's final lot raise the bar?

It's the 19th century Etruscan revival brooch.

The pin is certainly gold.

I'm not sure if it's actually a very thick layer of gold plate... MARK: Mm-hm.

..sort of like, a bit like a front-and-back locket in that style.

A striking piece of jewelry there.

The absentees agree with me, I think.

42.

45.

48.

50.

50, I'm bid.

50.

£50 bid... Well spotted!

Good for you.

£60.

Here at 65.

70.

£70.

On the books, still, at 70.

You're out in the room at £70.

At £70, are you all done?

I'm really, really delighted, because I've been flying the flag for brooches... IZZIE: ..for a very long time.

MARK: Erm, hello!

Yes.

VO: Ha!

Izzie was the first to "brooch" the subject though, Mark.

It's got so much eye-catching appeal.

It's got bags and bags of style, hasn't it?

VO: And what a revival.

Or was it?

Well, while Izzie's rattled some jewelry today, after auction costs, she made a loss of over £144.

VO: After saleroom fees, Mark's lost less than Izzie, just over £85, so he's crowned the champ of auction number two.

But there's a trio to come yet!

IZZIE: Well done, Mark.

MARK: 1-1.

IZZIE: Oh-ho!

It's all to play for.

Look at that smile!

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