The Repair Shop

Silversmith Brenton West is first in the frame when Rio Goldhammer arrives with an antique silver tray with a close connection to his family. Dating back to 19th-century Vienna, it was bought by Rio's great-great-grandfather and is believed to be a Pidyon Haben tray. These are used in a traditional Jewish ceremony where the first-born male child is symbolically taken into the family from the synagogue. The tray not only connects Rio to his ancestors but is also a miraculous survivor of the mid-20th-century atrocities faced by Europe's Jewish population. Brenton has the difficult task of forging a new, ornately decorated handle and must employ an unusual technique using silver-filled clay to replicate the missing relief on the rim. 

Next to arrive are Diane and Mark from Kirkcaldy, who've brought with them a painted canvas featuring the insignia of their beloved amateur dramatics club. The canvas, originally painted in the 1950s, displays the logo for the Leslie Amateur Drama Club, established in 1904 and thought to be the longest running am-dram group in Scotland. The canvas was found during a clear-out in the early 2000s and kept as Mark and Diane believed it was salvageable. For the couple, the drama club holds a special place in their hearts, as it was upon that very stage that they met and fell in love. Now, after years of having no permanent home, the club is moving back into Leslie Town Hall, where it all began, and Mark and Diane wish to place the canvas at the centre of the proscenium arch where it proudly hung before. But the picture is showing its age. There are large areas of paint flaking away, and the timber framework needs investigating too. The couple are entrusting art conservator Lucia Scalisi with the fine detail work required to get this community emblem looking fit for the spotlight once again. 

Next in is Anjali Prasad from Manchester, who is hoping that expert bookbinder Chris Shaw can revitalise a copy of the Ramayana, an important Hindu scripture, created by her great-great-uncle in 1914. The paper booklet was written and printed in India in a dialect specific to where Anjali's great-great-uncle Munshi Ram lived. As a self-educated man, Munshi Ram took it upon himself to help improve the lives of his community and set about writing an accessible copy of the Ramayana, meant for mass consumption. Over 100 years have taken their toll, and the front page of the Ramayana is torn in two, with disintegrating binding and badly frayed edges throughout. With dexterity and skill, Chris injects some vitality back into the sacred text that means so much to Anjali. 

The final restoration falls to metal maestro Dominic Chinea who's faced with disassembling and repairing a large model helicopter brought in by Sally from Norfolk. Sally explains that the helicopter was built by her father Alec, who placed it proudly atop the charity shop he opened in 1999 to support the East Anglian Air Ambulance. The bright yellow helicopter operated as a weathervane and local landmark, helping to draw people to the shop and in turn raise over £2 million for local charities. For Sally, the helicopter is a physical memento of her creative and generous father, who sadly passed away in 2010. Now Dom has the challenging task of getting this helicopter, which no longer spins and has wonky propellors, back in working order, so that Sally and customers of the shop can once again enjoy the sight of her father's helicopter high upon the rooftop.

First in the barn is Sarah Ruffle and her son James. She's hoping toy restorers Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch can work wonders on her childhood bear Teddy Greeves. Born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, Sarah has been in and out of hospital her whole life, and Teddy Greeves has been with her every step of the way, even accompanying her into the operating theatre. Now showing many signs of wear and tear, including a bandage across his tummy where he has no fur and the loss of his entire face, Julie and Amanda set to work to breathe new life into 53-year-old Teddy, ensuring he can stay by Sarah's side for many years to come. 

Next to arrive are friends from Yorkshire, both called John, who've brought a commemorative serviette of one of Britain's worst mining disasters. The pair, both ex-miners themselves, have a dishevelled serviette marking the West Stanley pit disaster of 1909 in which 168 people lost their lives. The duo have a collection of mining memorabilia which they use when talking to schoolchildren about the history and heritage of the industry. The serviette is typical of the items made available to buy at benefits after such disasters in the early 1900s, this being the only way to raise funds for the families who lost loved ones. Tragically, children as young as 13 lost their lives whilst working underground during the accident. 

The delicate crepe paper serviette has been partly eaten away by insects, and what remains is incredibly delicate. Both ex-miners would like to it be made robust enough to survive so that its important history can go on - and be displayed back in West Stanley. Paper conservator Angelina Bakalarou has the job of getting the serviette in one piece once again. 

Next is Angela Douglas from the Black Isle in Scotland, with a family heirloom for the attention of horologist Steve Fletcher. The Dutch clock, believed to date back to the 17th century, was a treasured possession of her late father, Peter, a larger-than-life character who sadly passed away in 2020 at the age of 89. His fascination with the clock and its link to their family history has passed onto Angela and her three siblings, and their research into the clock and family tree has brought them all together, despite living across the globe. Steve sets to work to see if he can get the clock ticking again, keeping Peter's memory alive for future generations. 

Finally, violin maker and restorer Becky Houghton has returned to the barn to help 13-year-old Savanna and her mum, Adelajda, save a musical monument to their family's war-torn past. The violin was originally owned by Savanna's great-grandfather's sister Maria, who lived in Poland before she had to abandon the instrument and her home. 

In early September 1939, at the outbreak of WW2, Maria and her family had to flee the Germans. Maria had to leave this violin at home, as she could only take the essentials. Sadly, she did not survive that war, and Savanna's great-grandfather Josef kept it as a keepsake of his sister. He gave it to his daughter, who gave it to her daughter, and then to Savanna. To get the violin back in working order, Becky must repair the fingerboard which has become completely adrift after decades of wear, before she must then tackle the strings and tailpiece

First through the barn doors is broadcaster Sally Magnusson, who is hoping furniture restorer Sonnaz Nooranvary can help safe a precious memento from her late father – the original Mastermind chair that was featured in every programme for Mastermind's first 25 years under the chairmanship of her father Magnus Magnusson. It was given to him in 1997 when he retired from hosting the icon quiz show. It's lived in Sally's house since her dad's death in 2007 and is looking the worse for wear. For Sally, it's much more than a telly prop – it reminds her of an era when she was growing up, her dad was making the programme and he suddenly became a celebrity. 

As Sonnaz gets to work on the iconic prop, she discovers the areas that need immediate attention are on the arms. The leather has slowly worn over time. And at the base, there's some really heavy creasing where nervous contestants once sat. She needs to line the leather to give it some extra strength. Over the years, the padding on the inside has really compressed down, and that needs to be brought back to life again. Unexpected structural damage in the arms means she also needs to call in the help of Dom Chinea. 

Conducting the next repair is Pete Woods, who tackles an out-of-tune and worn-out glockenspiel that holds deep sentimental value for sisters Mandy Fletcher and Tina Kay from Leeds. The glockenspiel, once belonging to their father Ken Newton, holds a special place in their hearts, as it reminds them of their father's days as a talented percussionist and drummer at the renowned Batley Variety Club. As part of the house band, their father played alongside some of the biggest musical stars of the day, including Louis Armstrong, Jay Orbison and Shirley Bassey. But the years of touring and performing have left the glockenspiel past its peak. So, while Pete focuses on restoring its tone and functionality, colleague Suzie Fletcher lends a hand on the battered case. Together, the talented duo transform the tired instrument into a playable treasure, symbolising the enduring bond between the sisters and their beloved father. 

Next in the barn is Jennie Jewitt-Harris from Surrey with a storybook that has its own extraordinary tale to tell. A children's book given to her dad Tony in 1943 on his eighth birthday, which still has the inscription inside the cover wishing him a happy birthday. Just 12 months later, as World War II raged on, the book that entertained him would also save his life. In 1944, Jennie's dad was lying in bed in his home in Chingford when German planes launched a bombing campaign to try and hit the local reservoirs. One bomb ripped the front and the roof off Tony's family house, and he was found lying with the book on his chest and a big shard of glass sticking out the back of the book. With such an incredible story behind the book, Chris Shaw must proceed cautiously with his repair. There's no spine, and the pages need re-sewing. But since the damage is also part of the book's story, it's important that he keeps the age and provenance of where the glass pierced it. 

Last to arrive are Peter and Laura from Smethwick. The grandfather and granddaughter are hoping that expert woodworker Will Kirk can repair a precious toy that's been in their family for generations. The wooden toucan mobile was originally given to Laura as a baby and stayed with her until she left home at 18. When Laura gave birth to her own son, Rory, it was immediately decided that the toucan, affectionately known as ‘Mr Toucs', should go into baby Rory's room. However, an accident during transport saw Mr Toucs lost on a farm and part of him run over on a nearby A road! Laura and her grandfather Peter can't bear to be without their beloved mobile and want Will to make a new wing and the cloud that used to hang above the bird to take pride of place in baby Rory's bedroom. With new component parts to make, Will can see how the bird should go together. But it's the flapping mechanism that he wants to demonstrate to Peter and Laura when they return to the barn.

First getting to work first is expert Will Kirk, who has an appointment with an 1890s knife-sharpening barrow and its custodian, Emilio. He has brought the barrow with a request that this important piece of family history can be transformed from the now broken and rusted condition. The barrow originally belonged to Emilio's great-grandfather, also called Emilio, who took up the trade of knife sharpening in a small village in the Dolomite Mountains before setting off to seek his fortune, with the sharpening barrow his only means of supporting himself. Emilio Sr pushed the barrow all the way across Austria and into France before settling in Deptford, London. But now the barrow has a collapsed side panel, an overstretched belt and a broken spindle leg, meaning Emilio has never seen it working. Will has to keep his nose to the grindstone to complete the substantial repair job required to get this unique machine working once again. 

Next, soft toy restorers Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell have an appointment with Jamie from Hampshire, who has brought with him a cuddly canine full of special memories. The stuffed husky was given to Jamie when he was just six years old and accompanied him through many hospital visits as he was treated for complex regional pain syndrome, a condition where damaged nerve pathways cause extreme pain. Eventually, in 2016, Jamie made the decision to have an amputation and began a new stage in his life, learning to walk again and taking on many physical challenges like climbing Mount Snowden and travelling abroad – all of which Po has accompanied him on. Jamie now competes internationally in obstacle races and wants to continue to take mascot Po along for the ride but is scared to do so due to his delicate state. Po's stitching is loose around the neck, and his head threatens to fall off, whilst the body has tears and worn-away patches throughout. But Jamie's keen that Po retains the character of a well-loved and well-travelled companion, so Amanda and Julie hatch a plan to make this husky a very special onesie to protect him from whatever the next stage of his adventures should throw at him. 

Arriving for an appointment with both luthier Julyan Wallis and painting conservator Lucia Scalisi is Danielle from London, who has brought along a one-of-a-kind guitar that belonged to her father, Colin. Danielle explains that her dad was a keen amateur artist and musician, so he combined his passions by painting the front of this guitar in his trademark abstract pattern. Tragically, after Danielle's grandmother died, Colin's mental health was badly affected, and he died not long after when Danielle was just 11. The guitar is a poignant reminder of the beloved father that brought Danielle so much joy – but now its paintwork is dull and badly worn, and the neck is misaligned, meaning it can't be played. Julyan tackles phase one of the restoration, realigning the guitar neck and polishing up the picks. Lucia takes on phase two, as she painstakingly removes the remaining patches of original varnish before retouching with acrylic paints to precisely match the colours Colin used all those years ago. 

The final restoration falls to husband-and-wife team Walid and Joujou, experts in the field of typewriter restoration. The couple are faced with dissecting and reassembling a truly unique example of mid-century technology brought in by mother and daughter Lynda and Jemma. Lynda explains that she has owned the braille typewriter since the age of seven as a girl in a school for the blind. The typewriters were the first of their kind to be mass produced and played an important part in helping blind people to be equally as literate as their sighted peers. When Lynda had daughter Jemma, also born partially sighted, the typewriter took on a new domestic function as a labeller for children's books and images. Sadly, Jemma's sight continues to deteriorate, and so she is learning the more advanced Grade 2 braille and requires the family's trusty typewriter to help her with the task. Walid and Joujou have a complex challenge ahead to get the machine working again. The internal mechanism gets permanently jammed, paper won't stay inside, and the case is in tatters. The married experts set to work so that Jemma and Lynda can once again use the device that has been of such vital assistance to them throughout their lives.