The Repair Shop

It's the return of smoke and mirrors from times past as Camilla arrives with a groundbreaking form of Victorian entertainment she'd like to see back in action. Her revolving zoetrope is a candlelit, animation device that laid the foundations for the development of moving film.

Camilla's great-great-great-grandfather made the device back in the 1850s. A chief draftsman of the Darlington Railway, he often did technical drawings of trains, and his eye for detail can be seen in the construction of her zoetrope. Passed down to her grandma, Camilla recalls playing with it as a child, and now that it is in her care, she'd love to see it restored to working order.

Angelina Bakalarou has clocked up nearly 20 years of paper conservation experience, which she can use to restore the picture scrolls, whilst expert Dominic Chinea takes on the missing metal prongs that hold the scrolls in place. Will Kirk uses traditional techniques to make a stand. Their combined hard work leaves Camilla completely animated over her now fully usable zoetrope.

The barn's next project is a pair of furniture designer classics. The forlorn pair of chairs belong to Roger, who inherited them from his twin brother Chris when he immigrated to Florida in the 1990s. Unbeknownst to Roger, upholstery expert Sonnaz Nooranvary reveals that his brother Chris had very good taste, as the chairs are vintage ercol. Not realising how important they would become after the loss of his brother, Roger kept the chairs stored in a damp storage space for many years and is now ashamed they've ended up in such a sorry state. Sonnaz sets to work revamping the upholstery, whilst carpenter Will Kirk tackles the water-damaged wood. Their combined efforts pay off as Roger takes a seat on his beautifully restored keepsakes.

Next, hoping for the healing hands of ceramics conservator Kirsten Ramsay, Janaki enters the barn with a precious link to her Sri Lankan heritage. Her ceramic statue of the Buddha has been in her family for over 70 years and was passed down by her mum. Back in Sri Lanka, her mother left the family home and started work as a nanny for a wealthy family, which was unusual for the times. After a few years, the family decided to immigrate to the UK and asked Janaki's mum if she'd like to go with them. Quite the adventurer, she jumped at the chance. Once settled in London, she married and had children of her own. Times were tight, but she remained a devout Buddhist, and Janaki remembers that the statue was always the centrepiece of her mother's shrine at home. But time has not been kind to the little statue. With damage to the all-important gesture of the Buddha and a broken base, Kirsten must undertake some delicate repairs to restore this beautiful, dainty piece.

Finally, Fiona brings in a pair of her dad's boots from the 1960s. She explains that these are no ordinary Chelsea boots but traditional step-dancing boots. Her father, a Norfolk fisherman and lifeboat worker, used this freestyle form of tap dancing to relax at the end of a hard day's work. Keen to continue the tradition, Fiona returns to the barn accompanied by a musician in the hope of dancing in her father's step-boots once again.

First through the workshop doors is Ben, with an unusual item needing a joint crusade to get it back on its feet. Silversmith Brenton West, woodworker Will Kirk and leather expert Suzie Fletcher collaborate to bring this suit of armour back to life. Dubbed ‘Arthur', it belonged to Ben's grandfather, actor Joss Ackland, and is believed to have been gifted to him as a parting gift after the 1973 film The Three Musketeers. The suit of armour stood guard in the room that Ben slept in when staying over at his grandparents' house as a young child. He was afraid of it, but they reassured him by saying it was there to protect him. When Joss died at the end of 2023, Ben asked if he could have the suit of armour, and is now keen to have it restored. 'It's important for me that Arthur's brought back to life, because it's part of him.' While Brenton leads the charge, Will tackles the joist, and Suzie focusses on the leather straps. When Ben returns, he's blown away by the memories brought flooding back by the restored suit of armour.

Next, husband-and-wife-team Walid and Joujou Saad hold the key to the restoration of a precious typewriter brought in by writer Nicola and her father Joe. The pre-war machine belonged to Nicola's mother, Maureen, who was taught to type on it by her grandmother to land her first job in the 1960s. A year later, Joe got a job at the same company, where the young couple met and fell in love. Nicola says, 'That machine helped her learn the skill to get the job and meet the love of her life.' Sadly, Maureen now has Alzheimer's, and Nicola is keen to have the typewriter restored, so that she can use it and explain to her own children the important role it played in their grandma's life. It's a big degreasing and cleaning task for Team Typewriter, but when dad and daughter return, they are delighted with the restored machine.

Arriving next is a beast of a challenge for stained-glass restorer Matt Nickels. Charlotte's grandfather made the piece of stained-glass – featuring a stag in the centre – which was installed in the bathroom of the bungalow where he lived. 'It's always been one of those quirky parts of the house.' Now, Charlotte's sister lives in the property and is doing it up, but Charlotte is determined to save the stained-glass pane that she remembers from childhood. Will Kirk whips up a teak frame to complement the colourful glass, leaving Charlotte absolutely delighted when she returns.

Last is a pair of boots to get the whole barn moving. Dance teacher Helen has brought in her red and white cowboy boots that embody 30 years of fun on the floor line dancing. Recently, Helen's heel got stuck in the torn inner lining of one of the boots, and her husband had to cut through its length to release her foot. Helen was horrified. Determined to still be dancing aged 90, she needs her trusty boots back in fine fettle. Cobbler Dean Westmoreland is tasked with getting the boots back in harmony so that the barn team can be taught line dancing by a delighted Helen.

First into the barn is Zelda, with her most precious possession, a ring bought by her father on a day out together when she was a teenager. But the ring looks nothing like it originally did when it had an onyx stone as the centrepiece with the letter p on top. Unfortunately, the stone fell out. Zelda's stepmum had it fixed, but the black onyx was replaced by a purple amethyst which, though beautiful, isn't the ring Zelda remembers. Now that her dad has passed away, Zelda is keen to get it back to its original best.

It's a challenging fix for master goldsmith Richard Talman, and he enlists the help of Sonnaz Nooranvary to drip water while he drills into the onyx stone. The intricate repair work does the job, and Zelda is transported to her childhood when the cloth comes off.

Next, a severely cracked mechanical doll needs the expert skills of toy restorers Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch. For Ian, the doll is a painful reminder of his sister Denise, who he lost in a road traffic accident, aged just 24. After she died, his parents stored the doll in the loft, and Ian has only recently rediscovered it. While Julie and Amanda crack on with filling the doll's fractures, creating new digits for her missing fingers and making a new outfit, mechanical whiz David Burville gets her walking and moving her head again. When Ian sees the newly restored doll, he can't believe the transformation.

The third visitor is Kevin, with a 1920s banner that has seen better days. The large textile was owned by the Milburn Toffs Jazz Band, who along with other groups used to take part in carnivals around the north east of England. The Toffs came from a working-class area but dressed ironically in posh top hats and tails. At the centre of the banner is a little boy – Kevin's father as a young child, the mascot of the band. Art conservator Lucia Scalisi and textile conservator Rebecca Bissonnet join forces to make the banner parade ready once again.

The barn's final visitor is Dylan, with a wooden whirligig – a garden ornament that spins in the wind – made by his beloved grandfather. The whirligig was damaged in a storm and requires the skills of woodworker Will Kirk. Dylan's grandfather was a great support to Dylan as he learned to live with MDP syndrome and to gradually grow in confidence. Dylan has received an award for spreading positivity on social media and attributes his grandad to helping him ‘have a voice'. The whirligig is a fun reminder of how his grandad wanted to bring a smile to his face. It's a labour of love for Will to get the precious ornament spinning again in time for Dylan's return.

First into the barn are Keith and his daughter Kirsty, who have brought a cleverly designed accessory that requires the skills of resident horologist Steve Fletcher. Keith's father Desmond went blind in his thirties due to a hereditary disease that runs in the family called Stickler syndrome. Desmond never let his condition stop him and retrained in his field so he could continue his career in engineering and welding after becoming blind. Upon retirement, after 21 years of loyal service, Desmond was presented with a personally engraved braille watch from his company and wore it every day for over 30 years. Steve takes on a new challenge with the watch, making a hinged case so that the glass top can be opened, and the wearer can feel the braille dial to tell the time. Keith and Kirsty want to repair the watch in honour of Desmond's inspiring resilience and to pass it onto Keith's granddaughter and Kirsty's daughter Phoebe, who is also blind.

Next in are brother and sister Zaff and Nasari, with an item holding long-buried memories of their family's life in Uganda. The siblings need help from electrical expert Mark Stuckey with their father's vintage projector, which was used to showcase family videos. When their family was forced to flee the country in 1972, Zaff and Nasari's father brought the precious projector with them to Rochdale, where they eventually rebuilt their lives. After almost half a century of being unused, Zaff and Nasari hope to restore the projector to working condition. Allowing them to relive never-before-seen treasured memories of their childhood in Uganda.

Woodworker Will Kirk welcomes Zoe Blake-James and her grandmother Rowan, with a family heirloom that has been passed down four generations of women in the Blake-James family, making it over 130 years old. The vintage fire screen originally belonged to Rowan's grandmother, and she has fond childhood memories of it being used in the family living room. Zoë is a student of Victorian literature and has a great passion for researching this era and her family's history. The pair would love to preserve the fire screen for future generations. Will gets cracking with the wooden frame and enlists the help of textiles conservationist Rebecca Bissonnet to tackle the delicate embroidered screen.

The final pair to walk through the barn doors are celebrated veteran singer-songwriter Ralph McTell and his friend Matthew. They need the expertise of leather expert Suzie Fletcher to help repair a tattered old toy that has been earmarked for a revival. Ralph was involved in a children's programme called Alphabet Zoo in the 80s, where he wrote a song for every letter of the alphabet. A friend gave him the leather kangaroo as a gift to celebrate the song Kenny The Kangaroo. As a result, Kenny appeared on stage with Ralph at venues like the Royal Festival Hall. Ralph met Matthew at his local pub. As well as working at the pub, Matthew also works with children with special needs doing music therapy, where he began using Ralph's songs in his class. The children were captivated by the song Kenny The Kangaroo. Ralph was moved by this and offered to donate his leather friend to the school, but it cannot be enjoyed by the children in its current condition. Suzie has her work cut out in repairing this 70s stuffed toy from down under, whose once robust leather is now cracked and split. When the pair return, they are delighted to see Suzie has been able to get Kenny leaping back into action again, so Matthew can use him in his therapy sessions with the children.