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Welcome to The Repair Shop,
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where cherished family heirlooms
are brought back to life.
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This is the workshop of dreams.
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Home to furniture restorer
Jay Blades.
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Nowadays everybody
spends a fortune on stuff
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that once it's broken,
they just bin it.
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But everybody has something that
means too much to be thrown away
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and that's where we come in.
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Working alongside Jay
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will be some of the country's
leading craftspeople.
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Every piece has its own story.
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It's amazing to think
that some of my work
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becomes part of that story.
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I've always played with things,
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I've always repaired things
and I just love it.
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It's a real pleasure in bringing
people's pieces back to life again.
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Each with their own
unique set of skills...
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I can't wait to get started.
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..they will resurrect...
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revive...and rejuvenate...
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..treasured possessions
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and irreplaceable pieces
of family history.
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Wow!
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Bringing both the objects...
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She's fantastic!
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That's just taken me
back 50 years...
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..and the memories
that they hold...
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THEY GASP
Oh, yes!
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..back to life.
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Oh, my God.
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In The Repair Shop today,
Steve and Kirsten collaborate
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on a very fragile
19th century clock.
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There we go. Can I let go?
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OK. Are you sure?
Yeah. OK.
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Don't!
THEY LAUGH
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While expert George tackles
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an antique typewriter
with royal connections.
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Where's the spell check button?
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Ah!
THEY LAUGH
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You're 100 years
too late for that.
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First through The Repair Shop doors
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is John Lofting,
on a top secret mission.
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Hello. Hi.
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He's enlisting an expert
who's very clever with leather,
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Suzie Fletcher. Nice to meet you.
What do you have here?
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So this is my grandfather's
World War II flying jacket.
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OK. Which he did actually
use in the war.
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Really? Yeah. I believe it's an
Irvin jacket
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and that was designed
specifically
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for the Coastal Command,
as part of the RAF. Right.
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They don't all have
the yellow hoods.
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Oh, right. What is this?
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If they were unfortunate enough
to have to ditch in the sea
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they could put this up
and it was easily visible
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from any of the search planes.
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He was a navigator,
air gunner in a bomber.
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Coastal Command was
the maritime arm of the RAF.
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Their role was to patrol and defend
the home coast from attack
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and to spot down airmen and
stricken ships in British waters.
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During the Second World War,
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the heroes of Coastal Command
sank 366 German vessels.
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But the cost was heavy.
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Nearly 6,000
Coastal Command personnel
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lost their lives in combat.
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John's grandfather survived
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and continued in the
Air Force after the war.
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I never met my grandfather.
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Unfortunately,
he died before I was born.
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So it's my father's.
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He was given it or inherited it.
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It's pretty important to us
because it's one of the few things
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that my father still has of his.
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What is it you would like me
to do this?
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Well, I actually smuggled it out
of the house without my dad knowing.
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How on earth did you manage that?
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I did collude with his wife.
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Why didn't you feel that
you wanted to ask?
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I just thought it would be
a really nice surprise.
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I mean, my dad doesn't talk
about his dad very much.
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I don't know a huge amount
about my grandfather.
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But I've always known about this.
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I've always known about it, always
known it was Grandad's and I just
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thought that would be
a really wonderful thing,
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for my father to
have something restored
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that belonged to his father.
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But also I think it's got
historical significance as well.
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You know, it was actually used
in the war and I think it flew
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missions and what it saw, so I think
to bring it back to its former glory
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would be truly amazing.
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Most of the lining on all
the seams has come away.
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Oh, yes. Yeah.
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I guess that's one of
the more minor things,
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if you start to look
at some of the holes.
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I mean, up in the shoulder here.
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Oh, my. Yes, right.
Yeah. I'm... Yeah.
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I'm not sure how that happened.
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My father has worn it,
back in his late teens
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and so did my uncle, in fact.
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So I think that's maybe where some
of the wear and tear has come from.
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And you're clearly confident
that he will be very happy
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that I'm going to
put this back together?
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Yeah. Yeah.
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I mean, as you can see,
it needs some tender loving care.
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I am going to cherish this
while it's in my hands.
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And I appreciate you bringing it in.
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I'll leave it with you. Brilliant.
Thanks. All right take care, John.
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Thank you. Bye.
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I'm feeling quite apprehensive
that I've dropped it off,
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giving it to someone else
to take care of.
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It's an important part
of the family,
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important item to the family.
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My father means a lot to me
and to be able to give...
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do this for him...
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means a lot to me too,
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so I'm really, really looking
forward to him seeing it
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and him seeing
the finished product.
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Sorry.
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Now John must work out how to
lure his father to The Repair Shop,
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while Suzie gets to work
on his big surprise.
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Just looking over the jacket.
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There's an awful lot of hand
sewing to do,
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of all the leather-work
that's come away
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and I have the zips to replace.
This hole in the shoulder here
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is going to be a little tricky.
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But we'll be able
to get that all reinforced
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while I'm working on it.
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I'm sure I'll be imagining
what this jacket has been through.
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John's grandfather's jacket
is falling apart at the seams.
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Pretty much all of these strips
of leather that are covering
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the main seams that butts the two
pieces of leather together
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is going to have to be re-sewn.
All the stitching is rotten.
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It's very fragile.
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I just need to sew every seam,
of which there are many.
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With an entire jacket
to carefully re-stitch,
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Suzie's calling on the help
of an old and dependable friend.
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You all right? Hello.
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I did offer to get you
an electric one.
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This is... This is Pearl.
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Nice to meet you, Pearl.
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Pearl is a Singer sewing machine.
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And there was an Elkie Brooks
record, Pearl's A Singer,
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so I call it Pearl. All right.
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But the reason I like
this hand-driven machine
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is this has to be done one
stitch at a time to match up
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the original stitches. And if you
had an electric sewing machine,
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it probably would take up...
It does its own stitching.
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It would do its own stitching.
And you can control.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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So there's nothing I can do?
Well, you might want to turn handle.
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Slowly.
And go very, very slowly.
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Ready?
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Perfect. Like that?
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Yeah. Keep going.
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Cor blimey.
This is going to take ages!
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You're not going
anywhere this afternoon.
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I'm here for rest of me life!
Yeah. Keep going.
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You've got to do the whole jacket
like this? The whole jacket.
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Keep going.
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Next into The Repair Shop,
Jane Prechter from Maidenhead.
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Hello. Hello.
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She has a treasured possession
in desperate need of some
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very specialist attention.
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What have we got here, then?
It's a Meissen porcelain clock.
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That is beautiful.
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Kirsten, we've got one here for you.
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Kirsten Ramsey to the rescue,
with her years of experience
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restoring ceramics
from around the world.
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This looks nice. It's very nice.
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Can I take it out? Yes, please do.
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Lovely. Ooh! Rattling.
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Right.
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Wow.
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That's absolutely fabulous.
It's beautiful, isn't it? Yeah.
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So what's the story
behind this, then?
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My grandfather collected antiques.
He had a good eye for it, I think.
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My father wasn't interested
in antiques but my mother was.
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So when Grandpa died, he passed
this on to my mother
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who was his daughter-in-law.
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She encouraged me
to take an interest.
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I remember her telling me
it was the four seasons
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that this spring with
the garland of flowers,
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summer has the sickle
and the sheaf of corn.
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Autumn has the wineglass
and the vine.
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And winter has a blanket and a
little bowl of hot soup.
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Oh, right, OK!
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Or coals, or... Something warm.
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Perhaps when we clean it,
we'll find out. Yeah.
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It's a broth. It's a broth.
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I remember it working and being
on Grandad's mantelpiece.
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So what's wrong with it?
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My friend came to visit me
about eight years ago.
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I was poorly and she came to help me
and she took it off the mantelpiece
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to dust, put it on a stool and then
promptly knocked it over.
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Wow.
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Are you still friends? Yeah, we are.
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Well, we've known each other
a long time.
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Are those bits lost, then?
She Hoovered them up. Oh, no!
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Wow.
Goodness.
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I mean, it's a lovely clock.
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It's Meissen, it's turn
of the century so it's...
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I mean, they are beautifully made.
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It is really good quality porcelain.
OK.
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That's nice. If Kirsten likes it,
it must mean it's good.
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It is very well made.
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Very skilfully made.
So much work, so much detail in it.
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Absolutely. And I feel it does
connect me to Grandpa and to Mum.
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They both treasured it.
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And the clock, is the clock...?
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It used to ding every so often.
Oh, really?
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Well, we could ask Steve to have a
look. Yeah, Steve's the man.
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Steve? If you don't mind,
come and have a look at this one.
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I've been itching to come over.
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00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:08,960
Hi. Hello.
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Right, let's have a look.
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When was the last time it worked?
About nine years ago.
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Oh, right, OK. I reckon it hasn't
been looked at by a clockmaker
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in about...25, 30 years.
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Yeah. And I can tell that by the...
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the colour of the brass.
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I don't remember it ever being
seen by a clockmaker.
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So, right!
That would explain it, then.
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So, Steve, what do you reckon,
can we get this working?
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Oh, yeah, we'll get it working.
That would be great.
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Team effort, then. It is.
Absolutely. Cool.
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So thank you for bringing it in.
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Yep, thanks. Nice to meet you all.
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Nice to meet you too.
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Carefully!
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THEY LAUGH
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It's nice.
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It's going to clean up beautifully.
It's a quality piece, isn't it?
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00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:01,640
Absolutely, yeah.
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I'm glad I've dropped the clock off.
I'm feeling quite relieved
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it didn't get more broken
on the way here.
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The clock is the link across
the generations of my family
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and it reminds me of my
grandparents, it reminds me of times
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in their house and it would be
lovely to be able to pass that
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on to my boys as well.
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I'm just itching to get going.
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It's going to it's going
to come up so beautifully.
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And your clock, you think you're
quite confident?
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Yeah, the clock is a very standard
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but very good quality
French movement.
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And I've worked
on hundreds of these.
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They're all good quality.
Right. OK.
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So you need to get
the clock out first
247
00:12:50,560 --> 00:12:53,480
before Kirsten can work on
the actual body. Yeah. OK.
248
00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,960
So it sounds like you're both
excited about this one.
249
00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,600
Absolutely. And it's a team effort.
Yeah, absolutely.
250
00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,800
So can I leave you to it? You can.
You sure?
251
00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:02,520
Yeah. All right, thanks, Steve.
252
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:10,200
Meissen porcelain was developed in
Germany in the early 18th century.
253
00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,360
It was the first porcelain
to be produced in Europe,
254
00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,240
the Chinese having had a monopoly
on the process up until then.
255
00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,160
Renowned for its whimsical style
and delicate rococo detail,
256
00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,600
it has become extremely
sought after by collectors.
257
00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,240
So I'm just going to start
taking it apart now.
258
00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,360
Just pop the dial off.
259
00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:38,720
The strike has completely seized
up, which I'm very surprised at.
260
00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,880
It might be just because
it's years since it was used.
261
00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,840
On the time side,
it looks fairly seized up as well.
262
00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,080
I'm going to have
to take it fully apart
263
00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,200
to actually find out
what the problem is.
264
00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:51,760
Hi, Steve.
265
00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:53,320
Hi.
266
00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,240
Just coming for the Meissen clock
case. Yeah, take it away.
267
00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,240
I'm terrified of it here.
SHE LAUGHS
268
00:13:58,240 --> 00:13:59,480
Absolutely terrified. OK.
269
00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,040
Just the sort of thing that
you'd swing around and knock.
270
00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,000
Take it away!
271
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,320
Have you got it? Yeah, I've got it.
Sure? Yeah, absolutely. Definitely.
272
00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:08,960
All right. Thank you, Steve.
All right.
273
00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,080
Leather restorer Suzie is
on a covert assignment
274
00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,560
to restore a precious piece
of family history.
275
00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:33,320
A World War II bomber jacket
that is succumbing to age.
276
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,040
The hole here is actually
in the shoulder area.
277
00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,440
It's a very significant repair
278
00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,360
and I want to stabilise
this whole area.
279
00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:43,840
In order to do that,
280
00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,880
I'm going to be trimming off
the wool
281
00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,320
that's on the inside of the jacket
282
00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:56,360
and I'll then be gluing some
aviator leather on the inside.
283
00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:01,200
It has the wool
still attached to it.
284
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,760
It's beautiful and soft
285
00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,240
and the leather is
a decent thickness.
286
00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:12,040
So I'm going to shave
all the wool off down to the skin.
287
00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:15,600
I'm just going to take my time
doing this
288
00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,400
as I don't want to cut
the leather itself.
289
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:33,520
After preparing the ribbed area,
Suzie can attach the sheepskin patch
290
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,480
but the heavy-duty adhesive means
she's only got one shot.
291
00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,880
It's a case of that balance
between taking your time,
292
00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,760
but also you can't hang about
while you're doing it.
293
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,960
So now that I flip the jacket over,
294
00:15:55,960 --> 00:16:00,720
I'm making sure that
those tears are joined together.
295
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,280
Where we've got these
little flaky bits sticking up,
296
00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:09,080
they'll actually cover over some
of the tears, which is quite nice.
297
00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:15,120
Already I can feel that new piece
of leather has really stabilised
298
00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:19,400
this whole section
that was incredibly weak.
299
00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,240
So I'm very pleased
with how this has gone.
300
00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:24,960
The years on combat duty
301
00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,320
haven't just taken their toll
on the leather.
302
00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:32,760
The zip on this jacket is
actually very badly damaged.
303
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:36,280
It's lost many of the teeth.
It's not the original.
304
00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:38,080
I can see it's been repaired
in the past.
305
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,560
A zip on a jacket like this,
it's so important that it works,
306
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,000
and it's easy to attach and do up,
307
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,640
particularly on
those cold, wet days.
308
00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,160
Things to bear in mind
when you're putting a zip in
309
00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,400
is making sure that
when you've taken the zip apart,
310
00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,800
you sew the right side on.
311
00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,960
Otherwise you'll find out
when you go to put
312
00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:03,400
the side with the slider on
you've got it inside out
313
00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:05,240
which isn't going to work.
314
00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,080
Machining went very well.
Very happy with it.
315
00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,120
So it just leaves me to test
the zip out for the first time,
316
00:17:16,120 --> 00:17:18,320
and hopefully I've got it right.
317
00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:25,800
Nice.
318
00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:36,240
As Suzie breathes new life
into the aviator jacket,
319
00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,520
more items are coming in
to The Repair Shop.
320
00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,560
Next, it's Lucy and Chris Smith
from Exeter in Devon.
321
00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:48,640
Here we are. Yes.
322
00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:49,720
Hi, there.
323
00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,760
They've brought in
an historic family heirloom
324
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:54,240
with a regal connection.
325
00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,520
Let's have a look.
Or let you have a look.
326
00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,440
Look at that.
It's a typewriter, I can see.
327
00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,040
It's an Underwood 5. Is it? Yes.
328
00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,840
The Repair Shop has called
on the expertise of
329
00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:09,280
vintage typewriter restorer
George Blackman.
330
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:14,200
It belonged to my grandfather
who wrote these memoirs on it
331
00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:20,160
of the Boer War and First World War
and his time in The Army...
332
00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,840
OK. ..and during his distinguished
military career.
333
00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,560
And the really interesting thing
we think, is that he was
334
00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,080
godson to Queen Victoria.
335
00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,520
Queen Victoria? Queen Victoria.
336
00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:32,880
So, my great grandparents
337
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,600
and Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert were friends.
338
00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,520
Oh, I mean... Just as you do! Yes!
339
00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,400
As he was friends,
within the memoirs,
340
00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,680
he records the fact he was at
Sandhurst, training to be an officer
341
00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,560
with Winston Churchill.
Well-connected, then. Yes.
342
00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,440
And one of the most
fascinating things that he records,
343
00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,480
he was on attachment to
the British embassy in Berlin
344
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,240
and he was there
at that very point
345
00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:56,960
Britain had declared war on Germany.
346
00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:01,760
And that's also... The accounts
are in there, in the memoirs,
347
00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,080
written on the typewriter again.
348
00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,640
So it's got a very interesting story
behind it, this typewriter.
349
00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,760
I always say, if only things
like this could talk.
350
00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,520
I know. The stories, well, the
stories are here. Yes, they are.
351
00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:16,800
But it would bring it to life
even more, wouldn't it?
352
00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:21,960
So it must mean quite a lot to you,
then. It means a great deal to me.
353
00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,160
I'm sort of very family-orientated.
354
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:29,680
So, although I only knew
my grandfather for nine years,
355
00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:31,280
my family are very important
356
00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:34,440
and I want to pass it on
to the next generation.
357
00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,960
It's, you know,
it's a family heirloom
358
00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,640
that I want to keep
in the family forever.
359
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,400
So this isn't working at the moment?
No, no.
360
00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,240
Probably never been used for
60, 70 years. Really?
361
00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,400
Yes, I would say that's right.
Yes.
362
00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:53,640
What happens is they used to use
an old type of oil years ago
363
00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:55,920
and it congeals.
364
00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,240
And it sucks in all the dirt
from everywhere,
365
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:03,960
and it just seizes everything up,
so we can't move it. Yeah, yeah.
366
00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:05,840
All these keys here are all stuck.
367
00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:09,080
Let's see if we can get some moving.
368
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,680
LUCY: A bit sticky.
They are very sticky, yeah.
369
00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,760
I've never worked on one
with royal connections at all.
370
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,480
But it'd be a pleasure
to rebuild it
371
00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,960
with all the history
that you've told me.
372
00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:22,480
Well, excellent. Excellent.
373
00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:24,920
It'd be great to have it
in working order
374
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,840
so it can go back in pride of place.
375
00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,600
Well, we'll certainly try to.
Thank you very much, George.
376
00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,360
Thank you for coming down.
Thank you, will. Thank you, George.
377
00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:34,600
Bye-bye. Thank you, bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
378
00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,240
I'm feeling very excited
now I've dropped the typewriter off
379
00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:44,120
because, with any luck,
George will be able to restore it
380
00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:46,840
and then it can be passed on
to the next generation.
381
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,120
I'm sure it's more than
a possibility.
382
00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:51,040
George is going to do it, I know.
383
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:53,800
So, George, this is such a nice
piece into the workshop. It is.
384
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:59,000
And it's the first item we've had
that has a link to the royal family.
385
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,520
That's right, yeah.
I've done several like this
386
00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:04,920
but never known their history.
Whereas this one, I do
387
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,840
and it's very interesting.
Very interesting.
388
00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,320
The main thing we've got to do,
is the most important part,
389
00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:13,360
is the carriage movement. It's not
moving. We've got to sort that out.
390
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:15,200
And all the keys at the front,
391
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,560
which actually bring up
and type on the paper... Yep.
392
00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,080
..are just not working.
Seized.
393
00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,240
Seized up with years and years
of neglect.
394
00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,360
And then all these
have got to come out.
395
00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:27,600
Now, this is a big job.
What! You've take them all out?
396
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,040
We're going to take them all out.
397
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,400
There's hundreds and hundreds
of parts in this machine.
398
00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,680
Possibly nearly a thousand.
It looks like you've got
399
00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,960
a lot of work to be getting on with.
It's a lot of work.
400
00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:49,120
George's first job is
to dismantle the typewriter
401
00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:52,280
so he can give its myriad parts
a deep clean.
402
00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:56,440
Normally, a machine of this age
would be thrown away,
403
00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:01,080
just scrapped all over the place.
It's just a shame.
404
00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,600
That's the scale off.
405
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:05,720
Now, we should be able
to get it off.
406
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:13,760
Here it comes.
407
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:15,920
Waggle, waggle, waggle.
408
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:17,080
There we go.
409
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,960
But you can now see
all the gunge all along here.
410
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,280
That's been there for
a long, long time.
411
00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,760
It's one of the worst
I've ever seen, ha!
412
00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,080
Very bad.
413
00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,680
Steve and Kirsten
have combined forces
414
00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:53,320
to restore an ornate
19th century Meissen clock.
415
00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:56,000
It's picked up a lot of dirt
over the years
416
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,920
so I'm going to give it
a really good clean.
417
00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,920
Porcelain like this, when it
comes to me,
418
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,320
it does tend to be quite, erm,
419
00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,400
quite dirty normally, quite dusty.
420
00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,560
I think people are quite intimidated
421
00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:10,880
by cleaning things like this.
422
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,320
Going to use my steam cleaner,
which is absolutely brilliant job.
423
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,120
Bit like washing a car. All the dirt
kind of runs down.
424
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,600
Steve has his own clean-up
operation on the go.
425
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:35,240
The clock mechanism hasn't worked
for almost ten years
426
00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,560
and its parts
are in need of some TLC.
427
00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,400
I've taken the whole movement
apart now and there's
428
00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:42,800
nothing actually broken.
429
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,600
What I have found is that it's just
completely seized up with the oil
430
00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:49,640
that has gone absolutely
hard on all the pivots.
431
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,320
It's just like glue and so it's...
432
00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,800
That's just the reason why
the clock wasn't working.
433
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,840
I'll pop it in the clock cleaning
fluid now
434
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,440
and leave it there for a little
while, then I'm going to clean it
435
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:00,920
all up and polish it all.
436
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:10,200
This is a great, old-fashioned clock
cleaning fluid that my grandfather
437
00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,520
used to use most of his life.
438
00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,120
Leave that to cook for a little
while,
439
00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:16,160
about half an hour,
three-quarters of an hour.
440
00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:18,320
Hopefully put the clock back
together
441
00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:20,200
and it's going to work
all right.
442
00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:27,200
Kirsten is ready to tackle
the trickiest part of her repair -
443
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,200
rebuilding the missing
porcelain parts.
444
00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,160
I've got a couple of missing areas.
445
00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:34,240
I've got this wheatsheaf here.
446
00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:38,520
There's a finger and a toe
and a few leaves and things
447
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:42,160
so I'm going to make up
the missing areas.
448
00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:45,560
I'm going to
do a finger here on this cherub.
449
00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:48,960
If you look at the original
fingers,
450
00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,920
they've got some rather sweet little
fingernail details.
451
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,560
So I'm going to put that back on it
as well.
452
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,760
So this is actually quite fiddly
work.
453
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,720
Having said that, I quite enjoy it.
454
00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,960
Fingers fixed, Kirsten moves
on to the larger broken pieces.
455
00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,720
So the biggest challenge
on the Meissen clock is going to be
456
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,320
making up the missing wheatsheaf.
457
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,720
I haven't actually ever made a
wheatsheaf before.
458
00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,160
I've made all sorts of things -
459
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,840
flowers and bushes and leaves
and feet and hands
460
00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,440
but I've never made a wheatsheaf.
461
00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,920
Fortunately there are quite a few
sort of references
462
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,560
and I've got an idea of
what it should be looking like.
463
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,360
I think my approach is going to be
464
00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:42,320
to actually make up a sort
of central column.
465
00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,720
Then make the wheat ears...
466
00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:58,120
..sort of around the outside of it.
467
00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:02,800
I think making these individual ones
and actually applying them
468
00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:07,840
to the central core that's already
on there seems to be the way to go.
469
00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:15,240
Over on Steve's bench the
now gleaming components can be
470
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,360
transformed back
into a working timepiece.
471
00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:19,480
I've cleaned it.
472
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,360
I've pared some of the wear. It's
just all ready to put together.
473
00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:26,880
First job is getting the mainsprings
into the barrels.
474
00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:38,480
While Steve puts the mechanism
back together again,
475
00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:41,680
Kirsten is painting her repairs
to seamlessly blend
476
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,120
into the 19th century ceramic.
477
00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:48,520
So I'm just doing the part of this
that I really love, actually,
478
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:50,360
which is the painting.
479
00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:51,800
It's just a real pleasure.
480
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,920
Looking at all the sort of colours
that have been used when this
481
00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,920
was actually manufactured you've
got these really rather sort of
482
00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:02,800
sweet little vignettes
actually within
483
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,720
the ceramic case itself,
484
00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,600
and of course you've got this
485
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:10,840
sort of extraordinary detail
in the flowers and cherubs.
486
00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,520
It's just lovely to sort of see it
come back to life again.
487
00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,400
Leather specialist Suzie
is on a secret mission to restore
488
00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:30,240
this World War II aviator's jacket,
489
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,080
colluding with the owner's son,
John.
490
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,720
After hours of meticulous
work, the end is in sight.
491
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:41,560
I'm now cleaning the leather and I'm
being careful because in some areas
492
00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:46,880
the surface is quite flaky
and I don't want to pull off pieces
493
00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,000
so I'm just gently doing it.
494
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,320
I'll let it dry and then
I can go over it again.
495
00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,520
I'll be conditioning it
as well and then
496
00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,160
cleaning it again with some saddle
soap.
497
00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:03,000
In working on this jacket
I have such a deep appreciation
498
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,920
as to what conditions
they were working in whilst...
499
00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,200
..doing a very, very difficult
and important job.
500
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,080
It's incredibly emotional.
501
00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:18,400
Imagining a member of your
family having done that.
502
00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,960
And so I really hope that
John and Graham
503
00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:27,200
have a favourable reaction
to the work that I've done to this
504
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:28,680
very important jacket.
505
00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:33,480
John and his uncle Michael have
arrived at The Repair Shop
506
00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,120
where they have a surprise planned
for John's father, Graham,
507
00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:39,000
the owner of the jacket.
508
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:44,720
I've had to spin a bit of a web of
deceit to get my dad here today,
509
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,680
ably assisted by my uncle here.
510
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,120
Erm, he thinks he's coming down for
511
00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:55,600
the Small Visitor's Centre
of the Year Award
512
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,480
with his wife, for a buffet lunch.
513
00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:03,480
And he's going to be extremely
surprised when he sees us, I think!
514
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:10,600
That's quite interesting, because
you don't live very far from here.
515
00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:11,960
THEY LAUGH
516
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,840
Hello. Hiya. How are you?
517
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,160
I'm absolutely fine, thank you.
Good, good, good, good.
518
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,160
Hello. Hello there. How we doing?
We're doing fine, thank you.
519
00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:26,560
You are? I'm Graham. Graham.
520
00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:28,920
How we doing, sir? John. How we
doing, John? Mick. Mick.
521
00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:30,720
Don't be shy, come in, come in.
Thank you.
522
00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:34,360
So, Graham, you don't know
why you're here, do you?
523
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:36,200
I have no idea.
524
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,520
John, how you feeling?
Pretty nervous.
525
00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:40,880
Yeah? May be in a bit of trouble
afterwards.
526
00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,640
LAUGHTER
527
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:48,360
Erm, but, yeah - really excited as
well. Really excited. Yeah, OK.
528
00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,480
You ready for this? Yes.
OK, yeah.
529
00:29:58,760 --> 00:29:59,800
Wow.
530
00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:04,640
Absolutely amazing. Terrific.
It just looks stunning.
531
00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:07,920
It does. Beautiful.
532
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:09,960
So, Graham, do you know why you're
here now?
533
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,440
I've got a pretty good idea
why I'm here now, yes.
534
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:13,840
So, is John in trouble now?
535
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,400
No more than usual!
No more than usual.
536
00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,920
Well, it's all down to Suzie,
really.
537
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,760
This was a really wonderful
job to work on.
538
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:27,120
And there wasn't a moment that
I didn't enjoy it.
539
00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,120
I haven't let it out of my sight.
540
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:33,080
And I'm not sure I want
to let it go, actually!
541
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:34,480
SHE LAUGHS
542
00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:36,080
It just looks amazing.
543
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:40,040
I just hope Dad's happy and Uncle
Michael's happy. Yes, delighted.
544
00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:42,840
Fantastic.
It's a bit nostalgic, actually.
545
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:46,120
We haven't got many things
left over from our father,
546
00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,520
and that's one of them that sort
of epitomises what...
547
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:52,840
..he was doing during the war
and everything else,
548
00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,120
and so it's living, it's there,
and John, thank you.
549
00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:57,280
You're welcome.
550
00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,040
It's given me a chance to learn
a bit more about my grandad,
551
00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,280
because I didn't ever know him,
so...
552
00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,280
No.
Which is, you know...
553
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,800
That's difficult for me
that I didn't know him,
554
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,720
so this has brought me a
little bit closer to him.
555
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,640
It's a lovely little bit of history,
and we can now look after it.
556
00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,240
Or John can, I suppose, yeah.
557
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,000
Is that what's going to happen
with it now?
558
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,800
It's going to be handed down
to John?
559
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:23,920
Yes, I think John's custodian,
unless Michael has any...
560
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:27,440
No, no, no. I think, Graham,
you should do the honours.
561
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:28,960
Lovely, thank you.
Quite.
562
00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:30,360
Come here, young man.
563
00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,120
Ooh!
564
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:36,960
It feels amazing.
565
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:39,600
Brilliant. So, John, thank you.
566
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,480
Thank you so much.
567
00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:43,000
Thank you.
568
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,400
Never thought I'd see the day
where it'd be restored
569
00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,560
to the level and the beauty
that it was then,
570
00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,120
and it makes me
just humble and proud.
571
00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:56,720
It's all been worth it.
572
00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:59,560
The secrecy and the scheming.
573
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,480
And getting everyone together.
574
00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:07,440
The jacket's just amazing,
and I'm just so happy
575
00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:09,560
that we've got it restored.
576
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:13,920
It's just a warm glow, that the
family are together and they've
577
00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:17,040
been brought together by such
a simple piece of clothing.
578
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:20,400
If we look after the jacket,
it will be that focal point
579
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,520
to reflect on those people that are
no longer with us,
580
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,400
but with us in thought.
581
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,360
Susie's basking in the success
of her finished repair,
582
00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,840
but over on George's workbench,
he's just getting started.
583
00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:48,520
He's broken down the vintage
Underwood typewriter
584
00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:50,400
into its individual parts.
585
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,800
I've taken all these bars out,
they're the type bars,
586
00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,480
and they're the ones that
actually print onto the paper.
587
00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:00,160
But they were all seized up,
so nothing could work.
588
00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,720
60 years of non-use, it's clogged up
completely. There's 42 of them.
589
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,360
I've got them all the way through,
and you can see how bad they are.
590
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:13,320
Every part has to be oiled,
and very fine oil,
591
00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,920
and then, they will hopefully work.
592
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:20,080
Unfortunately, it is a
laborious process,
593
00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,640
but it's best if we do it by hand,
594
00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:27,040
because if we use a buffing machine,
it can damage the angle
595
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,720
of the type bar,
and every one is different.
596
00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:38,560
78-year-old George has been
fixing typewriters since 1956,
597
00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,640
when he started a six-year
apprenticeship.
598
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:45,160
He's now a highly regarded
specialist in his field.
599
00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,800
I don't know how good the alignment
of the typing is at the moment.
600
00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:51,920
It is a worry that I haven't
been able to test it first,
601
00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:56,360
because normally I'd get an idea
of what it's going to type like
602
00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:00,400
on the paper, even if it's sluggish
and everything else, you could see
603
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,840
the alignment, and I haven't
been able to do it on this one,
604
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:08,400
because they just wouldn't move
at all, they're just solid.
605
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:13,960
The Underwood No 5 was launched
by the New York company in 1900.
606
00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:17,440
It was billed as the first
truly modern typewriter.
607
00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:20,560
By 1920,
two million had been sold.
608
00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:25,400
At its peak, the company was
producing one machine every minute.
609
00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:28,960
This is the carriage, stripped down,
and what we've got to do is
610
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,600
make sure it's clean,
and so when it's put together,
611
00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:36,640
it'll run along
on the base of the machine,
612
00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:42,120
and you'll get the correct spacing
then, of letters.
613
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,960
Once the historic typewriter
is stripped down,
614
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:50,000
George uses a spirit wash to loosen
the years of dust and grime.
615
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,040
They're so brilliantly made,
they should be preserved.
616
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:57,720
And so many have been thrown away,
but this one,
617
00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:01,400
although it's not been looked after,
it's never been messed about with,
618
00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:04,360
so it should go on indefinitely.
619
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:17,400
Meanwhile, Steve and Kirsten's
collaboration on the
620
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,400
19th century clock
has almost come to an end.
621
00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:26,360
It's time for the mechanism to be
reunited with its ceramic casing.
622
00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:30,080
I'm dying to see it, actually,
from the front. Wait, just wait.
623
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,960
Can we swap positions? Sure.
And you can hold the movement.
624
00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,480
If you can hold the weight of the
movement... It wants to push out
625
00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,400
at the bottom there, right?
I've got it.
626
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,960
OK, and I'm going to...
627
00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,160
That looks so much better.
628
00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:51,320
I'm not pushing too hard? No, you
don't have to push it hard. No, OK.
629
00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,640
There we go.
Can I let go?
630
00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:58,880
OK. Are you sure? Yeah. OK.
631
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,000
THEY LAUGH
632
00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:04,080
Really hoping Jane will be delighted
with this.
633
00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,920
Jane is back at the workshop
to be reunited with the clock
634
00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:14,200
that holds such treasured memories
of her childhood.
635
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,240
The clock is a link between me
and my mother and my grandfather,
636
00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:22,240
so I'd like to have it repaired,
because it would be nice
637
00:36:22,240 --> 00:36:24,440
to have those memories again.
638
00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:27,840
It would be wonderful to be able
to see it working and hear it
639
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:29,760
as it was before.
640
00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:32,440
Hello, Jane, how are you?
I'm fine, thanks.
641
00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:34,920
It's good to see you both again.
Nice to see you, too.
642
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,120
You looking forward to this moment?
I am.
643
00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:41,440
We won't keep you waiting
any longer.
644
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:47,640
Oh, wow.
645
00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:48,880
Oh, my goodness.
646
00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,040
Oh, this is amazing.
647
00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,440
Oh, gosh, you can't even see
where they were damaged.
648
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,240
Wow!
649
00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:03,480
This is fabulous.
650
00:37:06,720 --> 00:37:09,120
Its beautiful.
It's so clean as well.
651
00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:12,560
It's really bright, isn't it?
It's looking absolutely amazing.
652
00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:14,280
Polished up round the dial as well.
653
00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,920
Yeah, it's absolutely gleaming,
isn't it? So pretty.
654
00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:21,080
Can I look at the back?
Of course, it's yours.
655
00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,240
Oh, yes. Oh, it's so clean as well.
656
00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:26,840
And will it strike?
657
00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:28,560
Are you ready?
Yes.
658
00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:35,360
CLOCK CHIMES
659
00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,280
Oh, that's so pretty, isn't it?
660
00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:41,840
Wow!
661
00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:43,560
It's a long time since you've
heard that.
662
00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:46,040
No, I haven't heard that
for a very long time.
663
00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:50,480
Takes me back to Grandpa's house,
and hearing it chiming
664
00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:52,880
in the sitting room.
That is so gorgeous.
665
00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:54,560
Thank you both so much.
666
00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:58,400
You're really, really welcome,
actually. It's been a nice project.
667
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:02,880
I'm very impressed. I really thought
it was going to end up in the bin,
668
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,280
which is where my friend thinks it
probably should have gone.
669
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,200
Julia, you know who you are.
670
00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,680
She's going to be able to see it.
She will, yeah,
671
00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:15,000
if she comes to visit, but she won't
be allowed to touch it. No!
672
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:19,120
Right, well, I'll wrap it up
safely for you.
673
00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:22,360
Or WE'LL wrap it up safely...
I'LL wrap it up. You wrap it up!
674
00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:25,680
Kirsten will wrap it up very safely.
675
00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,080
You can take it home with you...
Wonderful.
676
00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:30,640
..and put it somewhere...
Put it somewhere very safe.
677
00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:33,680
Yeah, very safe indeed.
Thank you very much, both of you.
678
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,600
Thanks. You're very, very welcome.
It's been a real pleasure. Thanks.
679
00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:42,240
I feel ecstatic. I can't believe
how beautiful it looks.
680
00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:45,720
I can't believe how dainty
the repair is.
681
00:38:45,720 --> 00:38:49,040
You could barely see
where it was ever broken.
682
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:51,920
It's so bright and beautiful.
683
00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,880
I feel it's nice to have something
to pass down that has a link
684
00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:58,480
with my family over the generations.
685
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:15,800
After hours of meticulous cleaning,
686
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:19,840
George is now rebuilding
the antique Underwood typewriter.
687
00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:23,200
I'm just going to put the carriage
on it for the first time,
688
00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,960
and we're hoping we'll get
a good result,
689
00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:29,680
cos I couldn't type on it at all
before.
690
00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:31,680
We wiggle it on.
691
00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:33,560
It'll gradually go.
692
00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:36,000
There we go.
693
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:39,120
It's looking great.
694
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:40,560
Yeah, I'm very pleased with it.
695
00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:42,080
So is this the final stage?
696
00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:44,640
This is the last screw to put in
of about 50.
697
00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:48,200
All different ones.
Yeah.
698
00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:54,160
It looks a lovely piece
of engineering. It is.
699
00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:58,000
And are you confident it's
going to work?
700
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:02,600
I'm hopeful. It's not worked
for 60 years, I know that.
701
00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,760
You know, it's years and years since
I used a typewriter.
702
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:08,400
Course it is, yeah.
703
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:10,520
But they're highly fashionable now.
704
00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:12,480
Do you want to have a go?
Go on, then. Yeah.
705
00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:20,640
We're just hoping the impression
is going to be good.
706
00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:22,920
You've got to give it a little bit
of welly.
707
00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:33,200
It's a really nice feeling when you
hit the key. Yeah, it is.
708
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:34,960
Very different to a computer.
709
00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:39,200
Where's the spell check button?
Ah!
710
00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:43,520
You're 100 years too late for that!
711
00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:46,320
Fantastic.
Yeah.
712
00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:48,960
I think you've done an amazing
job, George. Thank you.
713
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,080
And it's a lovely thing to see.
714
00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:56,400
It's taken George's expert touch
to breathe new life
715
00:40:56,400 --> 00:41:00,720
into the vintage Underwood.
It's now as good as new,
716
00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:06,400
when it recorded historical memoirs
with exclusive royal connections.
717
00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:09,400
150 miles away in Exeter,
718
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:13,320
owner Lucy is waiting to be
reunited with the typewriter,
719
00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:16,520
along with husband Chris
her sister Camilla,
720
00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:18,960
and great-niece Lily.
721
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:21,400
I'm really excited,
I'm sure Camilla is as well,
722
00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,000
to see the restored item,
723
00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,120
and it can be passed down
through the generations.
724
00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:30,960
It's really important to Lucy,
this typewriter,
725
00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:35,000
because it's a link back.
in her family history,
726
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:36,800
which is a tangible link,
727
00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,320
something that she can actually
reach out and touch.
728
00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:41,040
It's like Christmas.
729
00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:44,960
This is a present from the past.
730
00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:48,280
I'm shaking.
Are you? Yeah.
731
00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:49,760
Have you got it?
Yeah.
732
00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,200
Look at that!
733
00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:55,640
Look how sparkling it is.
734
00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,520
It's like brand-new.
That's incredible.
735
00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:01,320
Look at that, look how...
What a job he's done.
736
00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:03,280
Camilla, shall we put some paper
in it?
737
00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:05,360
Is it working?
738
00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,520
Doesn't it look brand-new?
I know! It's incredible!
739
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,440
I'm so thrilled. Thrilling,
isn't it? Yeah. Really thrilling.
740
00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:20,840
To actually think that my
grandparents...
741
00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:22,920
Used this typewriter.
..used that typewriter,
742
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:26,000
and their hands were on here.
743
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:29,920
The typewriter is a way
of connecting to her grandfather,
744
00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:33,840
because it's a big piece
of his life.
745
00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:37,240
I think if somebody has kept
something and passed it down
746
00:42:37,240 --> 00:42:42,720
to you, it's your obligation to
pass it on to the next generation,
747
00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:46,560
and you're just sort of custodian
of it for a few years.
748
00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:49,480
Would you like to have a go?
Look, look, very clever!
749
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:52,440
Isn't that lovely?
Press the keys.
750
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:54,640
Shall we do it together?
Do it together.
751
00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:58,280
I'm going to pass it on to my son,
who lives in Australia, Ben,
752
00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:01,280
and the extraordinary thing
was that my grandfather was
753
00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:03,800
very well travelled, but the one
place that he regretted
754
00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:06,320
that he didn't get to was Australia.
755
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:08,920
So maybe the typewriter
will eventually get there,
756
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:10,440
even if he didn't.
757
00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:17,880
Join us next time,
as the team gets to grips...
758
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:20,960
There's something actually really
satisfying about this.
759
00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:23,960
..with more precious pieces
in need of restoration...
760
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:26,840
It's better than it was before!
..in The Repair Shop.