1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,680 Welcome to The Repair Shop, 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,760 where cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life. 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:08,960 This is the workshop of dreams. 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,800 Home to furniture restorer, Jay Blades. 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,200 Nowadays everybody spends a fortune on stuff that, 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:15,880 once it's broken, they just bin it. 7 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,600 But everybody has something that means too much to be thrown away. 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,200 And that's where we come in. 9 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,720 Working alongside Jay will be some of the country's leading craftspeople. 10 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:27,920 Every piece has its own story. 11 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:29,960 It's amazing to think that some of my work 12 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:31,400 becomes part of that story. 13 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,160 I've always played with things, 14 00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:35,760 I've always repaired things and I just love it. 15 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,200 There is a real pleasure in bringing people's pieces back to life again. 16 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,320 Each with their own unique set of skills. 17 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,480 Right tool for the right job. 18 00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:49,040 They will resurrect, revive... 19 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:50,800 Come on, man! ..and rejuvenate... 20 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,040 ..treasured possessions 21 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,800 and irreplaceable pieces of family history. 22 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,520 Wow! She's fantastic! 23 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,480 Bringing both the objects... 24 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,760 This is what I remember. 25 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,800 ..and the memories that they hold... Wow! 26 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,240 ..back to life. Oh, my God! 27 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,320 In The Repair Shop today, a piece of pottery history 28 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:32,800 tests Kirsten's skills to the limit. 29 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,040 This is a really lovely piece of Studio pottery. 30 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,000 Simple shape, simple design. 31 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,920 Unfortunately, it's going to be quite tricky to repair. 32 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,720 And Jay lends a hand with the heritage craft of caning. 33 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,520 So it's underneath here, yeah? That's right, yeah. 34 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:49,960 And it's got to come up there... 35 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,520 That's it. ..or is it coming up there? It's coming up there. 36 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,800 So you're sort of going underneath that little bar. 37 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,240 You make this look so easy. 38 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,200 Hold on, now, that's wrong! JAY CHUCKLES 39 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,280 But first, on a covert operation, it's Georgina Garrett. 40 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,560 Hello. Could anybody give me a hand, please? 41 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,360 It's a bit heavy. 42 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:20,600 Georgina is hoping The Repair Shop team will help her surprise her husband Martin 43 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,320 by restoring a family heirloom 44 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,400 with a fascinating past. 45 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:30,000 One large, heavy chest that was really difficult to get in here. 46 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,720 OK, chaps! THEY LAUGH 47 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,920 Fantastic. I'll get the door, shall I? 48 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,480 Furniture restorer Will Kirk is the man for this job. 49 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,560 It's lovely to meet you. Lovely to meet you. 50 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:47,080 This is the Garrett family military campaign chest. 51 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,760 Right. It's a serious bit of... 52 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,240 It's a very serious piece of equipment, yes. 53 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:58,240 So, do you know much about the past and the history behind this piece of furniture? A little bit. 54 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,240 We know it's been in the family for four generations. 55 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,040 In the First World War, Martin's grandfather Sidney, he was a 56 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,200 Major in the Royal Engineers. OK. 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,720 And we believe that it may have travelled with him to France 58 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,880 and possibly to Russia as part of his military campaign 59 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:16,640 in the First World War. 60 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:19,520 And then latterly there are some labels on the front there 61 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,000 which mention Martin and his sister's education. 62 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,560 He remembers his school reports being taken out of there. 63 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,080 That's hilarious. And him being scolded about his poor results 64 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,440 sitting with his father at the desk, so... 65 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,000 So, quite a bit of history there. 66 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,000 Yes, it's been an important piece in the family for a long time. 67 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,640 And the fact that it's actually been used. All the way through. 68 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,720 It's not a piece of furniture that's sat in a room. No, always been used. 69 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,160 The fact it's been around the world. Yeah, absolutely. 70 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,600 And that's why I'm so keen to see it used again. 71 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,160 I think this needs a bit of TLC. 72 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,920 Overall. There is some water damage, which you can probably see. 73 00:03:54,920 --> 00:04:00,560 There's just a possibility that that occurred when we think it moved 74 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,920 with Martin's great grandfather in the First World War. 75 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,320 Would have gone by sea, so that's just a possibility. 76 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,240 If I open up this part... 77 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:15,080 You can see quite clearly there's a major wobble. 78 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,240 If I drop this front section down, 79 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,960 obviously the chains aren't original. 80 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:26,680 And at some point, somebody in the family has taken the hinges off. 81 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:33,680 Yeah. So it would be absolutely fantastic if we could restore it as a surprise. OK. 82 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,240 My husband's had a couple of strokes. 83 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,000 He's made a really, really good recovery. OK. 84 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,760 He's written a day journal for the last 35 plus years. 85 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,240 He lost the ability to write for a while, 86 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,440 but he's just got it back to a degree. Yeah. 87 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:53,480 And, to me, I think to be able to give him this back in working order 88 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:57,560 and actually see him able to write his journal again 89 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,920 would be absolutely magical. 90 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:04,000 I will do my very best to get it back into shipshape condition 91 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,160 and good enough to use for another 100 years. 92 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,520 That would be fantastic. Thank you very much indeed. 93 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,440 Thanks very much. Good luck with it. Cheers. Bye-bye. 94 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,360 It would mean an enormous amount, 95 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:19,080 not just to me but particularly to my husband, to see this restored. 96 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,920 It's the one piece of furniture that remains from the family. 97 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:26,840 And to see him able to sit and write his diary at it 98 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:28,880 in the manner that it's intended 99 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,160 with the secretaire part would just be so exciting. 100 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,280 I know it's in capable hands and I'm really, really looking forward 101 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:38,520 to seeing what they manage to do to it. 102 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,520 Bend the knees. Bend the knees. Flex the arms. Cor, blimey. 103 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,000 Cool, man. It's a heavy piece of kit 104 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,520 to be carrying around the world, isn't it? Yeah. 105 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,320 Campaign furniture was designed to break down 106 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,160 into smaller components, 107 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,840 making them more portable as they travelled with British Army officers 108 00:05:57,840 --> 00:06:00,480 to their various international postings. 109 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:01,760 So, what are you going to do? 110 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,400 This top drawer is quite stiff to take out and put back in. 111 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,880 OK, and this is the writing bit, isn't it? 112 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,520 Yeah. So if you push the button there... That's nice. 113 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,840 So you can see that wobbles like that. Right. Yeah, yeah. 114 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:16,160 And maybe clean up the brass work a bit. 115 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,560 I think I'm going to try to even them all out. 116 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,360 So you've got like a consistent... 117 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,360 ..brassy look. Cool, nice. Well done. 118 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,720 BELL RINGS 119 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,360 The Repair Shop experts use forgotten crafts to restore beloved heirlooms. 120 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,400 And the next visitor is hoping furniture restorers 121 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:45,120 Sonnaz Nooranvary and Rachael South can do just that. 122 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,240 Hi. Hi. Pleased to see you. Nice to meet you. Hi, I'm Rachael. 123 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,600 Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. What have you got in the back of your car? 124 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:59,280 Cecille Taylor has brought a couple of well-loved pieces that need expert attention. 125 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:02,280 This one goes at the back. These are stunning. 126 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:04,360 Just amazing craftsmanship. 127 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,640 So it's really special to have two chairs together. 128 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:09,680 Sometimes you only see one on its own. 129 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,520 What's the story behind them? 130 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,080 So they belonged to my great aunt. 131 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,640 She lived in south Holland and then they came to me a few years ago. 132 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,520 Can you remember these from your childhood? Yes. 133 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,560 The chair's always been the same. Yep. 134 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,680 It was a like brown cord, very '70s. Yeah. 135 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:33,640 They've been in my family all my life so it's been part of me for the last 40-odd years. 136 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,640 You've got a nice sort of rounded shape at the back there. 137 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,480 It's almost a sort of Chinese-y look or something, 138 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:46,160 cos most of this furniture is from the sort of 1910-1920s... Really? 139 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,400 They began making them all over Europe and it's sort of to give 140 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,520 quite an exotic look to everyday furniture, 141 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,400 which I think the cane work does as well. 142 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:01,720 So this might have been intact for the last 80, 90, 100 years, even. 143 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,200 But here you can see that the cane has gone on the inside arm. 144 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:08,360 It's going to go on that area of the chair cos that's where hands are, 145 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:12,560 whereas the outside arms look pretty good. 146 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:17,200 They haven't been... Yeah. ..damaged hardly at all. 147 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,960 They're showing they've been well loved and well used but, yeah, 148 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,480 really in need of a bit of repair now. 149 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:27,040 So have you tried to have them fixed before? Yes, I did. 150 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,120 Apparently because they're double caned armchairs, 151 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,160 it's very specialised 152 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,720 and, you know, I couldn't find anyone who could do it. 153 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,920 But I can see even on the base here that you can see the old fabric. 154 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,480 Yes, I don't know what's underneath here. 155 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,200 Well, it certainly feels like it's sprung. 156 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:49,640 But that's something that we can unpick and find out as we go. 157 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,320 And you use them in your home? Yes, they're in the living room. 158 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,560 Both of them are used all the time and it will be nice to get them 159 00:08:56,560 --> 00:09:00,280 restored and then pass them onto my children so they've got some family 160 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:02,640 history that goes with these chairs as well. 161 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,120 Leave it with us and then we'll be in touch with you when they're finished. 162 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:09,000 See them back in their former glory. OK. Lovely to meet you. 163 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,320 Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming. Thanks very much. 164 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,400 Thank you. Pleasure. See you soon. Bye. 165 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,800 It would be lovely to pass those chairs on to my sons. 166 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,080 They're born in the UK, they don't speak any Dutch 167 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,760 but this will be part of their Dutch heritage 168 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:29,240 that they can take with them for, you know, and that they can pass on to their children. 169 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,920 A little bit nervous but, you know, I know they're in good hands. 170 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,520 And to get that double caning restored is really, erm, yeah, 171 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,520 that's going to be very special. 172 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:44,280 Can't wait to see the skill that's involved and to see them back to their former glory. 173 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,760 Rachael will tackle the cane work 174 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:49,960 while Sonnaz refurbishes the upholstery. 175 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,280 Beautiful chairs, aren't they? Stunning. Really lovely. 176 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:57,480 They do become like part of your family when you live with the furniture. 177 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,240 From when you're young and seeing it at your grandparents' house. 178 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:06,040 Yeah. It always amazes me how much emotion's attached to pieces like this. 179 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:10,680 Yeah. I know. It's just a chair but it's a lot more, isn't it, really? 180 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:13,760 So... Well, we've got quite a big job on our hands here, I think. 181 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,880 Quite a big job, yeah. The double caning is... 182 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:18,960 We've got this panel on the outside here. 183 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:20,880 You're going to take off and replace, or... 184 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,000 Well, looking at it, it looks like it's in pretty good condition. 185 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,040 So I'd rather not sort of touch that one. 186 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,120 I'm going to concentrate on removing this panel. 187 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,200 And the same on this arm here. 188 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:34,960 I mean, it feels quite firm. 189 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:36,840 A little bit softer on the front 190 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,480 but I don't think it will be a problem to remake the foam back. 191 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,400 In terms of fabrics, certainly if they're going to be used everyday 192 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,920 we want to get that longevity out of them - fabric that's pretty 193 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:50,960 hard-wearing and maybe easier to keep clean and stand the test of time. Yes. 194 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:52,840 So, shall we crack on? Yep. 195 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,480 Little bit nervous about what I'm going to discover under here. 196 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,800 I can feel all sorts of stuff going on. 197 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,440 One of things I'm really looking forward to, actually, 198 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,960 is making these cushions have a bit more plumptiousness to them. 199 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,240 Plumptiousness is... SHE LAUGHS 200 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:24,680 Plumptiousness is a word that I use when I want to describe to other 201 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:30,000 people how comfortable I want their cushions to look. 202 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,160 Plump is almost not enough. 203 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,960 I'm really glad I'm not Rachael because she really does 204 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:37,280 have her work cut out for her over there. 205 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:41,000 I wouldn't know where to start with that caning. 206 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,960 Rachael learnt the art of chair caning from her father, 207 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,800 who in turn learnt from his. 208 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,960 She'll need that wealth of experience for this particular project. 209 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:54,920 It's a little bit brutal, it seems. 210 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,960 Cutting this whole sort of large panel away 211 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,800 but I've got to clear away all of this broken cane. 212 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,640 I've got this remaining panel on the outside arm 213 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,520 and I really don't want to slip, put my scissors through it 214 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,400 or anything like that so I'm really being as careful as I can, 215 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,000 and I can see there's actually a little treasure 216 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,000 between these two panels. 217 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,920 This is probably 90 years' worth of human skin, I think, 218 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,080 and definitely some pet hairs, maybe. 219 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,960 That's gross! THEY GIGGLE 220 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:41,200 On the next workbench, Will is working on the military campaign chest that's seen two world wars. 221 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,640 However, its exotic adventures have taken their toll 222 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:48,280 and Will must tread carefully. 223 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,480 So what I'm doing here is I'm cleaning the surface, 224 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,880 and you can actually see all the dirt that's coming off there. 225 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:57,920 One good thing to do is to keep on checking the rags 226 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,000 because that black is surface dirt 227 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,760 but once it starts to go slightly brown, 228 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,720 then there's more of a chance you're actually removing the varnish 229 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,600 or the polish that's on the surface 230 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,640 and you really want to stop there before it goes too far. 231 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,320 So once I've cleaned the whole surface, 232 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,160 I will then see if there are any patches where the polish 233 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:17,720 has gone back to the bare wood 234 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,560 and I'll probably use some new polish and blend in those areas. 235 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,720 As well as the wood, there's also the hardware to contend with. 236 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,040 You haven't got a minute have you, Brenton? 237 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,560 To have a quick look at something? Yep. No worries. 238 00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:37,440 So Will's drafting in silversmith Brenton West to help. 239 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:43,120 So, the top of this chest flaps down like that. OK. 240 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:44,480 I've got these two chains here. 241 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:48,200 Yes. I'm missing some brass quadrant stays for the side. 242 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,560 OK, what's wrong with those ones? Well. Ah, I can see. All right. 243 00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:55,280 A little bit too small. OK, I can make you some of those. 244 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,640 I mean I could hack out a new inset there, but it's not really what... 245 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,480 Easier to make some brass, isn't it? Yeah, I'll make you some of those. 246 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,480 Would you be able to measure that up? I'll make some templates 247 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:06,920 and cut you some of those out. 248 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:11,160 Top man. No problem. I knew you could do that. OK. Leave it with me. 249 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,960 Thanks a lot. OK. 250 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,400 Looks like you've done a lot of work here. 251 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,520 You've taken the drawers out. THEY CHUCKLE 252 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,120 Well done. 253 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,360 I've just found something out. That's why I'm coughing. Oh, is it? 254 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:28,400 I thought that this was made of camphor wood. Right. 255 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,200 It's actually made of teak. This is teak, yeah? 256 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,640 And I realise that whenever I work with teak it makes me cough. 257 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:37,120 Ah, you're allergic to teak? HE COUGHS 258 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:40,960 No! Seriously. You're a wood guy that's allergic to teak! 259 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,360 Anyway, I have started on it and I've cleaned the top, 260 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:44,920 I'm cleaning the base. 261 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,920 The brass seemed to be, like, different levels of sheen 262 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,600 and different levels of rust. 263 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,640 But it's going to be worth it and I think if I do a really good job 264 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:59,080 on the polishing it'd be nice to have really nice brass work 265 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,960 to set it off like a cherry on top. OK. 266 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:03,880 So how are you going to get over, like, the teak? 267 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,800 Because you can't get away from it. HE COUGHS 268 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:08,480 You've just got...you've got... 269 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,200 I tell you what you could do - work quicker. 270 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,400 Quicker. And then get the job done. Quicker and I hold my breath. 271 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,560 There you go. And that's it. Nice one. Cheers. 272 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,240 Next into The Repair Shop is Louise Pallister. 273 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,360 Hi. You must be Louise. Come through. Hi. 274 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:35,920 She's hoping ceramics conservator Kirsten can help her 275 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:40,440 with one of her late mother's favourite possessions. 276 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,920 What have we got here? I have a Hornsea vase. 277 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,120 Which was my mum's vase. 278 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,160 It was in our family all my childhood. 279 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,480 It's a really beautiful vase. I always loved it. 280 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,680 Gosh. It's quite a sort of modern looking piece, actually, isn't it? 281 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,280 It's really gorgeous. I always think it's really elegant. 282 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,360 I think that's why she liked it. 283 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,160 She was brought up during the war and I remember her saying to me, 284 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,200 it was kind of dark and drab and everything was a bit miserable. 285 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,960 And when she got married in the '50s she wanted things that were new and bright and modern. 286 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,280 As people did. That was one of those things I think she saved up for. 287 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,800 It was one of the sort of key things in our house. 288 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,480 I always associate it with my childhood memories because it was often on the mantelpiece. 289 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,680 Right. It was never damaged the whole time it was in our family. 290 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,520 Right. When my mum moved out I asked if I could have the vase. 291 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,680 She said yes and I took it back to my home. 292 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,560 But I was moving and it must have shifted in transit. 293 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,520 And that's what took the chunk out of it. I was horrified. Absolutely. 294 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,280 And I just couldn't bring myself to tell her cos I felt so guilty 295 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,680 cos I knew it was something she really treasured. 296 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,000 And she never asked about it. And now she's gone... 297 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,240 ..it would just mean a lot to me to have it fixed 298 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:46,680 and I would get it back on display. Right. OK. 299 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,600 I mean, that must have been absolute dreadful, if she'd looked after... 300 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,440 She'd be so disappointed as well. I just felt so guilty. Yeah. 301 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,960 So how long ago did you move? How long has it been broken? 302 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,960 Probably over ten years. Oh, really? I just put it away. 303 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,840 I was hoping I would be able to find someone to mend it. 304 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,080 I'm glad you kept all the pieces though. 305 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,080 I mean, that's really, really helpful. 306 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,240 So have you tried to have it repaired in the past? 307 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,560 I've looked into it but when I looked into ceramic restorers, 308 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:15,040 people seemed to be doing real antiques, very sort of old-fashioned things. Oh, right. 309 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:19,320 And I didn't know who would be interested or be able to take on something that's quite modern. 310 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:21,320 So this sort of thing is... 311 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,720 ..quite tricky to repair. 312 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:26,680 That's not to say that I can't do it. 313 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,240 You've got that lovely flat surface that reflects the light. 314 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,520 And that does actually make it quite difficult to sort of 315 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,440 do a completely invisible restoration. 316 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:40,440 I'm slightly concerned about this, this sort of crack here. 317 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:42,280 I think that it's probably been cracked 318 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:47,000 and water's gone under the glaze. I see. Which has caused staining. 319 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:52,840 Caused a mark. Yeah. So in terms of once this is repaired, 320 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,440 you know, what are you going to do with it then? 321 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,200 I'd love to have it back on display. 322 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,560 Would you? Because it's been in a box for years, 323 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:01,480 with guilt written all over it. Yeah. 324 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,680 And I'd just love to have it back out again. I'll be thrilled to see it mended. 325 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,720 I'll do the best job I can. Thank you very much. 326 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,160 I've kept hold of that vase for years because I felt so bad about it, 327 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,120 but it's a beautiful piece as well. I really wanted it to be mended. 328 00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:18,000 And every now and again, you know, when you move things around 329 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,400 I think, "Gosh, there's that vase." Such a shame that it's always away. 330 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,000 And it'll be so lovely to have it out on display. 331 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,200 And really I'd be thrilled if it was mended. 332 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,640 I would feel that my mum would be really pleased. 333 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:30,280 And then I would feel slightly less 334 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:33,480 guilty for having managed to get it damaged as soon as I got hold of it. 335 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,760 So, this is a really lovely piece of studio pottery. 336 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,040 Simple shape, simple design. 337 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,760 Unfortunately, it's going to be quite tricky to repair. 338 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,080 But I'm excited to work on it. 339 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:51,560 I've not worked on a piece of Hornsea before so I'm going to do the best that I can for Louise. 340 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:57,920 The vase was made in 1963 by the Hornsea Pottery in East Yorkshire. 341 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:01,840 Established in 1949, 342 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:05,720 it became one of the biggest and most influential producers 343 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,560 of pottery and tableware in Britain, 344 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:12,760 with an emphasis on stylish, contemporary design. 345 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,280 I've got a couple of pieces that Louise brought in. 346 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:18,320 That one goes in there. 347 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:20,000 And then this large piece... 348 00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:23,960 ..fits in very nicely. 349 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,720 I also noticed that there are a couple of cracks, 350 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,520 and there's a crack running down 351 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:33,400 here from where this was broken originally. 352 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,560 I'm going to try and run some adhesive into that 353 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,240 to stabilise it so that it doesn't run any further 354 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,760 and doesn't get any worse. 355 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,080 Furniture restorers Rachael and Sonnaz are pushing ahead 356 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,560 with the antique cane chairs. 357 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,800 Sonnaz is peeling back the layers of old upholstery 358 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,200 to reveal the 100-year-old original framework. 359 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,840 What's interesting, actually, I've just noticed these springs. 360 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,440 They all look in relatively good condition, and firm, 361 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,680 which is really surprising in a chair this age. 362 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,760 The fact that we don't have to replace these 363 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,040 does make my life a lot easier. 364 00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:32,720 Over at Rachael's bench, she's done the prep 365 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:36,680 and is all set to begin weaving the intricate pattern. 366 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:40,600 The material, the cane, is actually the bark of the rattan palm 367 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,520 and it grows in Indonesia. 368 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:48,600 I've soaked it for a few minutes and it gives it a slight elasticity, 369 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,080 and it also means that as the whole panel is drying, 370 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,120 it's all going to tighten up. 371 00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:57,120 so I'm going to get this lovely tight panel. 372 00:20:57,120 --> 00:20:59,080 Drum tight, hopefully. 373 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:03,880 Usually on cane furniture, the holes that you weave into 374 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,760 go all the way through the frame, 375 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:11,120 so it's possible to loop the cane underneath the frame. 376 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:16,640 Because these holes only go two centimetres deep, 377 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:20,800 that means that I have to use a technique called blind caning. 378 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,800 Each strand of cane is cut to the length size, 379 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:28,480 and just sits two centimetres in that hole. 380 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,560 Golf tees are the only thing 381 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,840 that is actually holding these ends of cane in the holes. 382 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,720 So if they weren't there, 383 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,320 as the cane dries, all the ends would just pop out. 384 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:45,120 The golf tees are an essential part of the chair caner's tool kit 385 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:46,920 and they're perfect for the job. 386 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,880 Fellow furniture restorer Jay is on hand to pitch in and help 387 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,040 Sonnaz attach the springs to the frame. 388 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:01,720 I think you're qualified to do this bit. 389 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,480 Lovely. Is that enough? Yeah. Next one, next corner. 390 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,960 Lovely. 391 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,560 Nice. Still got it. I've still got it! 392 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,200 THEY CHUCKLE 393 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,320 That's a... That's it. I'll get that out the way. 394 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,520 Yeah. Is that better? 395 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,680 Beauty. There you go. It seems like you're not doing any work. 396 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:22,920 I'm supervising, it's really important. 397 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:24,600 OK, cool. I get that one. Yeah, yeah. 398 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,520 Make sure that you don't hit your fingers and things like that. 399 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:28,880 You're very kind. 400 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:52,240 I'm just trying the spring base unit in because I don't want the padding 401 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,680 on the upholstery to be too tight up against the caning. 402 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,120 And especially not against Rachael's new caning, so it's pretty essential 403 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:01,960 that I get this paddling exactly right. 404 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,120 Beautiful. 405 00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:28,200 Ceramics expert Kirsten is restoring a stylish example of 1960s pottery. 406 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,240 She's successfully reunited 407 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,960 the cherished vase with its missing piece. 408 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,000 I'm really very happy with the way 409 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,880 the Hornsea vase has gone back together again. 410 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,400 It sort of feels really solid. 411 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,520 Very sort of secure now as a sort of structure. 412 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,360 There's no stepped edges at all. 413 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:54,280 The next stage for me to do is to fill these sort of tiny cracks 414 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,760 and little chipped areas here. 415 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,480 Even when you get a very, very good join, 416 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,200 you'll still have a tiny crack 417 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,960 that needs to be filled and retouched. 418 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:10,880 If you don't do that, 419 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,440 over time you will get sort of dirt and dust building up in there 420 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,920 and it will end up looking like a sort of nasty dark line. 421 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,720 It's like most jobs really - 422 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,680 so much of it is actually in the preparation. 423 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:29,440 If you can get a lovely sort of smooth surface to paint onto, 424 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,840 that's half the battle won, really. 425 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,520 Once the cracks and chips are smoothed over. 426 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,760 Kirsten's next challenge is finding the right match for the colour 427 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:43,880 and texture of the vase. 428 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,160 I feel slightly sort of fearful. 429 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,120 In some pieces it's quite easy and you've got lots of detail, 430 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:52,920 lots of colours, maybe textures. They're quite busy. 431 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,200 But with something like this it's going to have to be 432 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,200 absolutely spot on, the colour, and all the fills 433 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,520 are going to have to be really, really perfect as well. 434 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:04,280 It's quite difficult. 435 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,320 When I look at this glaze, it's very, very smooth and you think, 436 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,880 "Yeah, "that's fine with the colour," 437 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,480 but as you look closely it's got a sort of slightly mottled appearance. 438 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,680 It's like someone's sort of stippled it slightly with brown. 439 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:21,240 So I'm going to have to try and just experiment 440 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,160 and see how to mimic that. 441 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,200 I've never worked on one of these pieces before 442 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:30,200 and in a way that's what makes my work interesting. 443 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,560 Each new piece is a challenge. 444 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:37,840 Initially I'm going to just block out these white fills 445 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,480 because they're quite difficult to get rid of. 446 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:44,520 Literally just block in a sort of pinky background colour. 447 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,200 This is a part I really love. I enjoy colour. 448 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:55,280 I really love sort of trying to match the colours the glaze is. 449 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,240 It's a bit like decorating your house. 450 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:58,840 The preparation is really tedious, 451 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,480 but when you actually get to the painting, it's quite fun. 452 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:05,400 So, I think I'm almost there. 453 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:10,400 Once that's dried I will probably then just give it a polish 454 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:12,960 and then start airbrushing. 455 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,960 It's absolutely ideal for this kind of surface. 456 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,720 Furniture restorer Will is transforming 457 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,640 a military campaign chest. 458 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:37,080 With a bit of elbow grease, all the brass now has a uniform shine. 459 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:44,000 And Brenton has created some custom made brackets 460 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,480 for the secretaire section. 461 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:51,240 Not too bad. I think we might still need to trim a bit of the brass off of here. OK. 462 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,600 Still rubbing against here. It's really tricky. 463 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,200 There's so many different pieces 464 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,760 where that's been patched in on the inside. Right... 465 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,240 Which is quite hard... What's going on here, Will? 466 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,160 Ah! Screwdriver. Perfect. 467 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:07,240 Actually, Brenton made these, which is... Nice! ..pretty helpful. 468 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,680 Nice and shiny. So they fit... Your side looks a nice fit. 469 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:14,360 They fit, then? It's perfect. Well, Brenton's end fits perfectly, 470 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:16,720 but this end needs a bit of tweaking still. 471 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,200 See there? Yeah. It comes out. 472 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,640 It's not meant to do that. Your side doesn't come out, does it? 473 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:26,920 No, no. It's spot on. 474 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,280 Jay, would you like to make something out of these chains? 475 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:34,240 Like a nice bracelet? Or do what you want with it. 476 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,800 Might melt it down and make a gold tooth, actually. 477 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,680 THEY CHUCKLE It's a nice bracelet. 478 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,360 I don't need that ever again. 479 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:45,280 So you can make as many teeth as you like. All right. 480 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:46,840 HE LAUGHS 481 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,560 Meanwhile, on the two Dutch cane chairs, 482 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,600 Sonnaz is rebuilding the century-old spring cushion. 483 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:16,440 While Rachael weaves the elaborate cane panels. 484 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:29,040 This pattern, as you go through each of the stages, 485 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,720 it gets more and more complicated. 486 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,880 And this fifth stage is the most fiddly. 487 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:40,600 I've got to make sure that the cane is nice and damp so it doesn't snap, 488 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:44,160 because it's really getting tight, the pattern, now. 489 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,920 A lot of people say that it is quite therapeutic. 490 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,960 I think it's also quite therapeutic to watch as well, 491 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,360 when I see other people doing it. 492 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,800 How're you doing, Rachael? Hi, I'm fine, thanks. 493 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,120 Haven't had a chance to see what you're doing. You've nearly finished now? Yeah. 494 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,320 You've actually come at a really good time because I'm just starting 495 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:12,840 the last diagonals, so I've got my two verticals, two horizontals... 496 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,800 Cool. ..and then I've got my first diagonals 497 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:19,840 and then the last diagonal going in stage. 498 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,400 Can I have a go at this? Yeah, please. It would be great. 499 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:27,320 Yeah, so what I'm doing is I'm going under the horizontals... OK. 500 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,560 ..and then over the verticals. All right. 501 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,720 So it's the opposite to what the previous diagonal's done. 502 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:36,920 HE CHUCKLES OK. I've got it. 503 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,200 All right. 504 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,360 So it's underneath here, yeah? That's right, yeah. 505 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,520 And it's got to come up there? Or is it coming up there? 506 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,840 It's coming up there. So you're going underneath that little bar. 507 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,080 Blimey. You make this look so easy. SHE CHUCKLES 508 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,440 Oh, well, I nearly lost it down there. Jay, that's really good. 509 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,600 I was just about to say, am I doing it right, yeah? 510 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,760 Yeah, that's looking great. That around there. Under the bar. 511 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:01,760 THEY LAUGH 512 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,000 Hold on, now, that's wrong! Oh, yeah. 513 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:08,880 It has split, but you know you can 514 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,720 just flatten the cane out and that should be fine. 515 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,720 That's why you're the professional. 516 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,600 You made a mistake look perfect. Well done. I like it. 517 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,720 Sonnaz is striving for plumptiousness. 518 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,120 She's chosen an opulent velvet for the covers, 519 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:34,000 but that luxurious feeling comes with its own problems. 520 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:38,560 This fabulous blue chenille-y velvet, 521 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:41,760 the thing that I've got to be really mindful of here 522 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,720 is actually cutting the fabric in the right direction 523 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,200 because there's a pile to it and the pile in velvet 524 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,480 always runs top to bottom, back to front. 525 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,560 So you can see it's smooth that way, 526 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,760 and if I stroke it the other way, 527 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,400 it starts to rough up and go a bit darker. 528 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:04,200 When you're sewing it, velvet has a tendency to move under the sewing machine. 529 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,480 That is my biggest concern whenever I'm sewing velvet. 530 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:13,160 I'm pretty confident I can get it spot on. But it's not easy. 531 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:36,840 It's been a really big job, 532 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:40,120 quite a lot of weaving, quite a lot of caning. 533 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,240 But I've really enjoyed doing it. 534 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:49,280 I'm sort of deeply connected to this chair after all these hours spent on it. 535 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:54,440 I think once Sonnaz has put her upholstery on, 536 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,960 I think it's going to look fantastic. 537 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,160 I hope Cecille will be really pleased. 538 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,600 This is just the best bit, 539 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,080 where you actually start to see the real fruits of your labour. 540 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,960 Especially with a fabulous fabric like this, 541 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:14,520 and I can't wait to see what Cecille thinks of it as well. 542 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:18,320 That is one plumptious cushion. 543 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,480 Across the workshop, Kirsten is adding some finishing touches 544 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,240 to the stylish '60s vase. 545 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,720 The final stage here is to try and recreate 546 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,280 sort of some of the fine lines that are in this. 547 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:44,880 And to do that. 548 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:48,520 I'm actually just going to use a chinagraph pen, 549 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:53,560 And I'm just going to, freehand, just draw a few of these tiny lines. 550 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:58,680 Not very many. Just to sort of break up the line. 551 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:03,040 It's just mimicking what's actually there on the original. 552 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:06,520 So really it's sort of about distraction techniques, 553 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:10,800 you're distracting the eye from the actual repair. 554 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:15,080 As well as trying to copy what's already there. 555 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:21,320 It's been quite a challenge working on this vase. 556 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,360 It has given me one or two headaches, 557 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:27,200 but it's been a lovely piece to work on. 558 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,840 But, yeah, it's ready to go back. 559 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:39,240 This much-loved vase had been left broken in a box for ten years. 560 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,560 Now back in one piece, 561 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:44,680 it's ready to be returned to owner, Louise. 562 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,720 I feel a little bit nervous coming back for the vase. 563 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,000 I've been thinking about my mum a lot. 564 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,880 And what it meant to her and how glad she'd be to see it back in one piece. 565 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,480 So I feel suspense, really, at the moment. 566 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,240 Hi. Hi. Nice to see you again. Nice to see you. Yeah. 567 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,160 How are you? All right, thank you. In suspense. 568 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:11,240 Ah, I bet. Excited and nervous. Interested to see it. 569 00:34:11,240 --> 00:34:13,120 Yeah. Well, I won't keep you waiting. 570 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,480 SHE GASPS Gosh, that is beautiful. 571 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,200 How have you done that? That's amazing, Kirsten. 572 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,720 That is something else. Better than I could have hoped for. 573 00:34:27,720 --> 00:34:31,120 And it's back to its beautiful shape. My mum would be thrilled. 574 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:33,920 That's so nice to hear. 575 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:35,800 That's just gorgeous. 576 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:37,680 I mean, it always was a beautiful vase, 577 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:41,280 but to see it back as it should be, that's quite amazing. 578 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,720 I feel really touched. Thank you very much. 579 00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:45,800 It's going back on my mantelpiece now. 580 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,200 Do you know, I've had that in my mind the whole time 581 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,200 I've been working on it. I remembered you saying that. 582 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:54,480 Well, I've been thinking about it a lot and I've been thinking about my mum, 583 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,680 and how it always was a feature of our house, 584 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,360 on the mantelpiece with our flower arrangements in it. 585 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,080 And now I just want to make sure it goes on my mantelpiece 586 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,280 so it's always there as a kind of continuation. 587 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:06,800 It's such a beautiful piece, isn't it? It's lovely. 588 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,160 Thanks so much. It's a pleasure. That means a lot to me. 589 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:10,640 Thank you. You're very welcome. 590 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,880 I feel really relieved to have the vase back, 591 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,200 and Kirsten's done such an amazing job. 592 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,640 It just looks so beautiful. 593 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,840 I did feel guilty about the vase being broken. 594 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,560 Now I feel really elated that it looks so good. 595 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:28,800 And my mum would want it to look brand-new. 596 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:31,800 She loved it when it was new and she loved new, modern things. 597 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,480 So she'd be really happy to see it like this. 598 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:49,400 Refurbishing the cane chairs has been a huge undertaking for Rachael and Sonnaz. 599 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:52,360 But finally, the end is in sight. 600 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:56,160 Just one last push to get these beautiful heirlooms looking 601 00:35:56,160 --> 00:36:00,760 as they did when they first sat in Cecille's grandmother's house. 602 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:04,680 Like magic, it makes a button. 603 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:06,960 Pretty cool, isn't it? 604 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:11,600 This is all the new cane that I've woven. 605 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:17,200 And I'm going to begin to dye it down to match this back colour here. 606 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,520 I did a little bit of colour matching, 607 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:22,240 so I think I've got a colour that's going to blend. 608 00:36:22,240 --> 00:36:27,160 Hopefully the whole thing's going to look like a whole piece. 609 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:37,120 Time is of the essence because Cecille is going to be here shortly 610 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:41,560 and I need to get all these details set and finished. 611 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,920 I'm not going to be happy with these cushions until I've actually 612 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:47,440 tried them in on the chairs and seen them in situ. 613 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,800 Cecille is back to pick up the beloved heirlooms 614 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:55,160 that are such an important link to her Dutch ancestors. 615 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,520 Sonnaz! Look at that! Perfection! Thankfully! Beautiful. 616 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,400 When Cecille brought her great aunt's chairs to The Repair Shop, 617 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,960 the cushions were sagging and threadbare and the decorative 618 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:14,920 cane work was showing its age. 619 00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:21,440 But now hours of traditional craftwork have rolled back the years. 620 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:24,960 The inside of the arms was quite damaged. 621 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:28,320 The upholstery was quite damaged as well. 622 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,640 I'm quite excited to see the chairs, and I hope they will still be 623 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:34,720 the chairs the way I recognise them. 624 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:41,240 Hello. Hi, Cecille. Nice to see you. 625 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:44,560 So, have you missed them in your home? We have missed them, 626 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:46,160 all of us have missed them. 627 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,960 Yes, they left two big empty gaps in the living room, 628 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:52,640 so we can't wait to have them back. 629 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:55,720 Great. Right. Shall we take the blanket off? Yeah? 630 00:37:55,720 --> 00:37:58,360 Do the reveal? Yeah. Ready? 631 00:37:58,360 --> 00:37:59,760 There we are. 632 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:01,560 Oh, wow! 633 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:05,040 Oh, amazing. Oh, I love it. 634 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:09,080 I love the material, actually. That's really nice. 635 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:10,840 It really brings out the chairs. 636 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:14,400 I can't actually see that they've been repaired! 637 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:18,040 The skill to match the original, how I brought them in. 638 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:21,320 Oh, wow. I'm really pleased. Really pleased. 639 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:24,480 Can't believe that they're my chairs! 640 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:27,640 I love them. It was a real pleasure to work on them, 641 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:31,120 and also knowing that you're planning on passing them to 642 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,800 your sons and they've come all the way from Holland as well. 643 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:38,160 Yeah. I sort of had all that in my mind while I was working. 644 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:40,400 If my grandmother and her sister could see them now, 645 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:41,920 that would be amazing. 646 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:44,120 What a skill. You've done a brilliant job. 647 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:46,840 I'm really pleased. Thank you. That's really kind. Yeah. 648 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:50,160 Oh, gosh. Oh, I love them. 649 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:51,760 THEY LAUGH 650 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:55,400 And they're so comfortable, as well, to sit in. Thank goodness for that! 651 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,520 And you kept the little cushion at the back as well. 652 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:03,960 I can't believe what a great job 653 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:08,880 they've done with the caning and the material. It looks amazing. 654 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:13,680 This, with all the repairs and the reupholstery 655 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:16,680 will add to the history of the chairs that I can pass on 656 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:18,840 to the children as well. 657 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:33,120 At long last the military campaign chest not only looks the part, 658 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:35,320 but is now fully functional. 659 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:38,880 So are you finished? Can I get people around to have a look? I am finished. 660 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:41,560 Good on ya. Here we go. Will has actually finished something. 661 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:44,560 Come have a look at this. It's a rarity but it's happened. 662 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:48,080 THEY LAUGH You always gang up on me, but with smiles on your faces. 663 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,120 We love you really. 664 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:55,800 Will has deep cleaned the teak. 665 00:39:55,800 --> 00:40:00,040 The once tarnished brass has been polished to a uniformed perfection. 666 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:03,400 And the sticking drawers now glide. 667 00:40:04,720 --> 00:40:09,640 But most importantly, the fold-down writing desk now locks into place. 668 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:12,400 THEY MURMUR APPRECIATIVELY Oh, wow! 669 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:14,760 Aren't they pretty? Yeah. 670 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:17,840 Well done. Thanks a lot, guys. Come on, back to work. 671 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:23,000 Now all that remains to be done is to deliver the surprise to its owner, 672 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,440 Georgina's husband, Martin. 673 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:38,320 I'm feeling incredibly excited. Some trepidation. 674 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:41,640 I hope he's going to be really, really happy with the surprise, 675 00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:45,240 but I know he's going to be incredibly excited when he sees it. 676 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:49,400 Until recently Martin used the desk every day to write his journal. 677 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:54,960 But ill health and the condition of the piece made that impossible. 678 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:57,640 Fortunately, Martin is now on the mend. 679 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,320 And the chest is back in action. 680 00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:03,600 Can't wait to see what's underneath. It looks familiar. It does. 681 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,600 One, two, three... Three. 682 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:10,480 Oh, my goodness! 683 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:12,600 SHE LAUGHS That is incredible! 684 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:14,680 Good Lord! 685 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:17,120 I would not have believed it! Oh, my goodness me! 686 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:20,120 I would not... Oh, he's done it! He's put the hinges back! 687 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:23,920 He's done it, he's done it! Oh! My word! 688 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:26,720 Oh, golly! Authentic brass straps, look! 689 00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:29,040 And it doesn't...it doesn't rock. It doesn't tip. 690 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:31,080 It doesn't rock! 691 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:34,600 Cor, that's as smooth as silk. CLICKS 692 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:36,400 Nice click. It's absolutely solid. 693 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:38,920 That is lovely. Those horrible chains have gone. 694 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:41,880 Well, I can tell you now it's been taken care of 695 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:44,720 by a wonderful chap called Will. 696 00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:47,480 I suppose that's the only disappointment now, 697 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:50,800 I'm not able to shake the bloke by the hand. He's a magician. 698 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,680 SHE LAUGHS He really is. 699 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,160 Ah! Absolutely gobsmacked. 700 00:41:57,200 --> 00:41:59,640 Did you notice your diary was in there? Yeah. 701 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:05,280 "Education, Anne. Education, Martin." 702 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,360 Still on there! 703 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,200 Oh! Oh! I can't believe it! I absolutely can't believe it! 704 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:14,000 That's fantastic. 705 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:17,280 All very humbling, isn't it? Yes. 706 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:21,400 You know, it does. It leaves one speechless, doesn't it? Yeah. 707 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,960 You know, the degree of effort and everything else that's gone into... 708 00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:28,360 ..producing a result like that. 709 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:33,400 It's put something back that is very special to him. 710 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:36,880 He's a man of... He doesn't show a lot of emotion, 711 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,440 but I think he's absolutely delighted. 712 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:41,760 And I certainly am. It's fantastic. 713 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:46,000 I feel absolutely amazed and astonished. 714 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,800 It exceeds my wildest expectations. 715 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:52,840 My dad would be utterly amazed at the transformation, 716 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:55,560 at the work that's been carried out on it. 717 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:58,040 It is all absolutely spot on. 718 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:04,960 It will be far more pleasant experience to sit at that desk now 719 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:07,760 to continue writing my diaries. 720 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:10,080 And I'm looking forward to that enormously. 721 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:13,680 It is a wonderful thing to behold. 722 00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:20,400 Join us next time, as more cherished possessions 723 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:23,960 go from neglected... There's bits missing, broken... 724 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:25,960 ..to perfected. 725 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:28,360 Oh, wow! Look, it's moving! Yes!