The Repair Shop: 1 (Wed 11 May on BBC One)

Jay Blades and the team bring four treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life.

The first arrival at the barn is a unique challenge for horologist Steve Fletcher – the largest timepiece he has ever attempted to restore at the barn. This horological wonder was designed and built by Monica Norton’s father, Ron, a cabinet manufacturer by trade but who had always dreamed of building wooden clocks. This huge example, standing nearly three metres tall, took thousands of hours to make and was built for a display at the World Trade Centre in Dallas.

Over 30 years ago, the clock was taken apart, packed away in huge crates and shipped back to the UK, and it hasn’t been seen working since. Now, Monica and her husband Andrew want to revive Ron’s legacy and donate the clock to a museum for all to see. For this monumental task, and with hundreds of individual wooden pieces to check, clean and restore before he can even attempt to get the clock ticking again, Steve calls in the help of his apprentice and son, 21-year old-Fred.

Next to arrive at the barn is another mammoth project but on a smaller scale, this time for metal worker Dominic Chinea. Father and son Ol and Nathan Gynn have a rusty childhood treasure that was once the pride and joy of Nathan and his older brother Marcus. This iconic Austin J40 toy pedal car was originally built in a factory in Wales as part of a scheme to employ ex-miners incapacitated by lung disease, and it became one of the most desirable toys of their time. After the death of his older brother, Marcus five years ago, Nathan would like to revive their prized pedal car for his own two sons who are the same age as when Ol first gave it to them. But it will need a full service, respray and more than a bit of body work from Dom to get it back on the road.

The combined skills of ceramic specialist Kirsten Ramsay and electronics expert Mark Stuckey are needed to coax the barn’s next arrival back to working order. Dominic Nasmyth-Miller arrives clutching a small wooden dog kennel with, lurking inside, a china model of a dog named Polly. It was built by Dominic’s grandfather in the 1940s, and by an ingenious feat of acoustic engineering, Polly could be enticed out of her kennel simply by calling her name. Sadly, Polly hasn’t answered her call for many years, and Dominic is keen to revive her for the next generation to enjoy this treasured family pet. But first, Mark Stuckey must unravel the secret of how Polly works, while Kirsten must restore her cracked figure.

Finally, avid football fan Peter Whiting and his daughter Angela have a tricky task for master hatter Jayesh. Peter is a lifelong Rotherham United fan, and for at least the last 30 years, has taken the same cap to every game he has been to. Peter’s love of the game has rubbed off on the rest of his family and his daughters and grandson, and they go together as much as they can. Sadly, the cap is on its last legs, suffering from its years out on the terraces in all weathers, and with it also being something of a lucky mascot for Peter it’s not just the responsibility of reviving the headwear that Jayesh has in his hands, but also the fortunes of Rotherham United!

Airdate: Wed 11 May 2022 at 20:00 on BBC One

Season 10 Episode 24

The Repair Shop is a workshop of dreams, where broken or damaged cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life.

Furniture restorers, horologists, metal workers, ceramicists, upholsterers and all manner of skilled craftsmen and women have been brought together to work in one extraordinary space, restoring much-loved possessions to their former glory.

Many of these items have incredible stories behind them and a unique place in history: from an accordion played in the Blitz by a woman who is now in her 90s, to a beautifully crafted clock made by a father who was completely blind; a Pinball machine that is currently being used as a kitchen counter, and a Davenport desk with its trademark fake drawers which fooled burglars – and their crowbar.

The Repair Shop is an antidote to our throwaway culture and shines a light on the wonderful treasures to be found in homes across the country.