The Repair Shop Episode 24 (BBC One Wednesday 12 April 2023)

BBC One airs a new episode of The Repair Shop Tonight Wednesday 12 April 2023

The episode is called Episode 24

What is Episode 24 about

The group fixes a microscope that belonged to a pioneering scientist and is now in the possession of a curious child who hopes to put it to good use. The barn also houses a mother-daughter-themed abstract sculpture and a pair of tattered military boots that belonged to a captive soldier during World military II. Will has prioritised the extensive repair of an Indian swinging bench that could collapse the next time it is used.

Felix, age 8, and his father Sam, from Hertfordshire, are the first to arrive. They took over Felix’s great-grandfather’s (John D. Bernal) microscope. Given that Felix’s great-grandfather was a forerunner in crystallography and paved the groundwork for the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, his passion in science comes as no surprise. Unfortunately for Felix, the microscope he has access to has been around since 1890 and is no longer functional. Richard Biggs, an optician, has identified the primary issue: the microscope is missing a lens. The mirror that shines light on the slides of glass must be repaired as well.

Malcolm has scheduled an appointment with cobbler Dean Westmoreland to hand over a pair of boots that were worn by Malcolm’s late father, Jack, throughout the war and beyond. Jack was taken prisoner in Norway before ever seeing action, and he remained there for five years. Malcolm still maintains Jack’s diaries where he describes the harrowing conditions he and his fellow soldiers faced, such as malnutrition and bitter cold. Jack brought the boots back with him when he left, but they’re in bad shape now due to wear and tear, unravelling stitching, and moth damage to the felt uppers.

Krishna, who hails from Hertfordshire, is up next. A swinging seat that has been in her family for over 120 years is in need of repair, and she is crossing her fingers that woodwork whiz Will Kirk can fix it. As a child growing up in India, Krishna recalls seeing the bench, a typical piece of furniture from the state of Gujarat in western India, in the houses of family members. When Krishna was through chemotherapy for her cancer, the bench became her safe haven. However, the joints are now loose and the whole thing wobbles dangerously if sitting atop. In order to determine what has to be repaired or recreated, Will proposes disassembling the entire bench and enlisting the help of Sonnaz Nooranvary to restuff the upholstery.

Maria has a special assignment for Kirsten Ramsay, a master of ceramics. She’s brought in a sculpture her mother, the Argentinean artist Betina, created by hand. Betina took great pride in her first marble sculpture, the forerunner to a triptych of works illustrating the development of a living thing. When it was shipped to the UK, however, the sculpture broke apart from its wooden foundation, and portions of the artwork were also sheared off. Kirsten needs Dom’s help with a complicated fix.

What Time Does “Episode 24” air Tonight

The Repair Shop: Episode 24 airs Wednesday 12 April 2023 at 20:00 on BBC One

Season 2023 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.

Featured image credit: BBC One