The Repair Shop: Episode 25 (S2022EP25 BBC One Wed 18 May 2022)

The first arrival at the barn is not only a prized family heirloom, but also a story of perseverance in the face of adversity. Gary Fisher’s Austrian grandparents, Emanuel and Gisela, owned this Jewish prayer book. After Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, they were unable to leave and were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Though many members of Gary’s family died in the camps, Emanuel and Gisela were liberated along with the book at the end of the war. It’s an important record of the era and a prized family possession, as it’s signed by many of the camp’s other residents. Chris Shaw, the barn’s book expert, is in charge of this delicate restoration and conservation project, which will require all of his bookbinding skills to preserve this unique and treasured item.

Mark Stuckey’s audio expertise will be tested by the barn’s next arrival – an ageing and very damaged radio brought in by Geoff Allum and his wife Jane. This radio is showing all the signs of the wild adventure on which it accompanied Geoff and his late cousin Donald. In 1971, they set off in a two-man rowing boat to cross the Atlantic from east to west. It took them just over 73 days, and the radio was a vital tool on their adventure. With just a sextant for navigation, listening to the BBC World Service gave Geoff and Don an accurate time of day to help them establish their location, chart their progress and work out for how long they would need to preserve and ration their precious stores of fresh water. Though the radio is badly damaged and hasn’t worked for many years, Geoff is hoping Mark’s expertise may mean he can one day hear it playing again.

Next to arrive at the barn, a stylish futuristic mid-century chair brought in by Tracy Dodds and her daughter Florrie. The chair was bought in the 1970s by Tracy’s father Guy, a keen follower of fashion and design. Not only was it an enclosed egg design finished in striking white with red upholstery, but inside it held a hidden secret that delighted Tracy and her siblings – a set of speakers that would envelope the sitter in the sounds of their dad’s favourite Elvis tracks. Sadly, the speakers haven’t worked for nearly 30 years, and the chair itself is showing its age, with the shell and upholstery deteriorating. To revive this stunning piece back to its best, it will need a combination of the talents of the barn’s upholstery expert Sonnaz Nooranvary and resident electronics whizz Mark Stuckey.

Finally, Ramzi Al-Nayazi has brought in a treasured toy from his childhood growing up in Iraq. It’s a mechanical horse-racing game from the 1950s, and Ramzi fondly remembers his whole family gathered round this game, cheering on their chosen horses. Ramzi brought the game with him when he left Baghdad, but it hasn’t worked for many years, and now he is keen to play it again with his own family. The runners and riders are going to need the modelling and mechanical skills of David Burville and the expertise of fabric aficionado Sara Dennis to get them back across the finishing line.

Airdate: Wed 18 May 2022 at 20:00 on BBC One

Season 2022 Episode 25

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.