The Repair Shop: Episode 28 (BBC One Wednesday 30 August 2023)

The Repair Shop: Episode 28 airs Wednesday 30 August 2023 on BBC One

What can we expect from this episode

Jessie and her grandparents, Diana and Percy, are the first to enter the barn. They brought something that has been enjoyed by their musically talented family for four generations. In the 1920s, Jessie’s great-grandfather was a band musician who, on his date with Jessie’s future great-grandmother, played the ukulele while rowing a boat around a lake. Jessie wants to keep the ukulele’s tradition alive, so she’s enlisted the help of luthier and “king of strings” Julyan Wallis. Jules’s repair is similar to surgery because he must reinforce the crack from the inside of the instrument and then work on the central rose, which is very decorative.

Next, Nicola from the Scottish Isle of Lewis sends an urgent plea for a stuffed animal on behalf of Amanda Tatchell and Julie Middleditch. Nicola’s dad gave her some parsley when she was five years old. She didn’t receive many toys as a child, so Parsley, a metal bike upon which she can sit and pedal when pushed, is particularly special to her. By her own admission, Nicola immediately regretted ruining Parsley by painting his face with lipstick. After her father passed away in 2020, Nicola’s relationship with Parsley deepened. Now the toy needs a major makeover to restore him to his former glory, and the Bear Ladies, as usual, are looking forwards to the challenge.

Carlo and Alessia, a father and daughter, are the barn’s final visitors, bringing with them a memento of their family life in Italy, Carlo’s country of origin. Horologist Steve Fletcher must repair a split-flap clock from the 1960s that was crafted in Udine, Carlo’s mother’s hometown. Steve is way out of his element working with plastic and mid-century mechanics to restore this vintage but much-loved timepiece to its former glory.

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.

Season 2023 Episode 36

When can we see the episode

The Repair Shop: Episode 28 airs Wednesday 30 August 2023 at 15:45 on BBC One

Featured image credit: BBC One