The Repair Shop: Episode 31 (S2022EP31 BBC One Wed 17 August 2022)

Neil Scott and his granddaughter Saadia arrive with a pair of custom-made running shoes that have metal spikes on the soles, putting master shoemaker Dean Westmoreland to the test. Throughout his life, Neil participated in countless races while sporting these racing spikes. He started running in the 1940s, and at the Amateur Athletic Association 100-yard race, he twice won gold. He recently turned 90, and he wants the shoes to be kept as a memento of his illustrious career and to bring him back to those happier times. It is undoubtedly a labor-intensive restoration because the leather on the shoes is crumbling due to extreme dryness, and a tear close to the sole calls for a creative repair.

The next visitors are Nigel and Karen Garry, who are here to deliver a unique side table to ceramics expert Kirsten Ramsay that makes people in the barn smile. It is made of textured resin and is shaped like a bulldog holding a drinks tray while wearing a suit and a monocle. Since Nigel is a legally blind person who enjoys being around tactile objects like this amusing creation, the bulldog bartender has become a member of their family. However, an unfortunate turn of events during the couple’s move left the bulldog with a missing ear and a significant crack down his back. Nigel hopes Kirsten can fix his beloved friend because he currently has nowhere to put his gin and tonic.

Art conservator Lucia Scalisi has her skills put to the test when Sophy Bellis and her son Harry deliver a portrait of Sophy as a little girl. Sophy grew up in the 1960s on the same street as the artist Roger Hampson, and Sophy’s mum requested that her daughter sit for him. The resulting oil painting brought Sophy’s mum’s much joy and hung in her living room for all to admire. Over the years, the paint has become dry and is now flaking off the canvas at an alarming rate. Sophy always intended to have it restored for her mum, but sadly time ran out, which she feels badly about. Now is her chance to have the beautiful piece of work revitalised to remind her of her lovely mum.

The final item really strikes a chord with organ restorer David Burville. Norman Kench and his daughter Sarah have brought in the town of Henley-in-Arden’s barrel organ, which is in dire need of David’s expertise. The organ has played a major role in community celebrations and fundraising events for decades, but it is now scuffed, shabby and terribly tuneless. This project is a huge undertaking for David, but he rolls up his sleeves and cannot wait to start work.

Airdate: Wed 17 August 2022 at 20:00 on BBC One

Season 2022 Episode 31

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.