The Repair Shop: Episode 47 (BBC One Monday 16 October 2023)

The Repair Shop: Episode 47 airs Monday 16 October 2023 on BBC One

What can we expect from this episode

Katie and her sister Anna are bringing a nanny-inspired chrome calendar ornament to show their appreciation for their doting nanny, Pat. Unfortunately, it succumbed to the dreaded rust. The sisters are seeking the expertise of Dom Chinea, a specialist in metalwork, out of concern that its days may be limited. Their nanny, Pat, received this calendar as a souvenir from a trip to the Netherlands in the 1960s. For a long time, it sat on her window sill, where she would flip it over every morning so that the day and date would be correct. Katie and Anna, who spent the summer with her, took turns flipping it over and watching the new number descend each morning. The sisters cherish this recollection to this day. They hope Dom can restore its lustre by removing the rust that has fused all its moving parts.

Next, bookbinder Chris Shaw will take on a delightful commission. Denise, a Londoner, has brought a schoolbook from Trinidad that belonged to her 97 year old mother, Sheila, when she was a student there. Sheila brought her textbook with her when she moved to the United Kingdom as part of the Windrush generation. The 1930s saw the publication of the delicate picture book. Every student in Trinidad and Tobago was given this book, which details the country’s history and geography. Denise and the rest of the family, including Sheila, value the book highly because it serves as a physical reminder of the family’s history. But it’s falling apart at the seams, so Chris needs to rebuild and preserve it carefully so that it can serve the family well for generations to come.

Kirsten Ramsay, an expert ceramicist, has been given a challenging project: the creation of a musical instrument. Barbara, a West Sussex resident, sends an ocarina—a miniature clay wind instrument. Barbara spent a lot of time as a child with her talented auntie Joan, and this was her aunt’s. Barbara started playing the ocarina at a young age because she adored the instrument’s sweet, gentle sound. Little Barbara played the ocarina alongside Joan and the rest of her musical family at their weekly get-togethers. Despite Barbara’s best efforts, the ocarina she used during the musical family evenings years ago has sustained damage and no longer produces the desired tones.

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 47

When can we see the episode

The Repair Shop: Episode 47 airs Monday 16 October 2023 at 15:45 on BBC One

Featured image credit: BBC One