Another week, another batch of battered heirlooms wheeled into the barn on BBC One’s The Repair Shop. This week’s episode, however, leans into the wonderfully weird. Forget your grandma’s chipped teacups; we’re talking a 1960s hover vacuum cleaner toy, a Victorian-era lightning machine, a giant stuffed lion, and a car jack repurposed as a makeshift fairground ride. Yes, really.
First up is Kauser Mukhtar from Bradford, clinging to a rusty, dusty reminder of her youth: that aforementioned hover vacuum toy. The team faces a formidable task – rust removal, rewiring, and a fresh coat of paint – all to ensure this piece of plastic nostalgia can be passed down to Mukhtar’s daughter. One can practically hear the collective groan of the experts when they realize the vacuum’s internal fan is missing.
Then there’s Nick Wimshurst and his great-great-grandfather’s invention, an 1880s lightning machine. Apparently, this contraption was once useful in early radiography. Now, it’s a collection of 12 fragile glass disks that the mechanical expert approaches with the caution of a bomb disposal technician. Wimshurst is clearly banking on the team’s ability to harness their inner mad scientist and reanimate this antique.
Next, Vanessa Buck from Bognor Regis presents a giant stuffed lion named Leo. Leo, a childhood companion, now resembles a creature who lost a few rounds with a particularly aggressive badger. Restuffing and a whole new wire frame are in order. Buck’s emotional attachment to Leo is clear, adding another level of pressure to the restoration.
Finally, there’s Bev Smith and her daughter Georgie, determined to revive a 1950s car jack that served as a, shall we say, unconventional fairground ride courtesy of Smith’s grandfather. The team needs to free up its rusted mechanism so Smith can experience one more bumpy “ride.” It’s the type of sweetly strange story The Repair Shop thrives on.
So, Tuesday night on BBC One at 8:00 PM, witness the alchemy of rust removal, rewiring, and restuffing. It’s another reminder that even the strangest objects can carry significant emotional weight.
The Repair Shop airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM on BBC One.
