The Repair Shop 255x12 - Episode 12

Lilian Russell from Newry in Northern Ireland brings in thefirst item. She has a harp for brand new experts Alex and NigelTree. A father and son pairing with over 50 years' combinedexperience in building and restoring harps, they are impressedto learn that this harp was built by Lilian's father, acomplete novice, in his garage. As a child, Lilian had pinedfor a harp, but since times were tough, the family couldn'tafford one. So, Lilian's dad, Jimmy, decided to build onehimself, using a book from the library. It took him about sixmonths, and he painstakingly fashioned every separate element- the workmanship for a complete amateur is astonishing. Thiswas his first harp, and he went on to become a luthier,making harps and instruments for people all over theworld.Lilian was devastated when the harp her dad made wasdropped during a house move, causing cracks in the case andmaking it no longer steady on its feet. Alex and Nigel havetheir work cut out to return it to Lilian in the state sheremembers, so she can hear it played for the first time indecades.Next, lifelong friends Mac Greenwood and Pete Hemmingsarrive with a delicate item for paper conservator AngelinaBakalarou. It is a ‘returning birthday card' in the shape ofan airline sick bag that Pete's mum bought for him to give tohis friend Mac on his 16th birthday. The idea was that Macwould keep the card and send it back to his friend with a newmessage for his birthday the following year. So started atradition that has lasted all their lives, right up to thepresent day, despite Pete moving 12,000 miles away toAustralia 28 years ago.For the friends, it signifies aconstant in an ever-changing world and became all the morepoignant when Pete was involved in a terrible car accident thatleft him with voids in his memory. The card has helped fill insome of the blanks. It is a delicate task for Angelina, whomust work out a way to conserve the paper but also keep itviable as a card that can continue to be written on and senthalfway around the world for years to come.The next visitorsare sisters Fiona and Kirsten with a treasured family heirloom:their father's potter's wheel. The wheel belonged to theirfather, Syd Walker, a renowned potter and artist known forhis exceptional work in Scotland during the 60s and 70s. Syd'spottery was celebrated internationally, with exhibitionsacross America, Holland and France, and even featured in theRoyal Family Collection. As Fiona and Kirsten reminisce abouttheir childhood spent in their father's pottery studio, theyfondly recall the sights, sounds and smells that surroundedthem. The potter's wheel was not just a tool, but a symbol oftheir father's passion for art and creativity. Despite itsimpracticality, they held onto the wheel as a tangibleconnection to their beloved father and his legacy. Now,Kirsten dreams of following in her father's footsteps andcreating pottery on his wheel. However, the wheel is in needof extensive restoration. Dominic Chinea, the residentexpert, is entrusted with the task of bringing the wheel backto life.The barn's final guest is Maria from Dublin, whobrings in her mother's retirement clock. Maria's motherreceived the clock as a gift from her colleagues upon hermarriage in 1962. The clock holds significant historicalimportance, as it symbolises the challenges women faced in theworkplace due to the marriage bar in Ireland during the 1960s.Maria recounts her mother's experiences of having to give upher job upon marriage. Despite this, Maria's mother cherishedthe clock as a symbol of her career and independence. However,the clock stopped working around ten years ago, and Mariaseeks the expertise of resident horologist Steve Fletcher torestore it to its former glory. As Steve examines the clock,he discovers worn bearings and realises the extent of therepair work required. Despite the challenges, Steve isdetermined to bring the clock back to life for Maria, whohopes to place it back on her father's mantlepiece where itbelongs.