The Repair Shop 255x9 - Episode 9

It's the return of smoke and mirrors from times past as Camillaarrives with a groundbreaking form of Victorian entertainmentshe'd like to see back in action. Her revolving zoetrope is acandlelit, animation device that laid the foundations for thedevelopment of moving film.Camilla'sgreat-great-great-grandfather made the device back in the1850s. A chief draftsman of the Darlington Railway, he oftendid technical drawings of trains, and his eye for detail canbe seen in the construction of her zoetrope. Passed down to hergrandma, Camilla recalls playing with it as a child, and nowthat it is in her care, she'd love to see it restored toworking order.Angelina Bakalarou has clocked up nearly 20 yearsof paper conservation experience, which she can use to restorethe picture scrolls, whilst expert Dominic Chinea takes on themissing metal prongs that hold the scrolls in place. Will Kirkuses traditional techniques to make a stand. Their combinedhard work leaves Camilla completely animated over her now fullyusable zoetrope.The barn's next project is a pair of furnituredesigner classics. The forlorn pair of chairs belong to Roger,who inherited them from his twin brother Chris when heimmigrated to Florida in the 1990s. Unbeknownst to Roger,upholstery expert Sonnaz Nooranvary reveals that his brotherChris had very good taste, as the chairs are vintage ercol.Not realising how important they would become after the loss ofhis brother, Roger kept the chairs stored in a damp storagespace for many years and is now ashamed they've ended up insuch a sorry state. Sonnaz sets to work revamping theupholstery, whilst carpenter Will Kirk tackles thewater-damaged wood. Their combined efforts pay off as Rogertakes a seat on his beautifully restored keepsakes.Next,hoping for the healing hands of ceramics conservator KirstenRamsay, Janaki enters the barn with a precious link to her SriLankan heritage. Her ceramic statue of the Buddha has been inher family for over 70 years and was passed down by her mum.Back in Sri Lanka, her mother left the family home and startedwork as a nanny for a wealthy family, which was unusual forthe times. After a few years, the family decided to immigrateto the UK and asked Janaki's mum if she'd like to go with them.Quite the adventurer, she jumped at the chance. Once settledin London, she married and had children of her own. Times weretight, but she remained a devout Buddhist, and Janakiremembers that the statue was always the centrepiece of hermother's shrine at home. But time has not been kind to thelittle statue. With damage to the all-important gesture of theBuddha and a broken base, Kirsten must undertake some delicaterepairs to restore this beautiful, dainty piece.Finally,Fiona brings in a pair of her dad's boots from the 1960s. Sheexplains that these are no ordinary Chelsea boots buttraditional step-dancing boots. Her father, a Norfolkfisherman and lifeboat worker, used this freestyle form of tapdancing to relax at the end of a hard day's work. Keen tocontinue the tradition, Fiona returns to the barn accompaniedby a musician in the hope of dancing in her father's step-bootsonce again.