The Repair Shop 255x52 - Episode 52

At the Repair Shop, the team resurrect a piece of kit from the1970s owned by a pioneering music producer and a large ceramicstatue of a German shepherd for a retired police dog handler.Elsewhere in the barn, there's a painstaking restoration of adoctor's diploma and an old pair of child's rugby boots.Firstthrough the barn doors is music producer Neal Fraser, aka TheMad Professor. Neal is credited for his pioneering workestablishing a music genre in the 70s and 80s known as dub,and he's brought the very machine he created that distinctivesound with. The electronic sound effect machine was lastworking back in 1984, and Neal would love to make music withit again.Ceramics conservator Kirsten Ramsay greets John fromSurrey and his faithful friend, an almost life-size statue ofa German shepherd dog, named after his last canine partner,Belka. John was a police dog handler for over 25 years, andthis effigy symbolises all four of his police dogs throughouthis career. John's wife bought the statue as a surprise back in1972, and it sat loyally in their home until one fateful day,when an overloaded coat stand toppled over and smashed intoBelka, knocking off the muzzle section of the face. Kirstenmakes it her mission to return the dog to his owner lookingtip-top.The specialist skills of paper conservator LouiseDrover are next to be put to the test when Sidra arrives fromLondon with a laminated university medical diploma, awarded toher father in 1977, which is in a terrible state. He worked asan orthopaedic surgeon all over the world, and tragically losthis life to Covid while working in the Middle East at the peakof the pandemic. Sidra found the certificate when she collectedhis belongings and, knowing what a dedicated doctor her fatherwas, she'd like to display it at home as a reminder of herbrave dad. Louise must somehow remove the multiple layers ofdry and peeling laminate without damaging Sidra's father'shandwritten signature or tearing the paper.Lastly, Leedelivers his favourite sporting souvenir – his very firstpair of rugby boots bought when he was around six by his numberone fan, his father. Lee is passionate about rugby and evenplayed for the England squad back in the day. He lost his dadlast year and feels that now would be the perfect time topreserve and display these scuffed little boots as a tribute.