- 8 hours ago
The Repair Shop - Season 14 Episode 25
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00:00A workshop full of wonders.
00:03I heard the word watch.
00:05Home to experts and time-honoured crafts.
00:09There you go, that's a good sound.
00:11Together repairing treasured pieces of the past.
00:15Oh, I like that. That is really good.
00:19Wow, look at that.
00:21Wow, look at that.
00:23Quite proud of that.
00:25And unlocking their stories.
00:27I'm completely blown away by this.
00:29Oh, dear.
00:31Bringing the broken.
00:33I don't know where to start with this.
00:35Back to life.
00:36Wow.
00:38It's stunning.
00:40Wow, fantastic.
00:44I think it's just amazing.
00:46Yay!
00:47Welcome to the repair shop.
00:59Have a good day.
01:00You too.
01:10First at the barn, Alistair Waite from Shropshire.
01:14With a tiny model that could be a big challenge for paper conservator Angelina Bacalara.
01:20Hello.
01:21Hello.
01:22Hello.
01:24What is that?
01:25Oh, look, it's a circus.
01:27Is it a circus tent?
01:28It is.
01:29That's amazing.
01:30It was a topper on my parents' wedding cake in October 1954.
01:36Oh, that's very sweet.
01:38My parents were 20-odd years on the circus in the 50s and 60s.
01:42My father was the tent master for Chipperfield Circus, so he was responsible for that particular tent.
01:48My mother did various things, you know, riding elephants and hacks she had with the camels and llamas.
01:53Really?
01:54Oh, wow, okay.
01:55Now, did your dad used to wear the sort of jacket with the moustache and the hat and all that?
01:59No, no, no, he wasn't the ringmaster.
02:01He was responsible for the tent and the transportation moving from town to town.
02:06There could be two or three hundred people in the whole circus, because that was the day when the elephants, they travelled by train.
02:12And there'd be a circus walk for the mile, mile and a half to where the circus ground was.
02:17It's just a totally different era.
02:20And obviously the rules have changed over sort of keeping animals in the circus.
02:25Yes, definitely.
02:26Different times.
02:27Definitely different times.
02:28What was life like for you as a child in the circus?
02:31We were feral.
02:33The circus just, you know, the community looked after you, but you knew the lady who had the ice cream franchise,
02:40so you'd always be touting around there for a free ice cream.
02:44Oh, wow.
02:45And you could go in to watch any show you wanted to.
02:47You'd just sneak in and look.
02:49It was brilliant.
02:50Yeah.
02:51So this is a replica of the actual tent, is that what they say?
02:55Yes.
02:56Really?
02:57Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:58So who made this?
02:59That's a really good question.
03:00I don't know.
03:01But somebody had to be fairly skilled to do that.
03:03Definitely.
03:04Agreed.
03:05Whereabouts did the wedding take place?
03:06In Birmingham.
03:07And, you know, as a guard of honour, they had some of the circus men, you know, the great big steak poles that hold the tent down.
03:12There were people holding those, and they walked through, and the wedding breakfast, for want of a better word, was actually in the circus ring.
03:18Oh, my goodness, really?
03:19They got married, and beautiful cake, and that was at the top.
03:23That's amazing.
03:24They were just totally besotted with one another, right until the end, really.
03:29And I think all their love for each other is sort of wrapped up in that.
03:32What are you hoping Angie can do for you?
03:34To come back in the best shape it can be in, you know, keeping some of the history, obviously.
03:39I mean, I don't know when, you know, the little bits of damage that's done, but there would have been flags on each pole at one stage.
03:45Yeah.
03:46Yeah, I mean, this is probably original flowers or something.
03:49To simulate trees, it's real, like, dried flower of some sort.
03:54I love it.
03:55I love it.
03:56It's lovely to see you and hear all about the circus, and we'll see you very soon.
03:59Thank you very much.
04:00Bye.
04:05It's so tiny.
04:07I mean, we're taking a lot of skill to make that.
04:09I agree.
04:10It's amazing.
04:11Good luck.
04:25This is such a lovely little piece of Alistair's history, but it has so many big challenges.
04:34There's wood, there's paper, there's little dry plants.
04:37It's just a very unusual item.
04:40Two of the poles are misshapen.
04:43Quite a few of the flags are no longer there.
04:46The little plants that are on the back are falling onto the paper tent, which also has a lot of color missing.
04:53There's so much that needs to be done, but I'm going to start with vacuuming as much of the loose dirt as possible, and then see exactly what I'm dealing with.
05:03Is this a new bear?
05:16Yeah.
05:17It's my birthday present from my husband.
05:19He's lovely.
05:20Very sparkly suits you.
05:23Next, bringing in a tattered toy that turned royal heads, actor and former children's TV presenter, Jenny Hanley.
05:33Hello.
05:34Hello.
05:35Hello.
05:36Hi.
05:37How lovely to see you.
05:38You too.
05:39You look familiar to me.
05:40I was just going to say the same thing.
05:42Did you watch Magpie?
05:44No.
05:45Yes.
05:46They threw me out of airplanes and everything, but I survived.
05:49Wow.
05:50We loved Magpie.
05:51So did I.
05:52And who have you brought us?
05:54This is Alphonse, and he belonged to my grandmother.
05:58He was basically her first toy.
06:01Her name was Lisa, and she was a very famous photographer with her husband.
06:07She entered a competition in the newspaper.
06:11Right.
06:12Yeah.
06:13Okay.
06:14And the photograph won, and the editor said, you ought to take this out professionally, and photography just took her.
06:22They set up a studio in a little back room in their house and became Studio Lisa.
06:30Lisa Sheridan and her Russian husband-to-be, Fernand, fled the Russian Revolution in 1917, arriving in Britain with little to their names but a camera.
06:41Studio Lisa's early work was product photography, but by the mid-1930s, Lisa's relaxed and intimate portraits of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret brought wide acclaim.
06:54How did it come about then that Studio Lisa took photographs of the Princesses?
07:00A friend of Lisa's was working for the royal family, and everybody wanted to know more about them and the two Princesses.
07:09Studio Lisa were asked to photograph them, to introduce them more to the public.
07:15And they went along when the Queen was about ten. They were the first to take what one can call happy family snaps.
07:24So where does Alphonse fit in all of this?
07:27He helped them when they were photographing children by helping them to look in one direction.
07:33He can react to you and talk to you. And, of course, Alphonse was used then to get the young Princesses looking at him while they took the photographs.
07:43He could tell quite a tale, couldn't he?
07:45Oh, yes.
07:46When Princess Elizabeth became Queen, they were invited to take photographs of Princess Anne and Prince Charles.
07:53And this little guy saw it all.
07:55This little guy was there, yeah.
07:57Yeah.
07:58He must have retired when Lisa retired then, did he?
08:01Yes.
08:02He was in tissue paper for a while.
08:04Mm-hm.
08:05When she died, I adopted Alphonse.
08:08Aw.
08:09Bless him.
08:10He's worked terribly hard.
08:12You can see that.
08:14Unfortunately, the metal is coming out of his fingers and his toes.
08:20Can I have a look?
08:21Yes, please do.
08:22And the cummerbund isn't exactly top drawer.
08:26Yes.
08:27And, of course, we're going to be worried about whatever's going on underneath here.
08:31There's a very grand eyes.
08:33I'm rather keen on those buttons because I've grown up with those buttons.
08:36So you want to keep them?
08:37Yes, please.
08:38That's absolutely fine.
08:39So tell us how you would like to see him.
08:42I don't want him to have gone to a plastic surgeon.
08:48I want him to have had a health club visit.
08:50A very sympathetic restoration.
08:52Please.
08:53If you can make him so that my grandchildren can touch him, and then they could enjoy him
08:59as much as I have, that would mean a lot.
09:02I just hope you can work your magic on him.
09:06We will do our best.
09:08Okay.
09:09Bye.
09:10I'm blown away by this.
09:21I've not seen one like this before.
09:23No.
09:24This tape around his tummy, the cummerbund, that's my worry.
09:28Me too.
09:29But there's quite a few other areas.
09:31I mean, his little hands and feet.
09:33Yes.
09:34So frail.
09:35Here, there's wire poking out.
09:36Can you see there?
09:37It should all be inside.
09:40So I think, with a little bit of fear, I'm going in.
09:43I'm going to take this off, and then we'll see where we go from there.
09:46Go on, then.
09:52Looks like it's been on there a while.
09:54It certainly does.
09:56There's a bit of damage here, actually, on the seam.
09:59Mm-hm.
10:00So that's nothing too major to worry about.
10:02It has probably helped to prevent that damage from getting even worse.
10:07And maybe it was just that.
10:09If they were holding him, maybe they foresaw that that was a weak area
10:12and just put it on as a handle, for want of a better word.
10:15Maybe.
10:16But that's the only damage I can see.
10:17Yeah.
10:18That is such a huge relief.
10:20Are you happy for me to undo this front seam?
10:23Oh, yeah.
10:24You're always fixing something.
10:33Yeah, well, I tried my best.
10:35Yeah.
10:36Right.
10:37I think that should now be OK.
10:39OK, turn it on.
10:41Yeah.
10:42There we go.
10:43Another fix.
10:44Well done.
10:49Angelina is turning to technology
10:52to help get the poles of the miniature circus tent vertical again.
10:57So I'm using my ultrasonic humidifier, which will be giving me very, very fine mist.
11:03And by applying this very fine mist, I am trying to soften the areas around the little pole that is broken.
11:15And as it gets wetter and wetter, it should become more pliable and move easier.
11:21It's already allowing me to keep it nice and straight, and it matches the rest of the poles.
11:36So I'm just going to go ahead and glue it now.
11:40I am using some wood glue with a really small brush to get into the little crack.
11:52I'm just using a toothpick to help it dry upright.
12:11It's quite stressful.
12:12It's like walking on a tightrope.
12:13Tada!
12:14Wow.
12:15That was tense.
12:16While this dries, I'm just going to move to the next little pole.
12:30The two poles are now standing beautifully upright.
12:54So now I am mixing some watercolors in order to fill in on the tent where the color has been lost over the years.
13:02I have gone with using these watercolors because accessing the little nooks and crannies on the tent was not going to be easy with a pencil.
13:15So I've opted for something that can be applied with a brush.
13:19An added element to this tent, which is the orange stripes.
13:24So once I have the background ready and dry, then I will be able to fill those in.
13:35While one treasured keepsake is coming together nicely, another lies smashed to pieces.
13:42Oh, my goodness.
13:44But it's definitely broken.
13:45Yeah, I wonder how it got like that.
13:47Londoner Abdul and his daughter Hannah have the answer.
13:51And they are looking to Steve and Will to restore this memento of Abdul's early life in South Asia.
13:58Hi there.
13:59Hello.
14:00Hello.
14:01Welcome, welcome.
14:02Thank you very much.
14:03For having us.
14:04Who does this belong to?
14:05My dad, he got it from his friend as a gift because they are dealers of the antiques.
14:14When my dad saw it and he said, it's a nice cloak.
14:17And he saw his friend.
14:18He said, you love it?
14:19You like it?
14:20You have it.
14:21Really?
14:22Yeah.
14:23That's a nice gift.
14:24It is a nice gift.
14:25After three years, his dear friend passed away and it became more dear to him.
14:29Oh, I see.
14:30To my dad, their friend's memory was connected to this one.
14:34Okay.
14:35But for me, it's connected to my dad.
14:38Okay.
14:39So your dad must have really cared for this cloak?
14:41Too much, believe me.
14:42I don't think so.
14:44He could have cared for me that much, as much as he has cared for this one.
14:48What was he like as a dad?
14:50He was a wonderful dad, you know, looked after and taken care of everything.
14:55For his friends and relatives and especially for us.
14:59Hannah, did you know your grandfather?
15:02Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet my grandfather.
15:05I was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood eye cancer.
15:09She was a year old.
15:10So life kind of revolved around making sure that I got the care that I needed and just supporting me through that.
15:17So dad only got to go back to India once in 2005.
15:22So that was the last time he saw his dad before he passed away in 2010.
15:27Was that the last time you saw this clock working?
15:30That is right.
15:31I requested my family members to ship it from India to here and they did not pack it properly.
15:40Oh, I see.
15:42So in transit, it completely shattered.
15:46Oh, goodness.
15:47When I opened and I saw in that condition, that was one of the worst day of my life.
15:54I'm standing here and a bit full of guilt that this is in this condition.
15:58Yeah.
15:59We don't really have very much left behind from my grandfather.
16:03We have like one photo or pin and just the clock.
16:08I haven't also been able to kind of appreciate its true beauty because for me it's through listening and touching.
16:14And with a lot of places broken, I can't really access my grandfather's clock.
16:21So being able to hear it working will be really special.
16:25I understand.
16:26I understand that.
16:27Yeah.
16:28I will try my utmost to get it working and striking and ticking.
16:32That will be like as if my dream come true.
16:35Okay.
16:36Thank you very much.
16:37Thank you so much.
16:38Bye-bye now.
16:39This clock has really been on a journey, hasn't it?
16:47I know.
16:48I think we've both got our work cut out on it as well.
16:50We do indeed.
16:51Right.
16:52Let me know we need some help.
16:53Okay.
16:54Didn't you drop it?
16:55Oh, you got it?
16:56Thanks.
16:57Oh, yes.
16:58This is going to be a very nice clock, but I think I've really got a lot of work to do on it.
17:13For Hannah, she's never actually heard this clock.
17:16I think once she does, that will be a real connection with her grandfather.
17:21This bottom glass here is broken beyond repair, so I'm going to have to source another one.
17:28And I'm not sure whether I can get a transfer to go on the glass or whether I might need to get it repainted.
17:36The more I look at this case, the more I see how much Will has got his work really cut out.
17:44But I don't know how big my work is going to be until I take this off and have a look at the mechanism.
17:50And that's going to be my next job, is to start getting it apart to see what's what.
18:09At the Bare Ladies' Bench, Amanda is tackling Alphonse's most damaged parts.
18:15I'm working on the hands and feet.
18:17Over the years, they've become very, very frail.
18:20And the wires that actually hold his arm have come through the ends and they've started to wear through the velvet.
18:27So we need to get something in there to support that so that we can put that frame structure back in and know that it's going to be good and strong to hold it.
18:37I'm going to make a tiny little tube of felt and slide it in there.
18:42That way when I repair it, I've got something strong enough to sew into and strong enough also that will encase the wire that's got to go back in.
18:52What I'm hoping is I've got a couple of stitches there and I'm hoping I'm going to be able to pull that up through his little finger.
19:04Oh my, this is fiddly, fiddly.
19:06Oh my, this is fiddly, fiddly.
19:13So delicate, so, so delicate.
19:17There we go, that's perfect.
19:20You can see here that I've kind of rebuilt that missing bit.
19:26It will add protection so that we can then insert that wire back in without fear of the wire coming back out.
19:33Our fonts has got slightly baggy arms.
19:48So I've literally just topped up some of the stuffing in this arm.
19:54It'll make him stronger in the long run.
19:56Now I'm going to do the same on the other side, but before I do, I'm just going to loosen this joint because it's not moving as freely as the other one.
20:10And all I need to do is just reach inside with my pliers.
20:15There's a little nail inside that's been bent over and I just literally need to loosen it a fraction.
20:24Come on little guy, we can do this together.
20:30Yeah, that's moving more freely now.
20:33So now, as I have done with the other arm, I'm going to top up the stuffing in this shoulder.
20:45Gently feed it in.
20:54Angelina has turned her attention to the flags missing from the circus cake topper.
21:04I have two original ones and I'm going to try and make six more.
21:10What I want to do is just trace the shape of one of the triangles and get them ready for painting.
21:18The replacement flags also need new flagpoles.
21:22And for that, Angelina is calling on the all-round talents of organ restorer David Burville.
21:28And she's given me the circus cake topper and what a fantastic little thing it is.
21:36There's some little pins which were some flagpoles and they're stuck and broken off in the tops of the main poles.
21:46What I've got to try and do is replace them with little dressmaking pins.
21:53But getting these other pins out is going to be a little bit tricky.
21:59I think I'm going to use a technique that I learnt many, many years ago when I was an apprentice.
22:05So I've got my soldering iron to actually heat up the metal and expand it.
22:11That will actually crack any rust that's surrounding the pin.
22:15And then I should be able to carefully extract the pin.
22:22Ah, there we go. That was easier than expected.
22:25So I've just got this next one.
22:35So that's brilliant.
22:37Oh, that world to treat.
22:39Great, now I've got those out, I can now go through my box and actually find some matching pins.
22:44And then put the new pins in.
23:04The next stage in repairing Alphonse's foot is to add a layer of silk crepelin.
23:11This is going to support the very frail velvet and give it some strength.
23:16And then I'm going to use my fabric pens and I'm going to blend it so that it matches the other velvet parts on his body.
23:23How's the circus topper going?
23:35It's all done for you.
23:36Is it?
23:37Yep, yep.
23:38It's all done for you.
23:39All new pins, I've aged them so they're not too shiny.
23:43They're not too shiny.
23:44That's perfect.
23:45Thank you so much.
23:46You're welcome.
23:47I've got an original photograph of the cake topper actually sitting on the wedding cake.
23:57I've been looking really, really closely and the cake is actually adorned with all sorts of different animals.
24:05There's giraffes, there's tigers, there's elephants.
24:08So I think a giraffe and an elephant will actually be in keeping with what was on the original cake.
24:15So I've got a little piece of balsa wood and I've just drawn out a very naive looking giraffe.
24:24I'm just going to use the rotary carving tool and then hopefully it will start to have the shape of a giraffe.
24:41While Steve removes dirt and grime from the mechanism of the travel damaged clock,
24:47Will is getting to grips with its battered case.
24:51The top part here, that's broken away.
24:55There's also lots of missing bits of veneer around the inside door here.
25:00And that's been a really tricky fix because it's not a flat surface that I need to read veneer onto.
25:04It's curved.
25:05So I need to find some kind of way of replacing that.
25:10I'm going to start off by stripping the old varnish with paint stripper.
25:16Once I've done that, then I can start sticking back the loose bits of woodwork.
25:20When I was taking this clock apart, it was very, very difficult to separate the two plates because this clock has had quite a fall, which has just bent everything.
25:41If I put the ruler on it, it's just rocking away and that should be dead straight, not rocking at all.
25:49So I need to straighten the plates up so that all of the wheels will be properly in line because if I leave it distorted, it just won't work correctly.
25:59So I'm just going to gently hammer the plate and hopefully straighten it out.
26:05That's beautiful.
26:06That's much better.
26:07All right, let's just see how this goes together now.
26:12I'm really happy with that now.
26:13Very, very good.
26:14I'm really happy with that now.
26:15Very, very good.
26:16I'm really happy with that now.
26:17Very, very good.
26:18I'm really happy with that now.
26:40Very, very good.
26:44it's taken a lot of time to work out how I'm going to bend some wooden veneer but I've seen
26:52Julian and Pete use a soldering iron to bend veneer before what I've done is I've used some
27:00thin veneer here and then I get it slightly wet in water so once that's wet you lightly
27:09wrap that around the soldering iron you don't use it on there for too long so it will burn the
27:16word but look at that amazing absolutely amazing so quick so simple I'm going to stick it down with
27:26some hot glue I've actually made this special mold and that should be able to keep it in that lovely
27:42the curved edge whilst it dries Amanda has nearly completed the strengthening of Alfonsi's dilapidated
27:57digits so this is the final part on the mesh is in place holding everything together where it's all
28:05fragile and now I'm using this shading pen so that it blends a little bit better his hands and feet
28:12were in a really sorry state and I can feel that what I've done is actually given them some strengths
28:21so this little foot is nearly finished and it'll be time to hand these over to Julie and they can be
28:27reunited with his arms and legs Julie a little bouquet of hands and feet yes I'm so pleased now that we
28:47can actually finally get in that together again now that the flags are done and everything looks much more
29:03colorful I can't help but think the flowers look quite sad so I have sourced some new flowers they are the
29:13same exact type of flower that these are so I'm just going to go into the empty spaces and insert them
29:21back in and replace some of the lost little flowers with some of the new just to help bring everything
29:29together fabulous this is going to be a very fiddly job but I can't wait to see Alistair's reaction
29:37when I give the tent back to him the wedding cake topper is an emblem of a couple's lifelong love
29:46that began in the circus but age had left it faded and ramshackle oh Angie that's amazing
29:54I love the presentation I thought it would be fitting it's very good very good Alistair has returned to
30:00collect this unique reminder of his parents relationship and of his family's extraordinary
30:06life in the circus hello hi Alistair good to see you again thank you it's nice to be here how are you
30:13feeling excited really because it's the only tangible item that we've got of my mother and father are you
30:22ready I'm ready as I'll ever be right wow
30:30what a fabulous job
30:40oh you're a star you've done it's beautiful and it's clean it is
30:49and look at the giraffe
30:53the little um animals were made by David well that's great thank you very much for your work
31:01David you're welcome and that's for all these dried flowers yes I found the same type of flower that the
31:09originals were really you know that big top dad was responsible for you know mum rode elephants so
31:16you've got that and yeah it just brings it all full circle god I'm cobsmacked it's just fantastic it's
31:24yours now you can take it home well thank you very much and thank you for all the work you've done
31:29and I will look after it thank you thanks a lot bye bye bye bye
31:32bye
31:32well done Angie thank you it was so much fun right I'm going to make a start on this cake
31:41the work that Angie's done on this cake topper is incredible I've never seen it in such good
31:49condition this will continue my parents legacy it's just a delight
32:03it's Lucia Scalese's expertise with paint to the rescue next for a wartime essential belonging to
32:11Maureen Armstrong from Bristol hello hello you must be Maureen and this wonderful
32:19thing is yours it was my grandmother's and she wore it through the second world war in Portsmouth
32:27and what was your grandmother's name well her full name was Dorothea Fernandez Hodges oh how exotic
32:33everybody called her Dot she was the commander of a group of volunteer nurses at a first aid post
32:44who would deal with casualties being brought in after bombing raids and is that what
32:50FAP means yes first aid post wow so she'd signed up 1939 1940 and she was working like that right
33:01through until victory everybody that I know trusted and respected her she was just the greatest was she
33:11but you growing up how how was it when she was around you one of the reasons that hat is just so
33:18precious to me is this is about my earliest memory my mother and I were living with my grandma I was put
33:26to bed in a little camp bed in our air raid shelter and I can remember my grandma coming in wearing that
33:33wearing that helmet on her way to go to the post because the sirens had gone and she came in to kiss me
33:40to kiss me good night later in my teenage years I would go to her from school and sit and watch television with
33:49her and talk to her and I I just always felt that if I was with her I was okay when she went it was a big
33:59cold in my life I do miss her still it's a wonderful thing to have anyway as a piece of history but it's
34:06also got your grandmother's name all over it yes DF Hodges and if you look very carefully you'll see
34:13that it's got her name on the chin strap as well stitched on yeah yes did you have any memory of where
34:19she kept it where it lived in her house was just in a cupboard but she did bring it out for her
34:25reunions with the ladies from the post because they kept close friendship and they would have regular
34:33reunions and how do you feel seeing it like this well I got really worried when it got all this speckling
34:41here yeah because it's damaging the paintwork yeah I would just love to be able to pass it on down more
34:50generations yeah it it's not elaborate but it did a job and that's what people did in the war
34:59well thank you Maureen leave it with me and um I'll let you know how it goes thank you bye bye
35:04it's a fascinating thing Maureen's main concern was when we're down to the bare metal and the rust
35:24staining um and that's something that I can treat um and then I'm going to retouch so I actually have
35:31to match my retouching to this aged paint layer and on the inside we've got lovely lettering there is
35:39a couple of little elements that I'll do some retouching with to pull the whole thing together
35:43so that it reads quite smoothly but I want to maintain the general feel of it being an actively used
35:50serious piece of kit I think my first job I'm going to use a rust inhibitor which will also serve
35:58as a cleaning agent too I'm going to do an area around here where I can see there's definitely some
36:04sort of greasy dirt wow look at that well I think we're going to get really quite a nice effect
36:13with a very very gentle cleaning
36:33recreating the design on the broken glass of the travel damage clock requires the skills of a new face
36:40at the barn Alastair Mackay is an expert screen printer and gilder
36:46hi Al hi Steve thanks for coming in and uh hopefully helping with this uh piece of glass
36:52no worries oh it's in some state isn't it it is I should be able to create a stencil from it okay
36:58and then I'll screen print it onto a new piece of glass and I think it'll look really good okay I'll look forward to that thanks
37:04one thing that I really need to do is to to sort out the bent claw of the the pendulum rod here
37:26when I put the pendulum on I can see that it's really out of alignment so the pendulum
37:34is the part of the the clock that actually makes it keep time but because it's such a long way out when
37:40the pendulum's actually swinging it will cause all sorts of issues for the going of the clock so it really
37:46needs to be in line so I just need to manipulate the the claws here so that they're even
37:54and it's absolutely vital to get them working right
38:06Alastair has replicated the glassy's original design on a sheet of acetate
38:11and can now begin the screen printing process this is a screen printing screen it is a wooden
38:17outside with silk mesh so I can allow a really fine amount of ink to go onto the glass when I print
38:24so the first part of the process is coating the screen in a photosensitive emulsion that then we're
38:31going to expose our artwork onto
38:47so that's perfectly in line this pendulum's going to to do its job properly now
38:51that looks good the emulsion's dry so now I'm going to put the acetate onto the screen
39:05that's nice and centered now that the artwork's stuck in place I'm going to use a light to shine UV
39:11light at the screen this will harden the green areas and leave the areas that are in black soft and that
39:17means that when I spray water on them the water soluble paint will drip out the screen and it'll clear
39:24and create a sharp stencil leaving an area that allows us to push ink through the mesh
39:30that's it wow it is absolutely beautiful fantastic well that's me done over to you okay thank you cheers
39:55I've sourced a new piece of glass it's been cut down to size and now I'll be able to print on it and
40:17it will look exactly like the original I've color matched the silver so that we have exactly the same color
40:26right that's the ink in it's now time to flood the screen make sure there's enough ink and then print it
40:32this is a bit nerve-wracking this I only get one shot at the squeegee pool
40:48I think that matches really well and looks exactly like the original
40:51I'll let it dry give it a clean and then I'll give it back to steve
41:07lucia is preparing to fill in the bare metal pop marks on the wartime helmet i'm going to use acrylic
41:14paints i've mixed up the shade on here but i need to put it on and see how it looks when it sits next
41:21to the paint on the helmet
41:26so i'm not painting i'm just going to do the spotting just little dots in that area
41:30this actually looks really quite light i'm going to put a little bit of yellow oak in there
41:38these are all very subtle um color changes
41:42actually it's not bad and i'm actually not color matching to the tone of the stain i'm matching to
41:54the tone of the actual paint i'm going to go around the whole helmet and knock out the really
42:00big holes then i'll start going around looking at the actual staining so bit by bit
42:16i finished work with the acrylic but it wasn't subtle enough in terms of a finish that i wanted
42:30to get so i'm using my modern synthetic resins to retouch with and my dry pigments and i mix the colors
42:38up very specifically for each loss and these are much more transparent so the base coat will shine
42:45through but it's got a glaze over the top your eye will not be focused on the damage and what you
42:51see is the helmet first
42:57so i've got a few more layers to put on they're very thin
43:01then when that's finished i'm going to move on to the lettering
43:15what would you say is that the match is the end of the dress
43:18well lucia is this world war one or world war two world war two i think my grandfather was in the
43:25home guard so he would have had exactly the same helmet no they're they're all the same but different
43:30colors you know sort of designations of what they were so what color his would have don't know
43:36And you didn't keep the helmet? No.
43:38I've got his bowler hat.
43:48Alphonse's rejuvenating session at the Bear Lady's spa is drawing to a close.
43:54So that's it. That's his hand and his feet, all back where they should be.
43:59But Amanda's decided a distinguished monkey needs an extra level of pampering.
44:04We thought it would be really nice to give him a little waistcoat,
44:08just to add a little bit of warmth and to make him look really smart.
44:13Chose this lovely burgundy colour.
44:15And all I'm doing now is stitching it together, ready for him to try it on.
44:21I can't wait to see him, actually.
44:22And I can't wait to see Jenny's response when she sees him.
44:25A nice, smart and strong monkey.
44:29This cheeky photographer's assistant coaxed natural smiles from hundreds of children,
44:38including princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
44:41But years of hard work had left him stiff and threadbare.
44:46OK.
44:47Yeah, there he is.
44:48He's all ready.
44:50Is he smiling?
44:51He's got a twinkle in his eye.
44:53Now Jenny is back to be reunited with the furry fellow who was so important
45:02to the success of Studio Lisa and to her photographer, Grandmother.
45:08Hello.
45:10Hi, Jenny.
45:11Welcome back.
45:14How are you?
45:16I've so missed him.
45:18So missed him.
45:19Yes.
45:19I'm dying to see him.
45:22We are genuinely dying to show you.
45:26Come on, then.
45:27You ready?
45:27Yes, please.
45:28Go on, then.
45:35Oh, bless him.
45:43That's Alphonse.
45:45That's a healthy Alphonse.
45:49Golly.
45:57Oh, how did you do that?
46:00There was a big piece of rusty metal sticking out of his hand.
46:04Yeah.
46:06Wow.
46:07You've mended this beautifully.
46:09Gosh, the family will be so pleased to see him and be able to touch him.
46:14Oh, no, I love his waistcoat because he's now dressed properly.
46:22Oh, bless.
46:24Have we struck the balance right?
46:26Oh.
46:27It may not be good English, but it could not be righter.
46:30Oh.
46:31He's definitely Alphonse.
46:33He will live on now.
46:35I hope so.
46:36And he's ready to.
46:37You can tell he's ready to.
46:38You are brilliant, ladies.
46:40Brilliant.
46:41Oh, you have done a miracle.
46:45You're so welcome.
46:46Say goodbye.
46:49Bye, Jenny.
46:50Say trip back.
46:51Bye-bye.
46:52I think we did it.
46:56I think we did.
46:57Well done.
46:57Well done, you.
46:59It was the first time that I can remember him leaving the family in over 100 years.
47:05Those ladies are just magic, and I will be overjoyed to take him home and put him where he's meant to be.
47:24The wartime helmet has the name of its original owner, Dot, barely legible on the chin strap, and Lucia has spotted scope for improvement.
47:35Whilst I've been cleaning this, I've become increasingly aware of this hard crease in the band.
47:43A little bit of flattening out will just make it easier for Maureen, when she's looking at it, to see the label.
47:49And I'm going to use moisture, which will just soften the fibres.
47:52I don't want to lose any of that writing.
47:54So I'm going to use blotting paper, because that will minimise the amount of water that goes in.
47:59And I've got a piece of card, just to flatten it out gently.
48:10One, clip it in place.
48:14You have to be very careful when you're using moisture in fabric, because obviously the fibres, natural fibres like this cotton webbing, will absorb it like a sponge.
48:24That's probably a minute.
48:27I've got my heated spatula.
48:31Literally, it's like ironing a cotton or linen shirt.
48:34That's all you're doing.
48:35I'm taking out this particular crease.
48:38Let's see the effect of this.
48:45It looks a lot better.
48:47I'm going to do it a couple more times and see if I can get it just a little bit flatter.
48:51And then I'll start on the lettering on the inside of the helmet.
48:57Absolutely beautiful.
49:13The joint efforts of Will, Alastair and Steve to revive Abdul's clock are paying off handsomely.
49:20It's been an absolute joy working on this clock.
49:25Everything's coming together so nicely.
49:28Will has done such a lovely job of the case.
49:31And the printing that Al's done is fantastic.
49:36The movement is in absolute first-class condition now.
49:42And I'm sure when Abdul hears it ticking and striking, it will bring back a whole host of memories.
49:49And for Hannah, it's a very, very special thing, because it's the first time that she'll have heard this clock.
50:00There we go.
50:01I just need to give it a bit of a final polish up, clean the glass, and then it's all going to be ready.
50:13That's brilliant.
50:14This clock was a treasured memento of Abdul's father, but shipping to the UK left it battered and silenced, with Abdul upset and guilt-ridden.
50:28Now Abdul and daughter Hannah hope to put all that behind them.
50:33Hello, hello, welcome back.
50:36Hello.
50:37Hello, it's nice to see you guys.
50:39How have you all been?
50:40You don't know how nervous I am, because I didn't think the clock would be repaid one day.
50:47I never used to look at it.
50:50Now I hope it makes me happy.
50:55Because I haven't been able to appreciate the clock, it would be nice to be able to connect with it.
51:01Well, shall we take a look?
51:03Yes, please.
51:10Oh, I can't believe it.
51:16It's much, much better than what I remember.
51:23It's beautiful, believe me.
51:26Wonderful job.
51:27Oh, my God.
51:35Now is something which my dream came true.
51:42It's actually very soothing hearing it tick.
51:48It's almost like he's here with us with that clock, because he cared about it so much.
51:53The wood is as good as new as well.
51:59Really, I don't know how to thank you.
52:01I was wondering whether it was going to do that.
52:08It feels like the clock, well, the clock has been brought back to life, but also a treasured member
52:16of the family has been brought back to life as well.
52:17He's brought my dad alive in front of me.
52:21You don't know how happy you have made me.
52:24It's been an absolute pleasure.
52:26And we're going to get it back home to you very safely.
52:30I really appreciate it.
52:31You're very welcome.
52:32Thank you so much.
52:36I have never imagined that one day I'll be able to see this clock in this condition, not
52:42in my sweetest dream.
52:49I'm just really happy that my dad won't be filled with guilt anymore, and he can just enjoy
52:56having the clock back in the family.
52:57Lucia's final task is to subtly smarten up the lettering on the underside of the wartime helmet.
53:18So the retouching is literally dots.
53:21So I've reconstructed that S, and to my eye, that already looks better.
53:25I might just bring this D, and maybe the bottom edge of that F together, because that's Dot's name.
53:33That's it. I think that's fine as it is. It shows its age and its wear and tear, but it's readily readable,
53:52but it's readily readable, without being jarring.
53:55I'm going to give it a final little polish on the edges and the outside, and it's ready to go back to Maureen.
54:04This helmet protected Dot as she administered first aid during bombing raids in Portsmouth.
54:10But eight decades on, it had become badly scarred.
54:15For Maureen, though, it still embodies the brave, caring grandmother she admired and loved in equal measure.
54:24Maureen, how lovely to see you again.
54:26Hello, dear.
54:27Hello.
54:28Take a seat.
54:30How have you been?
54:31I've been very emotional.
54:33Have you?
54:34Because that helmet, it focused my memories, my feelings about my grandma, how much I've lost not having her anymore.
54:43That hat symbolises it in a lot of ways.
54:46It's the last thing I have from her, really.
54:50Are you ready to see it?
54:52That's what I'm here for.
54:53Yeah?
54:54OK.
54:55Oh, that's so beautiful.
55:06You've kept the texture of it and got rid of all those horrible brown spots, but it's just lovely.
55:17And you've managed to make that a bit clearer.
55:21Yes, you can read that cottage grove.
55:25It's her in so many ways, and it's just great.
55:36She was of a generation that produced a lot of remarkable women, and she was a remarkable woman.
55:45Oh, I wish she could be here, but I'm sure she's up there somewhere looking there and saying,
55:50yeah, not a bad job, that.
55:53Thank you, Dorothy.
55:54Yeah.
55:55I want to be able to take it and make it like a centre point of future family get-togethers.
56:02It has been a pleasure and a great honour to work on something so special.
56:07I'll bring it round to you.
56:08Oh, thank you.
56:13You ready?
56:15You got that?
56:16You did a great job.
56:17Well done, Lucia, that was absolutely lovely.
56:28A special piece, I think.
56:29Yeah, it was good.
56:30I think Lucia has done a wonderful job on this because she's maintained the age.
56:37It looks still old, it looks still old, but it hasn't got those horrible brown spots.
56:42It will be a reminder and a tribute not just to my grandma, but to all the other women who worked with her and who did so much to hold the country together during the Second World War.
56:55So, it's just so lovely.
57:03If you have a treasured possession that's seen better days and you think the team can help, please get in touch at bbc.co.uk slash techpark and join us in the repair shop.
57:17We'll see you next time.
57:47We'll see you next time.
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