- 8 hours ago
The Repair Shop - Season 15 Episode 100 -
(special) At Christmas 2025
(special) At Christmas 2025
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00:00They can't wait, I bet.
00:02In the repair shop this Christmas,
00:04from a poorly reindeer...
00:06He looks like he's going to be trouble, I can see it in his eye.
00:09...to a unique book of carols.
00:11This is disintegrating in our hands.
00:13...some challenging festive fixes.
00:16If I've got this even half a millimetre out, the player will feel it.
00:19Even a millimetre out?
00:20Oh, even quarter of a millimetre.
00:22Really?
00:23And there are stars shining brightly for good causes.
00:26Look at this.
00:28Dame Helen Mirren visits the barn.
00:30Oh, my goodness!
00:32What an iconic place to find myself.
00:34And Rob Brydon forms a double act...
00:38...with beloved author Julia Donaldson.
00:41We would play exciting adventures where one of the zoo animals invaded the farm.
00:47And there's time for the swift half.
00:49Hello everyone, welcome to the hammer and spanner.
00:52Before unwrapping the gift...
00:54I want to see the red nose.
00:56...that means so much.
00:57Can I peek up under the... under the stern?
01:00No peeking!
01:01No peeking!
01:16We've walked a long way, Julia, across fields...
01:19...over hedges.
01:20The way you leapt that last hedge, by the way.
01:24I thought was very impressive.
01:26First to arrive at the barn, Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson.
01:31It's the 13th Christmas how books have been turned into animations.
01:35And Rob Brydon has been a key voice in every one.
01:39Look at this.
01:40Look at this.
01:41Hello.
01:42Hello and welcome.
01:43Merry Christmas.
01:44Merry Christmas.
01:45Merry Christmas.
01:46We've walked a long way.
01:47Have you?
01:49Do you know what? It's such an honour to have you both here.
01:51We are huge fans of your books and me having two children.
01:55We read all of them.
01:56Thanks so much.
01:57Now, this looks well-loved, shall we say.
02:01It was my granny's and so this was what my sister Mary and I played with when we were little girls.
02:09Sometimes some of the farm animals would escape through a gap in the fields.
02:14And I think we had some zoo animals too.
02:17So sometimes we would play exciting adventures where one of the farm animals joined the zoo
02:22or one of the zoo animals invaded the farm.
02:26Do you think that this helped to encourage you to write those fantastic books?
02:29Yeah, I think it probably was at the root of some of my books.
02:33Books like What the Lady Bird had, which is set on a farm.
02:36And now, this Christmas is the Scarecruise wedding animation,
02:41which Rob has a real star role and that all takes place on a farm.
02:45Now, I play Reginald Rake, the rather caddish Scarecrow that comes in.
02:52Total cad.
02:53Well, alright, I was giving him the benefit of the doubt.
02:56He's an absolute cad who comes in and threatens the happiness of Betty and Harry.
03:02Mwah!
03:03The finest marshmallows and make no mistake, no one can toast them like Reginald Rake.
03:10I mean, the first one was the Gruffalo and, yeah, it has become a part of the Christmas tradition.
03:17Yeah, I've been in all of them.
03:19Rob's so loyal, you know, because even if he's just, what's the smallest role?
03:23Well, the cat in Room on the Broom.
03:26All I did was go...
03:28And yet, I still imbue it with the professionalism and the discipline that I bring to all my roles.
03:35Rob, what do you love about Julia's characters?
03:38There's a clarity to them. They connect with you straight away.
03:42The pictures, of course, are...
03:44Oh, wow, yes, of course.
03:45Well, Axel Scheffler, who's done loads of Julia's illustrations, has such a distinctive style that pulls you into the story beautifully.
03:55But it all comes down to the imagination and that sort of ties into this, really, you know, having a little farm and your zoo animals and things like that.
04:03How vibrant were the colours when you first received it when you were a child?
04:06The roof was this kind of maroony colour. It wasn't, like, scarlet or anything.
04:11Yeah.
04:12I've had it on display and I did get the roof quite crudely.
04:15Oh, I thought you just ripped that off. It does come off.
04:17Well, the door handles come off here. It all needs some paint.
04:22Now, Julia, if we can restore this for you, what's the plan for it?
04:26Well, I live quite near a children's hospice called Chestnut Tree House.
04:31I've quite often visited and done little acting out the stories with the children and especially with the brothers and sisters of some of the old children.
04:39It's really nice for them to have something to play with. So I'd like to donate the restored farmhouse and especially if there were some extra animals and fences as well.
04:49I think we can manage that.
04:50Well, you know what would be nice? You could have a little Gruffalo, a snail, a whale, you could have a highway rat.
04:55It might be a bit difficult there to make them the right scale, I suppose.
05:00There's nothing that these people, not him, but there's nothing these people can't do.
05:06It's been absolutely wonderful to meet you.
05:09Thanks very much. Bye-bye.
05:11Bye-bye.
05:12Right, back out into the cold.
05:16Aren't they lovely? And this is absolutely charming.
05:20But it's looking rather tired, isn't it? These doorknobs, probably not so safe for children to be playing with.
05:25Definitely.
05:26So I might work out some way of opening up the doors and maybe some shutters on the window there.
05:30I think I'm going to do a little bit of tidying up and retouching.
05:34Perfect.
05:37The barn's next visitor has already arrived, taking a much needed break from his delivery duties.
05:45Wow, look at that. Reindeer at Christmas.
05:48It is. Wow. It's very realistic.
05:51There's a fire service badge on the back here.
05:54What is a reindeer doing with a fire service badge?
05:56I don't know.
05:57Well, I guess we'll find out.
05:58Bringing answers and a second helping of good cheer to the barn.
06:04Hello. Hello.
06:05Firefighters Gerry Ascombe and Darren Weston from Leicestershire.
06:10Hi.
06:11Welcome.
06:12And Merry Christmas.
06:13Merry Christmas to you too.
06:14Hello.
06:15Hi.
06:16Please explain.
06:17So this is Rudolph.
06:18Of course.
06:19Yes.
06:20Rudolph belongs to Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and we use him every Christmas to raise money for local children's charities.
06:26We walk around with Rudolph who's pulling Santa on a sleigh supported by a fire engine or two typically and as we walk down the streets the residents come out and give us a loose change and donations.
06:37And where does the money go that you raise?
06:40So every year we raise about £10,000 for local children's charities typically.
06:44£10,000?
06:45£10,000.
06:46Yeah.
06:47Wow.
06:48Well done.
06:49That's incredible.
06:50Where did this all start?
06:51So it started in 1949.
06:52They set up the Rudolph Fund and that reindeer ran right up until 1978 when it started falling to pieces and we got this one.
07:00And the then committee approached this firm that did stuff for film sets and said, could you build us an animated reindeer to replace the one we've got?
07:09And they did.
07:10So he moves?
07:11He moves.
07:12Yeah.
07:13He doesn't walk.
07:14No way.
07:15He nods his head, does this, blinks his eyes.
07:17People were just amazed because back in the 70s that was pretty spectacular.
07:20Now it's a big part of the Christmas culture in Leicester really.
07:24But the real problem we've got is Rudolph looking really tired and old now.
07:27His mouth is supposed to chew and a lot of them actions aren't working.
07:32His nose lights up as well, but it doesn't.
07:34Oh really?
07:35Of course, Rudolph's got a red nose.
07:37There's a ball in there.
07:38So we need to do some major surgery.
07:40Yeah, but also his fur's quite matted and dull looking.
07:44The fur on his ears is different to the fur on his head.
07:47We've got the leather work around his neck.
07:49That would have been bright red and really shiny at one point.
07:51Ah, right.
07:52That's interesting.
07:53God, there is quite a list.
07:54There's quite a lot to do.
07:55I know.
07:56It would be devastating to think it failed on your watch.
07:58It would, yeah.
07:59It would.
08:00I think that would be my biggest fear is that he falls into such bad disrepair
08:03that he's no longer usable.
08:05And then one will lose the tradition, but more importantly,
08:07all those children that benefited don't get that money coming in.
08:10We can't let that happen.
08:11Not on your watch.
08:12Not on mine, quite literally.
08:13Well, we'll do the best we can.
08:14Thanks for taking him on.
08:15Yeah.
08:16See you soon.
08:17He looks like he's going to be trouble.
08:20I can see it in his eye.
08:21Look.
08:22This is going to be a job.
08:23I'm going to go and get some help.
08:24David.
08:25Brenton.
08:26Oh, here they are.
08:27Perfect.
08:28Wow.
08:29Can you give us a hand?
08:30Yeah.
08:31Brenton, can you steer?
08:32Yeah, I'll try.
08:33Aim for over there somewhere.
08:34Okay.
08:35Brilliant.
08:36Here we go.
08:37Will is setting to work on Julia Donaldson's farmhouse.
08:46And the experts have a clear brief for the tiny characters who go with it.
08:51But with Rudolf, there are lots of unknowns.
08:55I'm kind of intrigued as to what we're going to find inside here.
08:58What do you think, Bev?
08:59I reckon it's full of mechanical wiggly bits.
09:01Oh, there we go.
09:04Oh, this is...
09:05That's actually illegal, isn't it?
09:06What does that do, though?
09:08Hang on.
09:09Is this one back and forwards?
09:10Oh.
09:11Am I moving?
09:12Yeah.
09:13Look, I'm moving his head.
09:14That turns his head.
09:15There's some wires cut in here.
09:17So that's not a good sign.
09:18A lot of mechanical bits are just worn out.
09:21Let's see if I can get into the head.
09:23Good luck.
09:27Yeah, I don't need you moving around.
09:30It's all very funny.
09:31I've got a feeling I wouldn't be a very good apprentice for you, Steve.
09:34You drive me mad.
09:36I know.
09:37Yes, I know.
09:38Well, there's a lot of mechanisms in here as well.
09:41There is a huge amount to get done, but I'm confident between us,
09:44if we can all pull together...
09:45OK.
09:46...we'll get it ready for Christmas.
09:47Absolutely.
09:48Brilliant.
09:49Right, let me just see if I can get to these bolts then.
09:53There we go.
09:54That's it.
09:55Have you got it, Steve?
09:56Yes, I have.
10:00Will has made new doorknobs for the toy farmhouse.
10:04Oh, look at that.
10:05It looks like a little toadstool.
10:07And he's been mulling over some replacement shutters.
10:10I've got a couple of different designs I could go for.
10:13One would be a kind of modern, staggered, slattered shutter.
10:19But really, I mean, this is like a simple farmhouse for like a child.
10:22It's not over-complicated.
10:24I'm quite sure I've seen some farmhouses, some really old ones,
10:27with this kind of design here.
10:29I think that's kind of what I'm going to go for.
10:31I just hope that I've got enough space in that very small window frame
10:34to make this look absolutely spot on.
10:42Design ideas are also key to making 3D versions of the characters
10:47who populate the farm.
10:49I'm making a whale, and rather than making it out of silver,
10:53which is what I would normally do,
10:55I'm going to try some polymer clay.
10:58I'm challenging myself using a different material.
11:01Having looked at these lovely children's books,
11:04I can't wait till my grandson is old enough
11:07for me to be able to read these stories to him.
11:10ARRIVING AT THE BARN
11:17Arriving at the barn with memories of adventures in a winter wonderland,
11:21Ian and Kate Mackenzie and daughter April
11:24from Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland.
11:27Hello. Hi there. Hello, folks.
11:29Welcome.
11:30Oh, look at this. Very nice.
11:33Wow.
11:35This is incredible.
11:36It is.
11:37I've had it 60 years, but it was 40 years old when I got it,
11:41so the sleigh's almost 100 years old.
11:44Wow.
11:45It's called a flexible flower.
11:46This particular one was made in 1928,
11:49and they only made this version for one year,
11:51so it's quite a rare one.
11:53Where did you get it then?
11:541963.
11:56I was 9, 10.
11:58It was a gift from my brother who got it from a family
12:01who no longer had a use for it.
12:04I was the envy of all the friends and kids in the street.
12:07I bet.
12:08Did you use it a lot then, that year when you were 9, 10 years old?
12:11Oh, that was the year of the big freeze.
12:13It snowed from just before Christmas
12:16right through January, February.
12:19Three months of snow?
12:20Three months.
12:21And the drifts were like six feet.
12:23Wow.
12:24I just spent every day on the sledge.
12:26You must have some great memories of those times.
12:28Oh, yeah.
12:29The actual main damage at the front,
12:31there was myself and two friends on it,
12:34and there was a big tuft of snow,
12:36which I thought was just a bit of sedge grass covered in snow,
12:40and it turned out it was a large boulder.
12:42Oh, no.
12:43Oh, no.
12:44And the front of the sledge,
12:46this has been straightened out,
12:47but that was, as you can see...
12:48This is all bent here, yeah.
12:49We've had lots of accidents.
12:51This one here, it was a great repair, as you can see.
12:54A friend, he was holding this and it snapped.
12:57Is that your handiwork?
12:58That's my handiwork.
12:59Is it?
13:00It's very good.
13:01Done a long time ago.
13:02Kate, what's your earliest memory of the sledge?
13:04We had been going out together for a while,
13:06and he said,
13:07would you like to have a go on a sledge?
13:09And I says, oh, yeah.
13:10And then there was a hill that was nearly vertical.
13:13Oh, no.
13:14I was so frightened.
13:15And this is whilst you were still getting to know each other?
13:17Yes.
13:18I love that.
13:19How long have you both been together for?
13:21Fifty years.
13:22How many children do you have?
13:23Nine.
13:24They all had their turn on it.
13:26I remember my second child was about three years of age.
13:30She had a little Santa suit on and pulling around the street.
13:33All the local kids chasing after us are going to be Santa.
13:36Aw.
13:37One of my earliest memories would probably be going to school on it.
13:41And then, more recent, my own children being on it.
13:44They love it.
13:45Absolutely love it.
13:46And getting pulled along by their granda.
13:4814 grandchildren.
13:5014 grandchildren.
13:51So, they all have to have this.
13:53So, when did you stop using it then yourself?
13:55Oh, 20 years ago.
13:56I was lying down on my belly.
14:00I had a great time out there.
14:02Aw.
14:03If you could have anything you want, what would this look like?
14:06The way it was the day I got it.
14:08All this paint, paint it over, you know, make it good looking again.
14:12I can understand I'll never be the way it was, but it'd be nice to see it.
14:18Bliming again and looking.
14:20How you remember.
14:21Yeah.
14:22As a nine-year-old kid.
14:24Yeah.
14:25We are going to have so much fun working on this.
14:27Thank you very much.
14:30We'll see you soon. Bye-bye.
14:31Thank you. Bye-bye.
14:34I absolutely love this.
14:36It's amazing, isn't it?
14:37Yeah.
14:38He does want it looking a bit smarter than it currently does.
14:40Let me take this outside.
14:41I'll get it stripped down and bring the wood back into you.
14:44Lovely.
14:45Okay.
14:46Determined to get Rudolph back to full fitness, the barn team has set to work with Gustl.
15:03While Dom strengthens the battered chassis that supports him, David's mechanical expertise is focused on how best to fix his inner workings.
15:14I'm now having a look at Rudolph's head and neck mechanism.
15:19This is really what gives him his character.
15:22You've got an electric motor and this drives a belt onto a big pulley.
15:28The pulley then drives a shaft which has got cam wheels on.
15:32So the cams, they're basically like little hills and valleys on a disc.
15:37And then you've got this lever.
15:39So as you get a hill comes along, that moves away.
15:42And then when the valley comes along, it moves back again.
15:45And then this particular one, this actually moves his head up and down.
15:50These cams are made out of a type of plastic and it looks like they're warped basically.
15:57Where they run on this little lever, they could slip down the side and then that lever could then get jammed.
16:05That would then cause the motor to stall.
16:08So I think basically what I've got to do, take it all to pieces and then get all of that nice and sturdy, straightened out so that we can guarantee that he's going to run for many, many years to come.
16:21I'm making a new bridle with reins for Rudolph and chosen this really bright red colour so that once he's all dressed up, it's really going to stand out.
16:42So I've got a fair amount of sewing to do here.
16:44But once the bridle and the reins are completed, I can turn my attention to the red collar here that needs some work as well.
16:50Next at the barn, Acting Royalty. Academy Award winner Dame Helen Moon.
17:07She has a little known story of resilience from wartime Germany to put centre stage.
17:13Oh my goodness. This is beautiful.
17:19Oh my God, it's exactly the same as it is on the TV.
17:24What an iconic place to find myself.
17:27Welcome to the bar.
17:29It's sort of a lot of people's dream to be here so thank you so much for having me.
17:33How lucky are we?
17:34I know, I know.
17:36But how can we help?
17:37Well, I've got a big challenge for you.
17:39Interesting.
17:40Well, I work with a residential home called Denville Hall that specialises in people from the performing arts.
17:48So musicians, actors, directors, producers.
17:53Wow.
17:54People in front of the camera, people behind the camera.
17:57Brilliant.
17:58And the stories that get told and that is what I bring to you today is one of those incredible stories.
18:04So one of the supporters of Denville Hall was a man called Martin Landau and he was a theatre producer.
18:10He worked in his whole life in the theatre.
18:12But Martin had the most incredible story.
18:15Martin was on a kinder transport at the age of 14.
18:19Children were put on these trains by their parents to escape the Nazis and they came to England.
18:25And obviously, little kid, you can't carry much with you.
18:29No.
18:30But the one thing he wanted to bring with him was his cello.
18:33He brought it with him.
18:34So he brought...
18:35It must have been as big as he was.
18:36Can you imagine this kid on this train?
18:38Yeah.
18:39With a little bag and this huge cello.
18:41Says how much it means to him, doesn't it?
18:43Absolutely.
18:44There's a movie in there, I think.
18:45Absolutely.
18:46I think, you know, the image of that young boy and the moment of having to say goodbye to his parents.
18:52At that point, not knowing that he would never see them again.
18:55But we know that he would never see them again.
18:57But before he got on the train, the Nazis who were, you know, bullying everyone getting on the trains,
19:04broke the cello cruelly, deliberately, monstrously just broken.
19:09Oh.
19:10Nonetheless, he held on to his cello and loved it.
19:12And he had it for the rest of his life.
19:14And when Martin died, he left it to Denville Hall.
19:18And that is what I would love you to restore.
19:22So what's the plan if we're able to get it repaired?
19:24Well, this beautiful instrument hasn't sung for 80 years.
19:28Wow.
19:29So we're really hoping that this Christmas it will be heard again.
19:32It will be singing to the residents of Denville Hall.
19:36There is no one that doesn't enjoy a good old sing song or just quietly sitting in the corner listening to some beautiful music.
19:43So where is it?
19:44Well, it was a little too big for me to carry.
19:47So if it's okay, I'll have it delivered to you.
19:49Would that be okay?
19:50That sounds perfect.
19:51Thank you so much.
19:53We're all incredibly excited.
19:56You're welcome.
19:58Thank you, everyone.
19:59Bye.
20:00Bye.
20:01Oh, it's snowing.
20:03No.
20:04Will is making quick work of reviving the wooden slats on the old sledge.
20:20But Dom is faced with a trickier task as he starts on the metalwork.
20:25It's not good news, unfortunately.
20:27These two bars that run to the front of the rails, they are both completely different shapes.
20:33And they're supposed to be the same.
20:35I've clamped the two runners together.
20:37And even these are completely different shapes.
20:40The ends are way off.
20:42I think all these years of Ian being such a daredevil have taken their toll on this sledge.
20:48It's bent and twisted things.
20:50I need to straighten everything out and get it back where it should be because I've got lots of holes which need to line up.
20:56And at the moment, this one lines up quite nicely.
21:00But this side is just so far off.
21:05So I've got some bending to do.
21:07So I'm using the rail that I know is good and is the right shape to draw around on the bench as a reference.
21:14As I try and bend the other rail to match that line.
21:20So I need to clamp it in the vise, heat it up and try and bend this front section back round until it lines up with that white line.
21:37It's looking pretty good.
21:51Once I've got all these pieces straightened up, I can start thinking about stripping this paint.
21:56Work on Rudolph is also galloping along.
22:06While David coaxes his warped plastic cams back to perfect flatness, Amanda is starting an upgrade to his tatty old ears.
22:15So I've got two types of fur that I'm working with here.
22:18This piece of fur has come off of Rudolph.
22:21But I've also got this lovely new fur, which is also going to be a part of his ears.
22:26It's all got to blend through and look seamless like he has always had it.
22:30So the first thing I'm going to do is to decide which piece to use.
22:35This one is original, so there's a couple of little holes and things here.
22:39So I don't really want to go for those.
22:41I think it's going to come from over here.
22:45So I'm going to start drawing my template onto the back.
22:52I'm working on this part of the mechanism that does the chewing motion of the bottom jaw like that.
22:59Something like that anyway.
23:02There's a little cam on this shaft which runs onto a micro switch and just turns it off and on.
23:10And that's connected to a light and that makes Rudolph's nose glow red in the dark.
23:17So this hasn't been working.
23:19Not only were the wires not connected to the motor, but also this shaft was bent so that when this turned round,
23:27the jaw went up too high and would get locked.
23:30So what I've done is I've straightened that up.
23:33Right, I'm just going to pop the jaw on, see if it all works.
23:44I think that's a sort of chewy motion.
23:46I'm just going to put on the new micro switch and make sure that the light's going to work.
23:54When I was in the fire service, we would have the children's Christmas party.
23:59And Father Christmas would come along, but not on a sleigh.
24:04He would come on an old vintage fire engine.
24:08Right, that's connected.
24:11I'm going to pop these connectors on and it should all work.
24:17That's working so well. That's brilliant.
24:29Will has turned his attention to the handrails of the old sledge.
24:33One is made out of pine and one's made out of ash.
24:37Originally, this would have all been ash.
24:39He's done a pretty good job at replacing it, but it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb.
24:43Now, I thought it would be really nice to replace that with ash because he really wants this to look much like it did when he first got it as a child.
24:51I've sourced a new piece of ash here. It's quite angular because it's just been cut.
24:56The original has this slightly rounded off profile on the top and I think that kind of makes it a lot better to hold on to.
25:02I'm going to use my hand plane to try to recreate this lovely curved edge onto that new section there.
25:16I've got all of the metal work for the sledge stripped down, straightened, primed and ready for its first coat of this beautiful, shiny red.
25:27And I've managed to find the original colour, the very first layer of paint on this metal work, which I've matched.
25:33It's looking good.
25:38Renovation of Julia Donaldson's toy farmhouse has passed to Kirsten.
25:43I'm now just starting to fill any areas of loss.
25:48I'm using a wood filler here.
25:50In a way, the way that this has been made, it's quite rustic.
25:54That's quite helpful because some of the areas that have been damaged and broken, I can fill and I can leave the filler with quite a rough finish.
26:04It's taken many talents, rather than hay and carrots, to revive Rudolph, but now he's almost ready for festive duties.
26:20He's a bit of a lump.
26:22He's a bit of a lump.
26:23He's a bit of a lump.
26:26Oh, he's a pretty wise man.
26:28Look at him.
26:29Thanks for the help.
26:31He's made it through the blizzard.
26:33He has.
26:34And...
26:35Oh!
26:36Ta-da!
26:37That's his new neck piece.
26:39Oh, fantastic.
26:40And...
26:41Is that how they work all?
26:43Is that how they work all?
26:45Very, very good.
26:46You've been having too much fun in the barn, haven't you?
26:48I know, I know.
26:50How are you guys getting on?
26:51Actually quite well.
26:52So we can leave you to it, put it together.
26:54It sounds like it.
26:55That's all yours then.
26:56Thank you very much.
26:57Bye.
26:59OK, shall we try and get him back on his base?
27:00Yeah, absolutely.
27:01After 46 years of fundraising and bringing Christmas magic to Leicestershire, Rudolph's joints were aching and immobile, his fur matted and his nose not even remotely shiny or red.
27:18He's huge, isn't he?
27:19Absolutely.
27:20Several generations from the county are relying on the barn team to recreate the magic and get Rudolph slaying again for good causes.
27:30Goodness me, there's hundreds of them.
27:32Hello.
27:33How are you?
27:34Darren, hi.
27:35You OK?
27:36Jerry, hi.
27:37Who have you got with us today?
27:39So, these are some of the children that come from Wishes for Kids.
27:43These have benefited from some of the charities that we link up with and we've brought them down to see Rudolph today.
27:48Are you all excited to see what we've been able to do?
27:51We're really excited.
27:53Yeah, we're really excited.
27:55Who's more excited?
27:56Yeah.
27:57So, I saw him when he was brand new and if you've been able to get him anywhere close to what he looked like then, I think that would be fantastic.
28:04Which, I will say, is quite a big ask.
28:06I'm so hopeful that we can get him back and look in his best.
28:09OK, everyone, are you ready to see Rudolph?
28:12We're ready.
28:13We're ready.
28:14We're really ready.
28:15Wow.
28:16Wow.
28:17Wow.
28:18Wow.
28:19Wow.
28:20Oh, that's good.
28:21Oh, that's amazing.
28:22Yeah, that's good.
28:23Look at that.
28:24That's taking me right back to 1979.
28:25I had no idea it was going to look so realistic again.
28:39The fur looks great, doesn't it?
28:40Please feel free.
28:41Come in and have a look.
28:42Can we have a look?
28:43Yeah, come round this side.
28:44Let's have a look.
28:45Oh, they've done on the harness as well.
28:46Yeah.
28:47I've never seen them bells shine like that.
28:48So, we've repaired the ears as well.
28:49New ears?
28:50Yes.
28:51Look at the ears.
28:52Really appreciate it.
28:53It looks great.
28:54Amazing job.
28:55Amazing.
28:56This really has been a huge team effort.
28:57Well, do you know what?
28:58In the fire service, we're really used to working as a team.
28:59So, to see that teamwork replicated with the care that you've put into Rudolph is great.
29:13And that will really resonate through the service, I think.
29:15Well, you haven't seen everything yet.
29:16I want to see the red nose.
29:18Shall we dim the lights so you can have a proper look?
29:20Oh, yes.
29:26Whoa.
29:27That's so cool.
29:28Oh, wow.
29:29Oh, yes.
29:30This is just what he used to do.
29:31I mean, you take your wall to take it all in, don't you?
29:32Yeah.
29:33We just want to say thank you.
29:34It means a huge amount to us.
29:35Well, it's yours to take away.
29:36Are we okay to drive it?
29:37Absolutely.
29:38Let's give it a go.
29:39We should get the doors.
29:40Yeah.
29:41Okay.
29:42Yeah.
29:44Yeah.
29:45Yeah.
29:46Yeah.
29:47Okay.
29:49It means a huge amount to us.
29:50Well, it's yours to take away.
29:51Are we okay to drive it?
29:52Absolutely.
29:53Let's give it a go.
29:54We should get the doors.
29:55Yeah.
29:56Okay.
29:57Yeah.
30:12Well, that's a first for us, isn't it?
30:14Yeah.
30:15I'm not sure the next time we're going to fix Rudolph.
30:18No.
30:19Well done.
30:20Right.
30:21Who knows what's coming next?
30:22Rudolph's back in action, but the crispest creations for Julia are still a work in progress.
30:37Well, I'm carving the Gruffalo, which is one of the most well-known characters from Julia's books.
30:42I think he looks quite charming.
30:44And the vandalised cello, which Dame Helen Mirn hopes can be played again, has been delivered.
30:54It's a task for stringed instrument restorer Becky Horton.
30:58This is such a gorgeous instrument.
31:01I feel so sad that it's been brutalised in this fashion.
31:05It just breaks my heart.
31:07And the fact that Martin kept it all these years, it must have been so special to him,
31:12because who keeps a cello that's in two parts like this?
31:16Already I can hear the sound post is loose.
31:20There's cracks all over the place.
31:22This is a particularly nasty one in the ribs.
31:25The most obvious area of damage is the fact that the neck is out of the body of the instrument.
31:29This is never good.
31:31And it's in a real mess.
31:33So I have to work out a way of putting everything back where it belongs, fitting the neck back in,
31:39and getting this cello playable again.
31:41The first thing I'm going to have to do, though, is remove the front so I can see what's going on inside.
31:47What I don't want to do is splinter out any more of this very dry old front.
31:54Usually you do not want to hear cracking noises, but when it's glue, it's a different sort of noise,
31:59and that's what I'm after.
32:03I can just feel this seam starting to give now.
32:06So far, so good.
32:11Hailing from Sheffield, Andrew and his wife Emily, with a challenge for Chris Shaw's bookbinding skills.
32:21Merry Christmas.
32:23Merry Christmas.
32:24Merry Christmas.
32:25What have you brought?
32:26That looks rather well-loved.
32:28It certainly is.
32:29It's well used.
32:30It is.
32:31It's a carol book that's been used by our family for over 40 years now.
32:36Wow.
32:37Yeah.
32:38So this book was originally my granddad's.
32:40He only lived a street away from where I grew up as well, so we were very close.
32:46He passed this on for me when I was really learning how to play my first organ,
32:52probably to accompany him singing, but he loved it.
32:56It's full of local Christmas carols that we play in pubs in and around the north of Sheffield,
33:04all through the Christmas period.
33:06North Sheffield has a 200-year-old tradition of carols that are unique to the area,
33:13being sung by locals in their pubs.
33:15The gatherings are known as sings.
33:18Why are they singing pubs?
33:20That comes back from the Victorian area, where the carols were sent to be too extravagant
33:25to be sung in churches, and people still wanted somewhere to sing, so they brought their songs
33:31and their carols into the local pubs.
33:33Wow.
33:34That's where it's evolved?
33:35Yes.
33:36Into a real tradition.
33:37It's a feeling of community and family and belonging, and I wouldn't be anywhere else
33:42on a Sunday in December.
33:43A lot of the Christmas songs are probably recognised words,
33:48but all the villagers will have adapted their own tunes to the songs.
33:53And this book, it's the book that I've used for every sing that I've played for,
33:58for 28 years now.
34:00I'm having to run in from one pub to the next, and it's folded up in my back pocket,
34:05and it's...
34:06You can tell.
34:08It's got knocked off the organ while I'm playing, and yeah, it's had a life of all of its own.
34:12I thought, this is disintegrating in our hands, and is there any way that we can restore it,
34:19to stop it getting any worse?
34:21Not to be a museum item, and not to collect dust to be used this Christmas
34:25and the next 20, 30, 40 years as well.
34:29I'll give it my best shot.
34:30That would be brilliant.
34:31Thank you so much.
34:32Bye-bye.
34:34Well, Chris, this is fantastic, is it not?
34:40It's amazing.
34:41Yeah.
34:42Let me know when it's ready, and I'll come along for a sing-along.
34:44That's a date.
34:50Brenton, that's amazing.
34:52You've got two snails there.
34:53Yeah, I'm just working on the tail.
34:55Okay.
34:56The tail of the whale.
34:57To scale?
34:58Not quite.
34:59I've got this little tiny snail, and we've got the big one there,
35:04so you can see what it's meant to look like.
35:06Absolutely love it.
35:07You're so clever.
35:16Andrew has really used this book almost to death.
35:20It's at a point where the front covers are at a stage where they could totally collapse.
35:26The amazing thing, and hats off to Andrew, he's kept all the bits.
35:32But it is in a bit of a sorry state.
35:35The pages need to be ironed, it needs to be flattened, and I've got to think of a cover for the outside.
35:42But the first thing I need to do is remove the staples.
35:46They sort of corrode, and eventually that will eat through the paper.
35:51Now I can dismantle the book and iron these pages flat.
35:56Crikey.
36:06Do you recognise any of these?
36:08There are a few, but on the whole, it's a mystery to me.
36:12Oh, I know Deck the Halls.
36:13How does that go?
36:14Oh.
36:15Oh.
36:16Deck.
36:17I'm not going to start singing.
36:18They've got such a lovely voice, Will.
36:20Well, it's usually after a few mulled wines, that's when I really kind of get into the swing of things.
36:23Do you have a favourite carol?
36:25I do, Will.
36:26I don't know what it's called, but it goes a bit like this, and feel free to join in if you want.
36:31It goes close, oh oh.
36:36We are.
36:40Lo and I are in existence.
36:51Now she has access to the interior of the cello, Becky can begin repairing the many cracks in its body.
36:58I've heated up my bending iron and the water bubbling on the top tells me it's really hot.
37:03I'm going to use it to bend this little bit of wood that I'm going to use as a stud for this big
37:09area of cracking on the rib of the cello. I'm going to get it really wet and I'm going to steam
37:15bend this lovely thin bit of maple. I am feeling pretty anxious about this because it's so important
37:25this doesn't come undone again so that's why everything has to be absolutely right. I'm going
37:32to start gluing now. I'm going to have to throw a whole load of clamps at this crack and this stud
37:44to make sure it all adheres perfectly because I need to make sure that all of this stud is properly
37:51stuck to the rib. It looks a bit random and haphazard but I hope I've got just enough
37:57pressure to hold that crack shut while it dries. Hopefully this should all line up. With the
38:06paintwork perfected and the runners rejuvenated Dom and Will have joined forces. I love the
38:12steam work. This is why it's handy to have an extra pair of hands. To reassemble the old sledge.
38:17Great. I think that's the main sort of chassis part of it on and all looking good. We can tackle
38:24the wood now. Yes. Screws down the middle. This is my favourite screwdriver. How long have you
38:32had my screwdriver for? Weeks. Have you? And you haven't even noticed. Well I have. I've been
38:37blaming Steve. What have you got that for? It's just quite nice. It's quite good. It is nice because
38:42it's mine. Yeah. Okay. Middle bit in. Looking really good. That adrenaline just steaming down
38:49the hill. I'm feeling it. Yeah. I'm there. I'm there. Right. What's left to do? We've really just
38:55got the steering. The steering. Oh gosh I forgot about the steering. Not yet. Not yet. We're not
38:59quite there. And the all-important rope and then we're done. It's ready to go back to Ian.
39:02The sledge was given to Ian just before the big freeze of 1963. But years of downhill
39:12adventuring had left it dangerously dilapidated. Right. Pop that on there. Let's get it covered
39:19up. Ian and family, including granddaughters Leah and Bethany, have high hopes of snowy fun
39:27for many more years. Hi everyone. Hello. Hi folks. Hi Ian. Welcome back. Hello. Hello.
39:35How have you all been feeling? You've been excited about today? I have been very, been very excited.
39:39Looking forward to all the monthly. It's been part of my life for so long. My kids, my grandkids
39:45and I like to see it going on and on. I'm hoping that we can take you back to being that nine
39:49year old kid again. Are you ready to take a look? More than ready. How about you two? Are you
39:53excited? Okay. Here we go. Ready. That's where I was. Up the track. I'm over the moon. Just
40:19wish I was a kid again. Yeah. This is great. Had a job than I've done. It's beautiful. I
40:29don't know what I was expecting, but it's beyond what I expected. I've never seen it like that.
40:33The writing and all, all it's lovely. The fact that they just didn't do it clearly, you
40:38know, the eraser. It's brilliant. I'm so pleased. It just looks beautiful. But there's no time
40:44like the present. Shall we take it outside? Can we get loads? Yeah. You getting on, Gus? You're
40:54not getting too jealous, are you, Ian? You're on the back, Ian. One, two, three. Woo! It works.
41:02That's really good. Marvelous. It looks right at home out here, doesn't it? It does. Yeah.
41:09Yeah. Perfect. It works for longs.
41:11I'm making Betty the scarecrow and she's coming along really well. But it's time now I started
41:31putting some little clothes on her. Reattaching the neck of the cello is a demanding process.
41:38Becky's drafting in Will to play more than just second fiddle. You're going to have the most
41:45important job of operating the clamp. So I'm going to take it all out, glue it, and then you're going
41:51to clamp it. But it might slide around. All sorts of horrible things can happen. So if I start being
41:56cross with you, just sorry. I'll just take it. OK, fine. OK, all right. If I've got this even half a
42:01millimetre out, the player will feel it and it will have a bearing on the sound. Even a millimetre? Oh,
42:06even half a millimetre, even quarter of a millimetre. Really? Yeah, yeah. You grab the clamp and the cork.
42:11Are you ready to do this? Because this is a one hit only. We've got one chance to get this perfect.
42:15OK. Up for it? Yeah. Right. OK. We ready? We're ready.
42:19Time is absolutely of the essence because this glue is gelling all the time I'm using it. And I don't
42:26want to take any chances of this coming out ever again. I've never seen you work so quickly.
42:32Oh, you've not seen anything yet. OK. OK. Right. I'm going to... No, not yet. I've got to push this in.
42:39Nope. Nope. I'll tell you. OK, clamp. Ready? Yep. Get that wedge the right way around. Yep.
42:48Tighten a bit. Yep. That's brilliant. That's a brilliant angle. There? Yeah.
42:52Bit more, bit more, bit more. Stop. Right. OK. We're not done yet. No? No. Right. No.
42:59I've got to check. Go on. Right. I just need you to move it a little bit. Unnip it. OK.
43:06OK. And down again. Tighten? Yep. Tighten.
43:11OK. Let me just double check that. Oh, God, I'm shaking. You're doing really well.
43:17I'm checking the angle of the neck here. There's a certain measurement that I'm after, which is 80mm.
43:21It's slightly higher. I just don't want to take any chances of this cello having any more problems
43:28because it's been through enough. I would like that a bit lower, but I don't think...
43:33I don't think I want to move it. So, to go lower, would this have to move back out?
43:36I... No. We can't take it out now. Can you? Or...
43:40What do you want?
43:47Unnip it and just move it slightly towards me. Are you sure?
43:49Yeah, just slightly. Yeah. Slightly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There?
43:52Now, now nip it down.
43:55There? Yeah, nip.
43:57Yeah. OK.
43:58Tension.
44:02Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Better?
44:05Yes. I'm happy.
44:07You OK?
44:08I don't know.
44:10Well done.
44:12Walk away.
44:15Let's walk away.
44:16It's done. Literally.
44:17Literally just walk away.
44:22The pages of the Carol book have been flattened,
44:25and Chrissie's next task is a spot of invisible mending.
44:30This cover is at the point of complete collapse.
44:33I'm going to remount these onto some blue paper.
44:38But obviously, because of all the years of Andrew handling it,
44:41it's got grubby.
44:43So I've made an initial attempt of grubbing it up.
44:47And because it's in pieces,
44:48it's a bit like fitting the jigsaw puzzle together.
44:51By remounting this, it's going to stabilise it,
44:54and at the same time add strength.
44:57It's going to make it still very flexible.
44:59Just lining up the puzzle, and it fits over.
45:04Very, very nice.
45:05And now I'm going to get it into the press,
45:08and then allow it to dry.
45:17Muscles.
45:18Is this the toy you're making, Steve?
45:20It is. This is Tiddler.
45:21This is the character out of the book.
45:24I can see that.
45:25I'm making a mechanism that when I put the tail inside,
45:28and you move the tail from side to side,
45:31it's going to open and shut the mouth.
45:33Lovely.
45:38There we go.
45:39Now it's Christmas.
45:41OK, maybe I've overdone this a little bit.
45:47With the more stressful part of the cello repair behind her,
45:51Becky's work is nearly done.
45:53The neck is solid, and the cello's actually sounding really resonant.
45:58I couldn't be happier.
46:00I've never been so nervous in my life with an instrument,
46:03because it was important to Martin,
46:05and it's going to be played in the retirement home.
46:08I think it's going to be beautiful for them,
46:10and I hope they love it as much as I do now,
46:12because I've fallen in love with this instrument.
46:14So all I need to do now is put the last two strings on,
46:18and then I get to hear it.
46:23This cello was brutally smashed
46:25as its 14-year-old owner, Martin, fled Hitler's Germany,
46:29and it had remained unplayable ever since.
46:33OK, let's get it covered.
46:34Yeah.
46:39Now Dame Helen Mirren hopes it can be the centrepiece
46:42of Christmas celebrations at the retirement home
46:46to which Martin donated it.
46:51Hello.
46:52Hi.
46:53Welcome back.
46:56I presume this is the baby.
46:58It is indeed.
46:59Yes.
47:00Let me introduce you to Becky.
47:01Becky.
47:02What a challenge.
47:03It was a challenge.
47:04Yes.
47:05Yes.
47:06It has tested me.
47:07The love that this instrument carried with it,
47:09I hope communicated to you.
47:11Very much so.
47:12Because it carried the history of family, of love, of dreams.
47:15Definitely.
47:16Definitely.
47:17You can feel it in the world.
47:18You can, really.
47:19Yes.
47:20Well, are you ready to take a look?
47:21I am.
47:22I'm so excited.
47:23I can't tell you.
47:24I'm so excited to see it.
47:26Can I peek up under the skirt?
47:28No peeking.
47:29No peeking.
47:30Go on then, Becky.
47:31Okay.
47:32Yes.
47:33Are you ready?
47:34I am.
47:45Hello.
47:47Martin sent his love.
47:51Becky, that's fantastic.
47:54Many, many, many congratulations.
47:57Wondrous.
47:58Absolutely wondrous.
47:59Wow.
48:00I wish I could play.
48:02Would you like to hear it play?
48:04Well, of course I would.
48:05Is that possible?
48:06It is.
48:07We've got a special guest.
48:08Really?
48:09Yes.
48:10Very much so.
48:11We have Raphael Warfish in the barn.
48:13Raphael, would you please come and join us?
48:16Perfect.
48:17Raphael, how very, very nice to meet you.
48:19Great pleasure.
48:20Great pleasure.
48:21Great pleasure.
48:22Thank you so much for coming for us.
48:23You be careful with that.
48:24Yes.
48:25Thanks, you please.
48:27Thanks, thank you.
48:28That's it.
48:29Okay.
48:30Really nice.
48:31I'll find some stories.
48:32Thanks, are you from that?
48:33No.
48:34All right.
48:35Bye.
48:36Bye.
48:37Bye.
48:38Bye, bye.
48:40Bye, bye.
48:42Bye.
48:44Bye, bye, bye.
48:50Bye, bye.
48:53MUSIC PLAYS
49:03Bravo!
49:04Bravo, Becky! Thank you.
49:08Well done, Becky. Thank you.
49:10How incredible to hear that. Yes.
49:13Thank you so much, Raphael, that was beautiful. Great pleasure.
49:16Becky, thank you. Bye-bye. Bye. Bye.
49:19Bye.
49:23Brilliant. Well done.
49:26I'm just so pleased. Yeah.
49:38New covers have made the Carol book more durable,
49:42but Chrissie's repairs also need to look harmonious.
49:46The final thing I need to do to the covers are to just sort of blend in
49:50and just take the eye away from these creases.
49:53So I'm using a watercolour pencil and it's a blue sort of turquoisey,
49:57but coming around here to where Andrew's handled it,
50:00I'm going to have to mix in a bit of green.
50:05Kirsten has painted the exterior of the toy farmhouse,
50:09but for interior decor, she's turning to paper and paste.
50:14The only wallpapering I've done is in my own house,
50:17so that's quite a number of years ago.
50:19But I do think this will transform the inside of the farmhouse.
50:26I can just get that in there.
50:28There, that's gone on really nicely.
50:30Now, I'm going to carry on putting the paper on the other walls
50:34and then it's going to be ready to go back to Julia
50:38and I hope that this will give the children at the hospice many hours of play.
50:47Julia's toy farm was faded and fragile and its animals long since lost.
50:53Now she plans for a new generation of children at the hospice
50:58to be delighted and inspired by the farm
51:01and a farmyard full of fantastical creatures.
51:06Hi, Julia.
51:07Hello. Oh, my goodness.
51:10This is the biggest Christmas present ever.
51:14Well, I think it's really lovely
51:16that this is going to go to Chestnut Treehouse.
51:19Yes, it's such a wonderful place.
51:21We'd like to take a look.
51:23I'd love to take a look, yeah.
51:30Oh, so beautiful.
51:35It looks just perfect because it doesn't look over the top,
51:38it just looks like I remembered.
51:42Animals.
51:43I remember these little sitting down calves.
51:47Who's outside in the garden?
51:48Oh, gosh.
51:49Oh, look, we've got the Gruffalo, of course.
51:55Made by Will.
51:56So clever.
51:57Oh, I think that's brilliant because you've got two types of toy.
52:01You know, you've got the farm, but they could have adventures
52:03with all these characters outside their world.
52:07It really has been a team effort, hasn't it?
52:10So, Steve made Tiddler.
52:12Thank you, Steve.
52:14You're very welcome.
52:15Yes, Tiddler's gorgeous.
52:16I think when you move the tail, the mouth opens and closes.
52:18Oh, can I have a go?
52:19Yeah.
52:20Oh, that's wonderful.
52:21That's really good.
52:22Hello, Tiddler.
52:24Hello.
52:25Oh, look, he's a baddie.
52:28Right, that's Rob Brydon.
52:29It's Reginald Rape.
52:31Which is made by Kishton.
52:32Yep.
52:33He sort of tries to lure Betty away from her true love, Mary.
52:38And they're going to get married, aren't you?
52:40Yes.
52:44Oh, lovely.
52:45I think children would enjoy, you know, they could act that story out, couldn't they?
52:48Yeah, definitely.
52:49Absolutely.
52:50You have brought so much joy and imagination to so many children's lives, so it's quite
52:54nice for us to give something back to you.
52:56Oh, thank you so much.
52:57And thank you all.
52:59You're so welcome.
53:02Bye.
53:05She is lovely, isn't she?
53:07This is the magic of children's farm animals and toys and things like that.
53:11Imagination.
53:12Yeah, exactly.
53:13You can go anywhere.
53:14Good job.
53:24Chrissie's skills have got the carol book almost back on song.
53:29So the moment's come of joining the pages to the cover.
53:33I'm using a linen thread and sewing it as opposed to a staple in it,
53:37because Andrew's going to use this an awful lot and I want to be able to provide the book
53:42with as much strength and longevity as possible.
53:46So the final knot that seals and joins the pages together ends my absolutely joyous repair of the joy of Christmas.
53:57This carol book was given to Andrew by his grandfather, but decades of use at Sheffield's Carol Sings had left it in tatters.
54:11Andrew and Emily are hoping the book can continue playing its part in keeping a remarkable tradition alive.
54:19Hello, hello.
54:20Hello there.
54:21Hi.
54:22Absolutely fantastic to see you.
54:23How are you both feeling?
54:25Really excited.
54:26Are you?
54:27Yeah.
54:28It's more than the book.
54:29It's the tradition and certainly now not having my grandad there in the pub with me, his book's always there.
54:36That's really lovely.
54:37Yeah.
54:38Well, are you ready to see what I've managed to do?
54:41Certainly are.
54:50Wow.
54:51Look at the back.
55:05That's fantastic.
55:06Wow.
55:08That's a Christmas present.
55:11Yeah.
55:12Thank you so much.
55:13That's brilliant.
55:14Look.
55:15I can't believe it.
55:19I can't.
55:20And there was whole...
55:23I can't believe it, Chris.
55:25The joy of Christmas.
55:26I know.
55:27It's fantastic.
55:28It is.
55:29It's such a beautiful thing.
55:30It was.
55:31It'll certainly feel special to stand it on the piano or the organ for the first time.
55:35It'll feel really nice.
55:36Andrew, how would you feel about doing a sing for us now?
55:41Yeah.
55:42Oh.
55:43Come on, everybody.
55:44Outside.
55:46Pond at your finest, please, landlord.
55:48Oh, coming right up, sir.
55:51Made in chocolate coins.
55:53Perfect.
55:56Here they come.
55:57Wow.
55:58It's a pub.
55:59Look at this.
56:00Oh, look.
56:01There's a choir.
56:02Oh, is that a bar?
56:03Hello, everyone.
56:04Welcome to the Hammer and Spanner.
56:05Cheers.
56:06What can I get you?
56:08There you go.
56:09Oh, you pour a decent pint.
56:11The usual.
56:12Yeah.
56:13Oh, yes.
56:14We sing as people, as in days of old, to celebrate Christmas and bring you good cheer.
56:26Glad tidings we bring, of Messiah our King.
56:29So we wish you a Merry Christmas.
56:30So we wish you a Merry Christmas.
56:31We wish you a Merry Christmas.
56:33We wish you a Merry Christmas.
56:36We wish you a Merry Christmas.
56:37We wish you a Merry Christmas.
56:38We wish you a Merry Christmas.
56:39We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
56:43Happy New Year.
56:44Happy New Year.
56:45Happy New Year.
56:46Happy New Year.
56:47Happy New Year.
56:49Yay!
56:50Merry Christmas!
56:51Ha ha ha ha ha.
56:52Ha ha ha ha.
56:54Hello, everyone.
56:57Hello.
56:58I've got a surprise for you.
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