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00:00A workshop full of wonders.
00:03I heard the word watch.
00:05Home to experts and time-honoured crafts.
00:09Hopefully, we've got this in the nick of time.
00:11Together repairing treasured pieces of the past.
00:15Oh, no.
00:17Wow, look at that.
00:18Wow, look at that.
00:20Quite proud of that.
00:22And unlocking their stories.
00:25I'm completely blown away by this.
00:27Oh, dear.
00:29Bringing the broken.
00:31Oh, I'm desperate to take a look.
00:34Back to life.
00:37Oh, fantastic.
00:41Oh, my.
00:43Wow, this is amazing.
00:46Yeah.
00:47Welcome to the repair shop.
00:56How are you this morning, Jules?
00:58I tell you what, I'm fantastic.
00:59I've had my coffee.
01:01Excellent.
01:09First to arrive at the barn from Ledbury, history enthusiast Mary, with a piece of clothing
01:16that tells of service to the nation at a turning point in time.
01:20It's destined for expert in all things leather, Susie Fletcher.
01:27Hello.
01:28Hello.
01:29Hi there.
01:29Hi.
01:30Welcome to the barn.
01:32What's this?
01:33This is a 1941 Auxiliary Territorial Service jerking.
01:41Goodness.
01:42The Auxiliary Territorial Service was the ladies branch of the army.
01:47So this would have been worn in World War II then?
01:49In World War II, yes.
01:51I can show you the label there.
01:53It's really nice on the inside, isn't it?
01:55It's lovely.
01:56It's wool, so it would be warm.
01:58So it says here November 1941?
02:01Yes.
02:01Good.
02:02Yes.
02:05In the Second World War, over 250,000 women served in the British Auxiliary Territorial
02:12Service to free up men for combat.
02:16Driving army vehicles was one of many roles taken on by women, as was delivering urgent
02:22military messages on motorbikes.
02:27It would have been worn by drivers, motorcycle dispatch riders.
02:32This was one of the things they would have been issued with.
02:34What is it about the ATS that resonates with you?
02:37For the first time, women were able to step up and show that they could do the jobs that
02:41the men had done.
02:43And for a lot of them, it gave them their first taste of freedom.
02:46So being a little bit of a rebel and pushing boundaries myself, I felt that connection with
02:54those sort of ladies.
02:56Now, this is quite an interesting garment to own.
02:59I mean, has this been passed down through family or...?
03:02No, my sister writes in a classic motorcycle magazine and said, if anyone's got any stories
03:08or history about ladies in the ATS, we'd love to hear.
03:12And somebody wrote in and said, I've got this jacket.
03:15If you think it's of any use, you can have it.
03:18And by doing events and wearing things like this, we're able to keep it in people's memories.
03:24What events would those be?
03:26These would be World War II reenactment events.
03:29My role is the female dispatch rider.
03:32I'd been doing other types of reenactment and it suddenly clicked together that I could
03:38do all those things, the motorcycling, the reenactment and promoting women, all in one job.
03:46When I first got it, I wore it whenever I could.
03:50But that was when I began to realise that I was perhaps doing damage to it.
03:56I don't actually wear it much now.
03:58As you can see, the leather itself has been rubbed away.
04:02I believe that somebody's put it on over quite a lot of layers and ripped some of the arms.
04:08And then if we look at the back, I'm not sure what's happened there.
04:12So, really, if you could do something that means I can wear it without worrying.
04:19Right.
04:20It is very precious to me.
04:22And I just want to share my enthusiasm for all of this with everybody.
04:30That's sort of my goal in life, really.
04:33Thank you so much for taking it on.
04:36We'll see you soon.
04:36Bye-bye.
04:37Bye-bye.
04:57The leather condition itself over time has weakened and it's beginning to flake away.
05:05The damage around the armpit here, we've got an actual tear.
05:13So, I have to figure out how I can repair that in an authentic way so it doesn't look out
05:19of place.
05:20When I look at the back, the hole in the shoulder here is quite extensive.
05:28But the first thing I need to start with is applying a gel that's going to help to stabilise all
05:36of those loose fibres and hopefully stick some of that surface back down.
05:49The barn's next project has already got Will and electronics expert Mark fired up.
05:56Now, this looks really interesting.
05:58Yeah.
05:59Look at that.
05:59Not made of wood, so not for me.
06:01No, it's definitely for me.
06:04For husband and wife Stephen and Chris from Southampton, it holds the key to hidden memories of a life long
06:12gone.
06:16Hello.
06:17Hello.
06:17Hello.
06:17How are you?
06:18Nice to see you.
06:19Nice to see you.
06:19Do come sit down.
06:20Oh, hello.
06:21Okay.
06:21This is Gemma.
06:22Gemma.
06:22Hello, Gemma.
06:24Come sit.
06:26What do we have here?
06:27It's a projector which was owned from a good friend of ours called Frank.
06:30How did he meet Frank?
06:33We're both carpenters and when he came out of the Navy, he did a training course to become a carpenter
06:38and I was working on some particular houses and Frank was working next door and Christmas came and I said
06:47to Chris, he's very lonely, which he was, and I said, could we invite him for Christmas dinner?
06:53He came up and that was it.
06:55And he just became part of the family.
06:57He was like a father to us, wasn't he really?
07:00Yeah, I'm best friend.
07:02Yeah.
07:03What sort of person was Frank?
07:05Very caring.
07:06I suffered many years disease, which is a disease of the inner ear and he's been there so many times
07:12for me.
07:13It was a great friendship.
07:14Yeah.
07:15So what's on the reels?
07:16They're all the films of which Frank actually took while he was in the Royal Navy.
07:21He started his normal seaman and he carried on getting promoted till he became Chief Petty Officer.
07:26We saw a snippet about 40 years ago of one of the films and then the projector gave up the
07:33ghost.
07:33Oh, right.
07:34And that was the last time?
07:35That was the last time it's been used, yes.
07:37Wow.
07:37Hidden memories.
07:38Yeah.
07:39Hidden memories, yeah.
07:40So when were these being filmed originally?
07:43Probably from about 1958.
07:45He used to film various places he went to all over the world.
07:50Frank passed last November and he always wanted us to have them because, you know, sorry, our children show such
08:02interest in them.
08:03But, um, sorry.
08:05No, not at all.
08:06I tried so many times to get it repaired.
08:09Yeah.
08:09Places.
08:09Didn't want to take a chance of repairing it.
08:11Because it looks in pretty good condition for something so old, but that's obviously because it hasn't been used because
08:15it doesn't work.
08:16No.
08:16As you can see, it's got some broken pieces here which, unfortunately, I don't know where they go.
08:23No.
08:24How will it feel to have this working?
08:27It would just mean so much, wouldn't it, to be able to see Frank?
08:32It will be very powerful.
08:33I'm emotional now.
08:34I'm trying to hold it in just thinking about it.
08:37No pressure then.
08:40Well, it's been lovely to meet you both, actually, to meet all three of you.
08:43Leave it with us and we'll see you very soon.
08:45You take care.
08:46Bye-bye.
08:47Bye-bye.
08:50Good girl, champ.
09:01Frank did leave a legacy behind.
09:03Not just this projector, but also these remarkable films.
09:07There's a few little bits missing which should be in here.
09:11So, let's just take the rear panel off.
09:14Now, the first thing I can see in here, there is definitely a belt missing.
09:18That belt takes up the film after it's gone through the projector.
09:21So, it wraps it back round the spool and that is very specific to the machine.
09:26So, that's going to be a bit more fun.
09:28But, what's the real big concern to me is when I'm rotating the shutter itself and this suddenly jams and
09:36it goes really tight, which would imply it's some, like, gearing.
09:40Ah, that's interesting.
09:43Someone's tried to glue it.
09:45And that cog is broken.
09:48Whoops.
09:49Here's a nail.
09:50Someone's tried to glue that back on and it didn't work.
09:55So, that's why it's jamming.
09:57So, what I'm going to need to do now is go and source a belt and a gear and then
10:01after that I can put power to it and we'll see what other issues I may have in this projector.
10:17What are you doing?
10:23Close your eyes.
10:24Just soak it in.
10:25It's fine.
10:26Here.
10:26Right.
10:27Okay.
10:29Stop it.
10:30You're ruining my son.
10:36Having secured the flaking leather of the women's Second World War jerkin, Susie can now start making her subtle repairs
10:44to the tears and holes.
10:47This extensive damage at the shoulder area here, I'm going to tackle this from the inside.
10:55I need to unpick this seam here.
11:01To get reinforcing leather in there.
11:05I can make sure that there's a match in the colour of the patch underneath and it will also give
11:13it more strength.
11:16Once I've got it in the right position, I will glue it in place.
11:22I've got a very small area here of the original and then I've got the seam underneath and this is
11:30the area I'm going to start gluing into position first to try and get a really good lock on an
11:39area that could so easily pull apart as I'm working on it.
11:45I feel a little bit like a surgeon.
12:03So I'm very, very happy with where that leather is positioned.
12:09It's butted up to that seam beautifully.
12:12Once that's all fixed, I'll go ahead and tackle the rest of this loose area of leather.
12:29Next, Holly from Derbyshire with a scientific text that's all a jumble for the attention of bookbinder Chris Shaw.
12:38Holly, hi.
12:40Hi.
12:40Are you OK?
12:41I'm good, thank you.
12:41What have you brought in for us?
12:43I've brought in a very poorly book.
12:45It certainly looks like an old book.
12:47It is.
12:48It's from 1879.
12:50It's a book about physiology, which is the subject that I specialise in.
12:54OK.
12:54And it was written by a very, very famous French physiologist called Claude Bernard, who was pretty much the father
13:01of modern scientific exploration in medicine and physiology.
13:05It sounds like this is quite an important book then.
13:08It is, absolutely.
13:09And it was my father's book, who was also a physiologist.
13:13What is physiology?
13:14Well, most people have heard of anatomy.
13:16Yes.
13:17Which is what things look like, which is the structure of an organism.
13:21And physiology is what it does and how it works.
13:24So there's physiology of plants, physiology of animals, and then there's human physiology.
13:28Oh.
13:29And I'm a human physiologist like my dad.
13:32As your father was.
13:33Yeah, and as his colleague who gifted him the book.
13:35My dad was an amazing scientist and very well published and really renowned all around the world.
13:40And Uncle Frank was sort of the North American equivalent of my dad.
13:43And they became great friends and colleagues.
13:45And to me, he was just Uncle Frank.
13:47Hence why this is almost the most important bit.
13:51There's this really terribly fragile, falling apart piece of paper.
13:54And it's got the inscription from my uncle Frank and it says,
13:57To Tim Scratchard, which is my dad, with affection to a fellow experimentalist, Frank P Brooks.
14:03And so do you think your love of the subject was through your father?
14:07Completely.
14:08I was so lucky that I had a passion for science when I was a little girl and that there
14:11was somebody at home that could teach me crazy experiments when I was a little girl growing up.
14:16Oh, brilliant.
14:16He'd be helping me build things in the garage.
14:18So he was an amazing person to grow up with.
14:21So the book, how come you've ended up with it?
14:25I had no idea of its existence until my graduation day.
14:28So my father passed away when I was at university, so he didn't see me graduate.
14:34And I think my brother must have found it and kept it to present to me on my graduation day.
14:39So it's incredibly important to me.
14:42But it's never been in a condition where I can really appreciate it and enjoy it.
14:47And every time I've kind of thought about it and got out and had a look, another little bit falls
14:50off.
14:50The front's not attached.
14:52The back's not attached.
14:52The spine's half missing.
14:54It's very, very sorry.
14:56And I'd love to be able to enjoy it because, I mean, if I can gently open some of it,
15:00it's got illustrations showing sort of the anatomy and structures.
15:05I guess this is a very direct link to dad.
15:08Absolutely.
15:09It's the only thing in the fire I'd grab.
15:11Yeah.
15:12It has been an absolute pleasure speaking to you.
15:14Thank you for trusting us with your beautiful book.
15:16No, thank you.
15:17Thanks a lot.
15:17Thank you, Holly.
15:18See you later then.
15:19Cheers.
15:19Bye-bye.
15:33Well, what an amazing book.
15:35Really special.
15:36It's obviously French.
15:37It's absolutely beautiful.
15:39The lovely typeface and the illustration has been hand coloured.
15:43But there is an awful lot wrong with it.
15:46The all important dedication is beautiful.
15:50They've used Spanish wave on the inside and Spanish wave came in towards the end of the 19th century.
15:57So this would have been, at that point, height of fashion.
16:00But you can see over the years, it is detached and torn.
16:04That needs sorting.
16:05It's got to be solid copy that she can read.
16:08First thing I'm going to do is clean the original lining off to see whether I need to re-sew
16:13it or not.
16:21Because it's animal-based glues, adding a bit of moisture, it's going to react and then lift the paper.
16:32The paste's all on, now I just need to leave it to soak in and I can see if the
16:36lining comes off in about an hour or so.
16:48Replacing the belt that drives the projector has proved a problem for electronics expert Mark.
16:55I've managed to source a gear and I've managed to fit that just now, which is good.
17:00But drive belt, can't source one anywhere and I've looked.
17:04To create a replacement using a length of stretchy rubber,
17:08he's called on toy restorer and expert in plastics, Charlotte, to provide an extra pair of hands.
17:15This is going to be really fiddly.
17:17I put this in this position where it should go and stretch it.
17:21And then if you could mark it with that felt tip pen.
17:24Yeah.
17:25That's it.
17:26Great.
17:27Right, now what I need to do is cut that and then I'm going to put these two pieces together.
17:32Heat that up so it's red hot.
17:34Yeah.
17:35Then the blade's going to go in between there.
17:37Without burning you.
17:38Yeah, preferably.
17:41The result should be a near perfect seal.
17:47Okay.
17:49Put it there.
17:51Am I in the middle?
17:53I just slightly off.
17:57What I've got to do now is just let it cool down and then I can give it a trim
18:00and we'll see how it goes.
18:02Okay, no problem.
18:03Thanks so much.
18:16I like that.
18:18That is really good.
18:20Look at you little beauty.
18:23Let's put some light on the subject for a second.
18:28What I'm seeing at the moment is some slight flickering to the image.
18:33I'd expect it not to be so flickery so I need to check that.
18:38The only way to get round that is allow it to run for a considerable amount of time.
18:42This has been a sleep for many decades.
18:44The pieces need to get lubricated and run smoothly and just like me, it needs to be woken up, get
18:50those joints going and over a period of time we should then work fluently and be back to normal.
19:07Continuing her quest to make the women's jerkin wearable again for Second World War reenactment, tackling the ripped armhole is
19:16Susie's next task.
19:17I've just stained some leather to match the surface of the jerkin because I need some strips to create some
19:27trim that I'm going to sew on the front of the armpits here.
19:32What's happened over the years is where there's been a lot of stress is actually tore the leather.
19:40So I'm just going to clip the trim in place so that I can hand sew it.
19:49The beauty of hand sewing is that you feel any sense of weakness and you can compensate for that.
19:59Okay, so I've got that first stitch in.
20:07It's really nice because as I pulled up the thread, it drew everything together and it's made this seam where
20:17it was breaking apart close up and it's really strong again.
20:21So I'm very pleased with that and now I can just get on and concentrate on this stitch line.
20:42It's looking and it's feeling so much stronger.
20:45I now need to focus my attention on recolouring.
20:50So I've got a colouring cream just to get a really nice shine.
20:56When it's dry, I can buff everything up.
21:03It's going to take me quite a while to do.
21:05I think by the end of it, it's going to look really, really beautiful.
21:22The glue's done its job releasing the paper on the spine of the physiology book so Chris can assess the
21:30state of the stitching underneath.
21:32Oh, jeez.
21:34It's actually, all the way along, the sewing's damaged.
21:40That's not good.
21:41That's not what a book should do.
21:43But it's split in two spots.
21:47So that's an automatic into the naughty corner.
21:50It needs a re-sew.
21:51So I need to dismantle this book and then I've got a mountain of sewing to do later.
22:04I've been running the projector now for some while.
22:07Everything's working relating to the belt.
22:09No flicker, which is very rewarding to see.
22:13However, there is one little problem.
22:15I'll turn the projector off.
22:18There was a couple of items which were outside the projector, which was always a little bit worrying.
22:23And I've been looking at it and I can see exactly where they come from.
22:26It's actually part of the take-up spool for the film.
22:30If you can imagine that this goes on here, like that, you have the film here and it goes through
22:37the machine and then gets picked up to this side.
22:40And it goes in there and just tighten it up.
22:45Yes, that's all good.
22:47Now that's in place.
22:48I'll put power on.
22:52That seems okay.
22:54The film will be picked up by the take-up spool.
22:59Like that.
23:06Leather restorer Susie's got one more job to do.
23:09Before the women's army jerkin is fully restored.
23:13Well, this jerkin is looking so much healthier.
23:18So I'm going to give the exterior a bit of a break and just focus on what's going on with
23:22the lining.
23:23The only thing I think it needs is a little bit of a refresh.
23:27So I'm just going to use a variety of different cloths and brushes here just to remove any of the
23:35surface dirt.
23:38I really appreciate all the effort that Mary's putting into keeping those stories, important stories alive.
23:52Part of the uniform worn by women supporting the army during the Second World War, this tattered and torn jerkin
24:00had a brief rebirth during historical reenactments.
24:07Hoping she can wear it again to spread the word about the war's female daredevils.
24:19History and motorbike enthusiast, Mary.
24:23Mary, that's incredible.
24:25It's my bike.
24:26It's beautiful.
24:28You look wonderful.
24:30Lovely to see you.
24:31Lovely to see you too.
24:31And you're smiling.
24:33Oh, come in the bar.
24:36Oh, gosh, this is exciting.
24:39Look at you.
24:41This is what they would wear as a dispatch rider.
24:44I'm so impressed.
24:45You can see why I want the extra last little bit.
24:49So, are you ready to see it?
24:51I have every faith in you.
24:54Well, let's see.
25:04Oh, wow.
25:07I mean, straight off the colour and the condition of the leather just hits me.
25:12I don't know if I dare touch it.
25:13I'm shaking now.
25:14Oh, bless you.
25:16Oh, look at where those splits were.
25:19And these seams.
25:22And the big hole.
25:28Wow.
25:30Wow.
25:32Um, that is amazing.
25:35You are brilliant.
25:38Oh, dear.
25:39Um, yeah.
25:40I've got watery eyes now.
25:42How silly.
25:43Would you like to try it on?
25:46Yes, please.
25:47Okey-dokey.
25:49Can you manage that?
25:52Here we go.
25:53Oh, wow.
25:54Look at that.
25:55It's sort of a bit like an old friend coming back as well.
26:00That looks absolutely amazing.
26:04It just feels complete.
26:06It just feels complete.
26:09It's just wonderful.
26:10Carry on the good work.
26:12All right.
26:13Take care.
26:13Bye-bye.
26:18The whole jerkin just gleamed and glowed.
26:23Lovely.
26:23Lovely.
26:24It symbolises all those women who were determined to do their bit for the war.
26:32And it gives me more inspiration to talk to people about the women who wore these jerkins
26:40and these items, the way of sort of honouring every one of them.
26:59Next, a tired-out traditional instrument that's known countless pairs of hands.
27:05This is a harmonium.
27:07Yeah, it looks like an Indian harmonium.
27:10OK.
27:11That must be the most worn I've ever seen one.
27:15Relying on organ restorer David Burville to bring it back to life, Sheminder from Watford.
27:23Hi there.
27:24Hello.
27:25Hello.
27:26This must be yours.
27:27Yes, yes.
27:28It belongs to the family.
27:30It's about 55 to 60 years old.
27:33I mean, it looks slightly older than that at the moment.
27:36It looks well used.
27:38It's very well used.
27:40My father was a passionate musician and he brought it for my mum to learn on.
27:46My mum would practise on it on the dining table.
27:49And I played a lot on it myself for years and years.
27:53And also, my dad played on it.
27:55He was very interested in Indian classical music.
27:58And his students also used to play on it.
28:01And my dad had thousands of students across the UK.
28:04What's your dad's name?
28:05Ramit Singh Verdi.
28:06He used to teach the tabla, which is the Indian drum.
28:09Oh, yeah.
28:10And that's what he was a specialist in.
28:12And so when they came to learn tabla at home, because he had classes at home, the lounge would be
28:17packed with drummers basically.
28:19This harmonium was always there with the tabla, always open.
28:23And then one of them would play a tune and everyone would jam.
28:27Yeah.
28:27So would you play the harmonium and sing at the same time?
28:30Yes, definitely.
28:31It's used within the Sikh culture on a daily basis.
28:35All the singing will be conducted with this.
28:38This will be on the stage in the Sikh temple, the Gurdwara.
28:41And we sing Sikh hymns from the scriptures.
28:45It gives you a really like nice background sound.
28:49My dad, he played with a fluttering motion.
28:52He was creative.
28:53He'd create tunes and then teach them to me.
28:55What was your dad like?
28:57My dad was just incredible.
28:59He was full of life and vitality.
29:00And we really grew up under his bright, sunny personality.
29:05And it was infectious.
29:07He was amazingly popular and everyone wanted to be his friend.
29:11But he was just a really good teacher.
29:13I mean, his legacy is continuing, you know, past his death.
29:17And I just think fixing this harmonium would just be incredible.
29:22How does this work?
29:23I've got no idea.
29:24It's actually a wind instrument.
29:25Yeah.
29:26So you have bellows at the back.
29:28Yeah.
29:28Here.
29:28So you pump it.
29:29You pump with one hand and you play with the other.
29:31Yeah.
29:31Oh, so you don't play with both hands?
29:33No, you can't, yeah.
29:34Yeah.
29:34The European ones were foot pedalled.
29:36Mm.
29:36So you could play both hands.
29:38But these were always hand operated.
29:41Yeah.
29:41It's in pretty bad condition because some of the keys have actually broken and dropped.
29:48These knobs are not originals.
29:50Mm.
29:51The original knobs looked like this.
29:52It's an amazing family heirloom because it has these really fond memories.
29:58Yeah.
29:58Yeah.
29:59It's really special.
30:01Yeah.
30:01Yeah.
30:01I can't wait to hear this working.
30:04No, neither can I.
30:05Neither can I.
30:06We'll see you very soon.
30:07Thanks a lot.
30:08Thanks a lot.
30:08Bye-bye.
30:08Take care.
30:09Bye-bye.
30:28This has been very, very well loved in its life.
30:31What a fantastic piece of history.
30:34But there's a lot of wear and tear, which you'd expect on something which has been used as much as
30:41this has.
30:41So I'm going to have to make some stop knobs on the front.
30:45The keyboard is really poorly.
30:48The keys are actually covered in an early form of plastic, which is called celluloid.
30:52Really, I want to retain as much of the original key coverings as possible.
30:58So I think I've got an idea of what I can do with the key coverings.
31:02So that's a work in progress.
31:06As I get inside the harmonium, I can see that the reeds, there are some which are bent.
31:13So already I've got lots to do.
31:15I'm going to get further down into the machine and see what else we've got to find.
31:21It's going to be really nice to get this back singing properly again.
31:35To re-sew the physiology books in our pages, Chris is preparing to use an age-old method.
31:43This is originally how the book was sewn back in 1870s.
31:47I still use this method today.
31:49So this is sunken cord method and it's sewn on cords, which is hemp.
31:54And you use a sewing frame to support the hemp.
31:57These are the cords that I'm going to sew around, which can be pulled into the pages, these little grooves.
32:02And you can see as I pull it tight, it goes nice and flush into that little groove.
32:11And it's a continuous strand of thread that I'm using, so straight away it's linked here.
32:16And then I'm going around the cord.
32:20And then you just get a gentle pull and they lock together.
32:25I do really love this time with a book.
32:30You have sort of quiet time with it and you can get to know it and just pick out little
32:34snippets.
33:05It's a little bit of practice.
33:06I've never heard vacuuming be so melodical before, that's so funny.
33:11I don't think I could play a tune on it, but it's definitely interesting.
33:15Do it again.
33:23So all the pages now have been mended, reattached,
33:26and now I'm just preparing the new leather to go onto the spine.
33:29To prepare it, you have to pare it down.
33:32You just have to get it so it's flexible, not too thick, and will open beautifully.
33:37I'm just wetting the leather so it becomes super stretchy.
33:42And on the side that's going to be touching the book, I'm going to be using some paste.
33:48So I'm all happy with that.
33:49I'm going to start now putting the spine on.
33:54When I pare it, the leather stretches, and then as it dries, it sort of like shrinks back.
34:00I'm just pushing the leather right in, and then I'll turn in top and bottom.
34:17So that's a new spine on.
34:20Now I just need to leave to dry, and then I can start remounting the original back down on it.
34:34Now that David's taken the Indian harmonium apart, he can begin his repairs in earnest.
34:41My first port of call is the reeds.
34:44These really are fundamental to the whole instrument.
34:48This is what produces the sound of the harmonium.
34:51So what I've been doing is making sure that there's no dirt that could stop the reeds from working.
34:59I've come across one or two which are actually quite badly bent.
35:03This is one of the bent ones, and this will not make a sound.
35:10Literally air is just passing through.
35:12Now I'm hoping that I can actually bend them back into shape.
35:18So I'm using this tool, and I can just very gently push the reed down back to its original position.
35:28The worry here is there's a line which is almost near the bend mark, and I don't know whether that's
35:36a fracture line or a scratch on the metal.
35:39Even a scratch on the metal, if you're bending it too far, that can actually cause a fracture.
35:46Just teasing it just a fraction more.
35:49I think that's actually looking quite nice.
36:00Brilliant.
36:01That was quite nerve-wracking.
36:03For that to be working is a major plus point.
36:07So I wouldn't want too many of those.
36:19Having equal challenges with the projector...
36:22Come on, you little devil.
36:24Mark's attempting to take off the all-important lens so he can service it.
36:30But the moment I'm trying to undo this screw, only one mind a problem, it won't let me take it
36:34out.
36:35Because it hasn't been removed for literally a long, long time, it's still holding on.
36:40So what we're going to have to do is use some heat.
36:43So I'm going to put the soldiering iron onto the screw head.
36:47That will create some heat against the threads and cause it to expand, and often that will then break the
36:53lock.
36:54A little bit like that.
36:56Just let it cool for a second.
37:00Look at that.
37:01Straight away.
37:01It's amazing what heat can do.
37:03It comes off as easy as that.
37:07Got it.
37:08There we go.
37:09The only way you can examine a lens properly is look at it.
37:13And they've got quite a few little bits of debris, hairs.
37:16And if you don't remove that, you'll see it magnified onto the screen as well.
37:21The last thing we want to see on Frank's films is little bits of hairs trying to get into the
37:25action.
37:43Putting the woodturning machine through some unusual paces, David's trying to shape some plastic into replacements for the main set
37:51of stop knobs missing from the harmonium.
37:58So I'm just seeing how this plastic material turns up.
38:03And it's actually turning really nicely.
38:06Unfortunately, I haven't even got one of the original knobs to go by.
38:11So I've got no reference for size.
38:14I've got the original drone read stop knobs.
38:18And these are quite a bit smaller than the main knobs would have been.
38:24But they are a good reference.
38:29So what I'm doing is just trying to copy the profile but scaled up that little bit.
38:43So I'm just trying to go by what I think looks as right as can possibly be.
38:52You're trying to recreate somebody's memory.
38:54That's what you're trying to do.
38:56And it's very, very difficult.
38:57But I'm hoping that this will be something akin to what was on it.
39:12That looks good.
39:14And it fits nicely in the hand.
39:16So I think that's going to be ideal.
39:20Getting them all consistent is going to be a little bit tricky.
39:22And I'm going to have to spray these the correct colour.
39:26But it's always fun.
39:28I find it quite relaxing actually doing this sort of work.
39:44Before Chris can continue with the outside of the physiology book,
39:48another important job awaits within.
39:52I love a dedication in a book.
39:54But it's all shattered around the corner.
39:57And all these little chunks of paper which have come out.
40:01So I'm going to start mending it and fill in these gaps using some sort of vintage Spanish marble paper.
40:08So I just want to make sure that all the details marry up.
40:12And the important thing is the streaks where the Spanish marble has lines come along.
40:17So I'm marrying up this line here with the line underneath.
40:21Now I just need to cut around it.
40:24And then I can see if it fits.
40:26So that's going to slot in there.
40:31Once it's all trimmed off after I've secured it into place, you're barely going to see it.
40:38And once all the jigsaw pieces are cut, I can then start sticking them together.
40:55Mark's preparing to put the projector through its test run with Frank's old cinefilm.
41:01I'm now just threading the film, which has to be a little bit careful.
41:09Look at that.
41:12Whee!
41:13Frank certainly went to some places.
41:15I can see a naval officer.
41:17That's obviously promising.
41:19Amazing.
41:20And I'm privileged to be one of the first to see it before even Stephen sees it.
41:26They're as good as the day they were shot.
41:31After this projector gave up the ghost, it was left to gather dust, along with priceless footage of many an
41:39adventure at sea.
41:41Stephen and wife Chris have returned to find out if they can see their dearest friend Frank and the memories
41:48he captured during Navy life.
41:52Hello.
41:53How are you?
41:54Hello.
41:54Nice to see you.
41:56Have a seat.
41:57Good luck.
41:59So, how have you been?
42:01Well, apprehensive, obviously.
42:03I've had butterflies all morning.
42:05I remember you were telling me before about Frank and his memories relating to that.
42:09Now, what do you hope you might see?
42:11He's told us so many stories of his life in the Navy, but it'd be lovely to see them in
42:16picture.
42:17Yeah.
42:18So, are you ready to see it?
42:20Oh, yes, please.
42:21Yes, definitely.
42:25Oh, wow.
42:27Oh.
42:29Oh, it's lovely.
42:32We've not seen it like that for a very long time.
42:36No.
42:37So, Mark, the big question is, is it working?
42:40Well, there's only one way to find out.
42:42Let me put that over there.
42:46Are you ready for this?
42:47Yes.
42:53Oh, wow.
42:56That's fantastic.
42:58Oh.
43:01He told us they always used to play games on board Ludo and Lotto.
43:05Oh, really?
43:06On deck, yeah.
43:08They were allowed to take their uniforms off and just have free time.
43:11Oh.
43:13See, Frank would have been on the little boat there because he was one of the only ones as a
43:18chief petty officer who could drive the small boats when they left the ship.
43:23I could sit here all day.
43:27That looks like my name's at Gibraltar.
43:29Oh, Gibraltar.
43:30That's it, yeah.
43:33There he is.
43:34Is that him?
43:34That's Frank.
43:38Oh, my goodness.
43:40He looks so young.
43:42I just can't believe it, obviously.
43:49Now we can see his previous life.
43:55Mark, I can't thank you enough.
43:57It's been a real pleasure.
44:01So, what would Frank make of all this?
44:03He'd be over the moon.
44:05Yeah.
44:05He'd just be so happy that we can watch it now.
44:09Yeah.
44:10I wish Frank was here to say thank you because I know he would.
44:13It's been a great pleasure.
44:14You take care.
44:16Bye-bye.
44:21Absolutely amazing.
44:23I never thought we'd get to this day.
44:25Oh, it's been such a dream come true, really, and for Mark to be able to do that for us
44:31is so lovely.
44:33To see Frank stood there, it was something that I'll cherish forever, I think, and we're just going to enjoy
44:39them.
44:51Organ restorer David has thought of an ingenious way to make good the broken ivories of the Indian harmonium.
45:01Unfortunately, all of these keys have lost the tips of the celluloid, and there's quite a few of them that
45:10have lost the celluloid completely.
45:12I'm going to take all of the old original key coverings off and replace these broken parts, and then I'm
45:24going to save some of the original celluloid and put that on the tips of the keys.
45:31I really am so keen to keep the connection between Gurmeet, his wife, and everybody that's going to touch and
45:41play this instrument in the future.
45:46I've got some nice matching celluloid, and I'm going to stick the keys onto the material.
45:57This is a sticky-backed material, so I can just line everything up, and then I can get a nice,
46:05tight, clean cut between each key.
46:19So that's the majority of those. I think I'm going to cut one out and just see what it looks
46:23like. I'm intrigued.
46:27Well, that looks really nice. Right, I'll carry on cutting them out.
46:45I'm now onto the fun bit of actually incorporating the original material onto the tip of the keys.
46:52I'm adding just a little tiny strip of black celluloid.
46:58I just wanted to highlight the fact that the old key covering is still there, but the new key covering
47:08has actually given years more life.
47:12I think that with this tip, that link to the past is still there.
47:25Chrissie's repair of the physiology book is nearing its conclusion.
47:30I'm at last putting all the jigsaw puzzle back together.
47:35This is the last bit of the original book that I'm now remounting onto my new spine.
47:42So it fits like a dream.
47:45Now to make sure it's stuck, I have to mummify it with some tape, because obviously it's on a bend,
47:53so the cotton tape goes round it.
47:56What I'm trying not to do is tug, otherwise the spine's going to move.
48:01So my first wrap is just to hold it in place, and then gradually as I put more layers on,
48:07I can get slightly tighter.
48:09And you can just feel the very edge of the spine is getting stuck down, so that it'll just dry
48:15and set in the perfect position.
48:28I'm now unwrapping the spine, it's a bit like Christmas, and I hope it's going to be a nice surprise.
48:40Beautiful. It's on, it's stuck, it's firm, it looks the business.
48:48I have just got a few more bits of sort of blending in the spine, retooling this panel, and then
48:54it's ready to go back to Holly.
48:57A gift from one scientist to another, this important tome from the 1870s had begun to disintegrate.
49:09Chris, you're supposed to be fixing it, not reading it.
49:12It's the last look.
49:14It's looking brilliant.
49:15We should get this covered up.
49:19Physiologist Holly has returned to be reunited with the book that links her to her dad and their lifelong shared
49:27passion.
49:28Holly, welcome back to the barn.
49:30It's lovely to have you back.
49:32It's lovely to be here.
49:33Are you excited?
49:34I've been thinking about it ever since I dropped it off, so, and kind of can't imagine how there was
49:40anything to be done with it, because it was in such a sorry state.
49:42What are you hoping to see today, then?
49:44Oh, functional, just in one piece, and with the inscription from my Uncle Frank to my dad in the front,
49:52actually not as a separate piece of paper hanging away.
49:55Well, you ready to take a look?
50:00Yeah?
50:00Yeah.
50:01Go on there, Chris.
50:12Oh, that's astonishing.
50:19Seriously.
50:23Oh, honestly.
50:31I don't have the superlatives, Chris, honestly.
50:35How is that in one piece?
50:40No.
50:42Look at that.
50:44Oh, it's absolutely beautiful.
50:49It wasn't even attached, and it was all ragged, and got bits missing, and, yeah, it's whole again.
50:55Yeah.
50:56I don't know what to say.
50:57It is absolutely exquisite.
50:59I mean, I'd say you're a magician, but that would be doing you a disservice, because that wouldn't recognise all
51:05your skill.
51:07It's unbelievable, honestly.
51:08Oh, thank you.
51:09Extraordinary.
51:10Extraordinary.
51:11It's always a real fine line, knowing what to do, how much to do, because you've got to preserve the
51:15past.
51:16Yeah.
51:16But it's got to have the future with you, Holly.
51:18Yeah.
51:18I will treasure it, as will my family.
51:21Can I give you a hug?
51:22Yeah, you can.
51:24Thank you, Chris.
51:25Cheers.
51:25Thank you, Holly.
51:26Honestly, amazing work, mate.
51:29I hope you enjoy the book.
51:30I absolutely will.
51:32Thank you, Holly.
51:32Take care.
51:32Bye.
51:33Yeah, bye.
51:37This book is like a thread running through my family, and the fact that it's gone through so many hands
51:42before coming to mine, including those of my father, it's a link to the past, but it's a reminder that
51:48this is sort of what my family does.
51:51So, yeah, it's a real treasure, and I'm going to really enjoy going through it, cover to cover, without doing
51:57it any damage.
52:11Nearing the end of the line with the harmonium restoration, David's improvising with tools again in order to balance the
52:20keys.
52:21Sheminda said that her dad used to flutter his hands over the keys, so I've got to recreate that super
52:31light touch.
52:32This one, it just thumps straight down, so that indicates that the spring pressure is too light.
52:40So, I've used just a simple little tool holder to give me the perfect weight.
52:47Then I just turn the spring, and I just wait for the key to just start to bob up.
52:57So, that is, yeah, that's nice.
53:03So, that now feels exactly the same as all the previous keys.
53:08It really has been a pleasure working on this.
53:12Yeah, I'm really, I'm really itching to hear it now.
53:20This worn-out Indian instrument helped master of Sikh music, Garmit Singh Virdi, teach hundreds of students, including his own
53:30wife and daughter.
53:32With her aunt Manjeet and son Gordain, Sheminda's returned to see if the treasured family heirloom has been restored.
53:42Hi there, Kate.
53:43Hello.
53:44Lovely to see you again.
53:45Well, thanks for coming down.
53:47How have you been?
53:48Very good.
53:48Waiting for this moment in anticipation.
53:51Yeah.
53:52I'm so excited.
53:54The thing with this harmonium is, it was always used, and now it can come back into active use again,
54:01and that's going to be just fabulous.
54:03This is going to be super special, yeah.
54:05Right, well, are you ready to see something very special?
54:07Yes.
54:08Okay, here we go.
54:14What?
54:18That is so beautiful.
54:21That's amazing.
54:23That's so good.
54:24I can't believe it.
54:25Yeah.
54:25It's just an amazing piece of work you've done, David.
54:29Amazing, incredible, really.
54:30And the knobs are also, they're exactly like they used to be.
54:35You're very, very welcome.
54:38And it looks authentic still, with the wear showing as well.
54:42It was important for me to keep some of the keys original.
54:50That's that new section.
54:52Yeah.
54:52And then the old.
54:53Yeah.
54:54And the history is captured within every key.
54:57It's just, it's lovely.
54:58Incredible, it's just incredible.
55:00Well, I feel extra honoured that you've left this in my hands
55:04and I've been able to hopefully do you justice
55:07and get it playing again.
55:11You've done more than justice, David.
55:13Oh, thank you.
55:14It's amazing.
55:14This really respects where the instruments come from.
55:18Can't wait to do a proper sing song on it.
55:20Really, really exciting.
55:22Would you play something for us?
55:23Yes, sure.
55:24Yeah, I'd be delighted to.
55:26Lovely.
55:26Yeah, thank you.
55:26Over to you.
55:27I've got to do a hymn so I can cover my hair.
55:30Let's do a hymn so I can cover my hair.
55:47Feel free by me.
55:54Your yes, you are.
56:13My
56:20That was incredible.
56:23That was amazing.
56:25Well done.
56:27Oh, that was incredible.
56:29That was incredible.
56:30I could really remember, you know, when I was little
56:34and I used to play it.
56:36I could really remember it.
56:38Yeah, yeah.
56:38It's been an absolute privilege
56:40and it's been such a privilege to hear you all play.
56:42It's been a joy to play it.
56:44Yeah, it's been a joy.
56:45You can take it back home
56:46and get the rest of the family involved now.
56:48I know, we can.
56:49Yeah.
56:50A real heartfelt thank you to all of you.
56:53You're very welcome.
56:54You're very welcome.
56:55Take care.
56:55Safe journey back.
56:56Bye-bye, everyone.
56:56Bye.
56:57Take care.
56:59Dad inspired thousands across the UK
57:02and for this to be resurrected
57:05is just fantastic, you know, honour to him.
57:15If you have a treasured possession
57:17that's seen better days
57:18and you think the team can help,
57:20please get in touch at bbc.co.uk
57:23slash techpark
57:25and join us in the repair show.
57:44We'll see you next time.
57:57Bye-bye, everyone.
57:57Bye-bye, everyone.
57:57Bye-bye, everyone.
57:58Bye-bye, everyone.
57:58Bye-bye, everyone.
57:58Bye-bye, everyone.
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