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00:00A workshop full of wonders.
00:03I heard the word watch.
00:05Home to experts and time-honoured crafts.
00:09There you go, that's a good sound.
00:11Together repairing treasured pieces of the past.
00:15Oh, I like that. That is really good.
00:19Wow, look at that.
00:20Wow, look at that.
00:23Quite proud of that.
00:24And unlocking their stories.
00:27I'm completely blown away by this.
00:30Oh dear.
00:31Bringing the broken.
00:33I don't know where to start with this.
00:35Back to life.
00:36Wow.
00:38Stunning.
00:40Wow, fantastic.
00:43I think it's just amazing.
00:46Yay!
00:47Welcome to the repair shop.
00:57How many of my tools have you got in there?
00:59No comment.
01:01Let's check.
01:09First, a hair-raising challenge for Sonaz and Dom.
01:15Where do we start with this?
01:16No words.
01:17No words.
01:17It's quite amazing, isn't it?
01:19It's iconic.
01:20Iconic is exactly the right word.
01:22Going back to the 60s.
01:23Yeah.
01:24This relic from the bygone age of glamour.
01:28Hi, welcome to the barn.
01:30Hi.
01:31Can I get you a seat?
01:32Has seen decades of beauty and bonding for sisters Carol, Pat and Alison from Shropshire.
01:40What have we got here?
01:42Well, this hair dryer, I had it in 1973 when I was doing my hair dressing at home.
01:51It's not your typical hair dryer that I'm used to holding a hand?
01:55No, definitely not.
01:56One you can sit under.
01:57With this I could do perms and shampoos and sets because you needed a hair dryer easy to put people
02:03under.
02:03The hair dryer was in the kitchen.
02:06Wow.
02:06And then I'd wash their hair and set it in the kitchen and put them under the hair dryer.
02:11And I did it for about a year.
02:13And then my sister Patricia was a beautician.
02:17So my mum said we'd open a hair and beauty salon.
02:21Did you all work in the salon?
02:22Yes.
02:23And the hair dryer then moved to the salon.
02:26What was mum's name?
02:28Dorcas.
02:28Dorcas.
02:29Yes.
02:30I ran all the hair dressing side of the salon.
02:32But upstairs Pat would be working and my mum was also a beautician.
02:38Between us we'd work from nine o'clock till five o'clock including Saturday.
02:42Wow.
02:43That's really nice.
02:44We laughed every single day, we laughed.
02:46I would sweep up hair, make cups of tea.
02:50I just remember it being great fun.
02:53And all the customers became our friends.
02:57And they'd go away looking fabulous.
02:59And they'd go away looking beautiful.
03:00Importantly.
03:01Exactly.
03:02I think it was successful because my mum was literally the linchpin of the salon.
03:07Everybody loved coming in to see her.
03:09Four formidable women held together by this matriarch.
03:14Very empowering that you ran this business together.
03:17Oh yeah.
03:17Yeah.
03:18The customers that we had came from when we opened in 1973 until we closed in the late 1980s.
03:26So since the salon closed, where has this been living?
03:30Well initially it went to mum's and she had it in the little bedroom which she designed as her own
03:36hairdressing salon.
03:37Okay.
03:38And then once a week Pat or Alison would go and wash and set her hair.
03:43That was where she was every Sunday, with her curlers in, reading the paper, drinking a cup of tea.
03:49That was her favourite place to be.
03:51Always glamorous.
03:53Yeah, always glamorous.
03:54When mum passed away, I didn't want to let it go.
03:58So I've had it in my bedroom ever since.
04:01But it no longer reflects how wonderful my mum was.
04:06There was a padding on the back there.
04:08Oh.
04:09That would make sense.
04:10It had a big curved piece, which I don't know where that's gone.
04:14Okay.
04:15All the metal work needs a paint touch up.
04:18And then I don't think the electrics would pass off and safety.
04:24In terms of the upholstery, what would you like doing there?
04:28Ideally, I would like it to be either cream or pink.
04:32Okay.
04:32Because my mum's favourite colours were pink and cream.
04:37And do you plan to use it?
04:39Yes.
04:40I will be sitting under that hair dryer.
04:43Very good.
04:44The way you've explained your mum appearance was an important thing for her.
04:47Yeah.
04:47So it's only right that this looks as smart as it can.
04:50Yeah, completely.
04:51It's been a lovely meeting you all.
04:52Thank you so much.
04:52Thank you too.
04:54See you later.
04:55Bye-bye.
05:01It's going to be a tricky one.
05:02I mean, we've got upholstery, metalwork, paint and electrical.
05:06Luckily Mark's here.
05:07Are you okay to carry this?
05:09Absolutely.
05:09Yeah.
05:10I'll get the door.
05:25I absolutely love this hair dryer.
05:28And I am so excited to get it working again and give Sonaz a perm.
05:39It was certainly a team effort for the sisters running the salon.
05:43And this job is going to be a team effort here.
05:46I need to, number one, get the upholstered pieces to Sonaz.
05:50Number two, I need to make a pile of electrical pieces to get over to Mark.
05:54And then I am going to be left with all of the metalwork to repaint.
06:01How I am going to tackle the backrest, I am not entirely sure yet.
06:05It is quite an extreme curve.
06:07Sonaz basically needs a wooden structure that she can attach her foam and upholstery to.
06:13I need to get my thinking cap on.
06:25From the salon to the sports pitch, rugby fan Johnny from Salisbury
06:31has brought along a special souvenir of friendships forged on and off the field
06:36for textiles restorer, Rebecca Bisoni.
06:42Hi there.
06:43Hello.
06:44Oh.
06:46I am not sure it is going to survive actually.
06:49This looks absolutely amazing.
06:51So this is a flag from a rugby game in 1936 between Ireland and England.
06:57It is an incredibly ornate flag.
06:59Yeah.
07:00This flag was presented by the Ireland team to the captain of the England team
07:06as a memento of the game.
07:08Okay, so what is your connection?
07:10My grandfather, Jack Siggins, played rugby for Ireland
07:14and captained Ireland in this game in 1936.
07:17Oh, great.
07:17Hold on, so your grandfather handed it to the captain of the England team.
07:21So how does it come back round to you?
07:23Well, as all good things, it started in a pub.
07:25I had a friend, his name was Ollie, sat down watching the rugby in the pub.
07:31It was an England-Ireland game.
07:33It was an England-Ireland game.
07:33And the chat got in what people did and what your connection was with rugby.
07:36And he said, yeah, my grandfather, Bernard Gadney, played rugby for England.
07:41And I said, oh, that's funny.
07:42My grandfather played rugby for Ireland.
07:45And he went, oh, yeah, okay.
07:48Well, my grandfather captained England.
07:49It was a bit like Top Trumps.
07:50Yeah.
07:51And my grandfather captained Ireland.
07:54And we thought, wouldn't it be odd if they'd played against each other?
07:58And it turned out they had.
07:59Oh, my goodness.
08:00This is a memento from the game.
08:01My grandfather would have given Ollie's grandfather this flag.
08:06Hold on a second.
08:07What are the chances?
08:09I know, I know.
08:09So if it headed from Ireland to England, how did it end up with you then?
08:15Ollie was tragically killed in a road accident.
08:20And at his memorial service, his father, George, said,
08:25I have something that I'd like you to have.
08:28And it was his flag.
08:30And he explained that it would have gone to Ollie.
08:33But now, because of our link, he thought it was appropriate that it came to me.
08:41How lovely.
08:42Very heavy, yeah.
08:43You must have been really good friends with Ollie.
08:47Yes.
08:47I mean, Ollie was generous, kind, warm-hearted.
08:53And we all miss him so much.
08:54And it should be him doing this today.
08:57It's me instead.
08:59Wow.
09:00If it can be preserved, then it becomes something that we can come together around.
09:04Yeah.
09:05And it's a little memento of something that's really special.
09:07Yeah.
09:08But as you can see, I mean, while the embroidery is in good condition, the silk is absolutely threadbare.
09:14Wow.
09:15It's very fragile.
09:16It is incredible, but it is very fragile.
09:20This is absolutely amazing.
09:21And I cannot wait to see what you're going to do with this, Rebecca.
09:23Okay.
09:24I can't wait to see you, though.
09:28It's been lovely to see you, and we'll see you very soon.
09:31Yeah.
09:31It's been lovely to meet you, too.
09:32Thanks a lot.
09:32Bye-bye.
09:33Bye-bye.
09:33Bye.
09:42Sonaz, we are one step closer to that blow-dry.
09:45Fantastic.
09:47Look at that.
09:48That's the base for the seat and two armrests.
09:50Hopefully, it's okay to leave those with you and just let me think about the back a bit longer.
09:54Absolutely.
09:55No problem at all.
10:02What a lovely, lovely item.
10:05There's two bits of fabric stitched together to create one piece.
10:09This is cotton embroidery, and it's worked onto this banner silk, but it is in a very poor condition.
10:18I've never worked on anything quite this bad before.
10:22I think what's happened is you start to get these splits.
10:26That's just age and use, and it just sort of starts to pull itself apart.
10:32All of this silk.
10:33The best plan would be to introduce some moisture, which will relax the fibres, rehydrate them.
10:40I can realign them.
10:42That will bring back the shape.
10:43I can then add a support, which will bring back the structure.
10:47So the first thing I need to do is actually get the flag off the stick.
10:53Despite the terrible condition that this flag is in, I'm actually really excited just to get going.
11:07While Sona strips away the seat base as part of her upholstery preparations.
11:14How interesting.
11:16What they've used is actually a spring-based unit.
11:20If I can, it would be lovely to put them back into the seat.
11:25Electronics whiz Mark is about to be called into action.
11:29Mark.
11:30Don, what have we got?
11:31Help.
11:32Help.
11:34This is the innards of a hairdryer.
11:38Oh my word.
11:40I did plug it in and try it.
11:42It doesn't work.
11:43It doesn't work.
11:43No idea why.
11:44I didn't want to make it too easy for you.
11:47Brilliant.
11:51What I've got to establish is exactly why we've got an issue.
11:54Where it's not heating, fans not operating and there's no total control.
11:59This is the heating element and a multimeter.
12:03Both of these are the two independent elements and they are perfectly fine.
12:09The fault is not here.
12:11Let's check the switch.
12:13The on off switch is perfectly fine as well.
12:17But there's still plenty of more items on the bench here which I need to sort out to see actually
12:23which is really the villain.
12:24Why isn't this working at all?
12:26There's one item here which really needs to be tested with power connected to it.
12:31The good old motor which acts as a fan to circulate the heat.
12:35This tape here which I put on should start rotating with the motor.
12:39So we're turning up the voltage.
12:41It's drawing some current.
12:42Not a lot which is very healthy.
12:44That is working.
12:47Very well indeed.
12:49It's actually a very healthy motor.
12:52The only sort of conclusion I can come to it was probably the old wiring loom.
12:56It needs to be replaced.
12:58So that will be my next plan.
13:05Now I'm upholstering the seat base.
13:07I'm layering up padding and then covering with the top fabric.
13:11I've saved the original springs.
13:14And the next layer is this lovely soft cotton felt.
13:21One of the great things about what's left is it actually doesn't go to waste.
13:25It gets donated to my lovely friends over there, the teddy bear ladies, to stuff their teddies with.
13:38I've got all of the parts for the hair dryer in primer and I'm about to paint the top coat.
13:43All of these pieces are pink, which is matched to the original color.
13:47It's going to look good.
13:49With the metal work of the hair dryer coming up roses, there's a world in miniature in the barn.
13:56Needing a smorgasbord of skills from organ restorer David.
14:01There are so many pieces here.
14:02There are, yeah.
14:03There's a lot of limbs and heads and all sorts of different things.
14:07A reminder of a far away childhood.
14:10Seeing it brought back to life would be no small matter for Kamal from London.
14:16Hello.
14:17Hi there, welcome.
14:18Thank you, thank you.
14:19These look really interesting.
14:21What are they?
14:22So they're wooden figures that are carved that my mum went and bought the local market in Nigeria.
14:29We lived in Lagos and a small town there.
14:32So I think it depicts the life there at the time.
14:36People fishing, people cooking and picking up fruits and coconuts and so on.
14:42Just general life in the villages and small river towns.
14:45There was a lot of energy and vibrancy about them.
14:49That's what we loved and it was just lovely colors.
14:51They're just beautiful.
14:53The detail in them is incredible.
14:55So were you born in Lagos?
14:57No.
14:57Our family are Indian but we migrated to Nigeria for my father's work.
15:02What was life like in Nigeria?
15:04Ah, wonderful, wonderful.
15:06We had a, you know, really idyllic, happy, free, joyful life as children.
15:11I love the tropical rains and the sun and the warmth.
15:16We went on many river trips and picnics and the boats particularly remind me of that.
15:23Were you actually allowed to play with them as kids?
15:25Yes.
15:25We've had a lot of joy with these.
15:27We would have all sort of handled them and played with them, broken them probably.
15:33So quite often my brother would have broken them because he was the youngest and the most mischievous.
15:37Blame the younger brother.
15:38You blame him.
15:39Unbelievable.
15:40How long did you live in Nigeria for?
15:42About four years.
15:43It was very short because sadly my father passed away.
15:47It was devastating for us.
15:49And because the accommodation was with Dad's work, we couldn't stay in Nigeria.
15:54So we flew to the UK while my mum's parents were already settled.
15:59Where did the figurines live when you came to the UK?
16:01They did come out on a little unit that we had and they stayed out when we were younger and
16:06as teenagers.
16:07But we've lost a lot of the figures that are standing.
16:11They seem to be...
16:11Yes.
16:13They need to stand up again really.
16:14So I can see there's a little bit of glue on some of these.
16:17Did you try and repair some of them?
16:19Badly, yes.
16:21As teenagers, we thought we'd try and repair them for mum, but we couldn't do it.
16:27They got packed away again because we didn't want to break them anymore.
16:30No.
16:30In 2023, my brother passed away.
16:33Oh, no.
16:33I thought, right, maybe the time is now to get them repaired and restore them.
16:39He was so joyful.
16:41Like my dad, he had just a wonderful smile and they were both very charismatic people.
16:47It's made it more sort of poignant to bring back those memories again.
16:53Yeah.
16:53It just symbolises, you know, the warmth and the sun and those lovely family times we had together.
17:00Well, I have to say, it's going to be an honour to repair this.
17:04I can't wait to get started.
17:05Thank you so much for bringing them in.
17:07Thank you very much.
17:08Much appreciated.
17:09Take care.
17:09Bye-bye.
17:26I can really see how, as a kid, Kumail's little figures would spark the imagination.
17:35All those little bits of damage, it shows how well-loved they were.
17:39So I've got to clean off the old glue so that I've got nice bare joints that I can re
17:48-glue.
17:49Then I can actually stick things back together.
17:51And no doubt, there are some parts missing.
17:55So I think I'm going to have to end up actually carving new limbs and bits and pieces.
18:01And hopefully we've got a set of complete figures again.
18:05So I think the first thing that I've got to do is start grouping things together,
18:11work out what pieces go with what figures.
18:30Textiles restorer Rebecca has cleaned both sides of the rugby flag and must now play lineswoman to see to all
18:38the stray threads.
18:41So I'm going to start in the centre.
18:43I'm going to just pin so that this is all locked into place.
18:47And then I can realign all of these, like, spaghetti fibres that are sort of twisting and wobbling all over.
19:00So I've got a grid on my board here, which is really handy.
19:05And if I just move this slightly, just want to straighten these out.
19:14It's just a case of continuing pinning, checking and straightening up all of these fibres, working my way around the
19:22whole flag.
19:23And then I can turn my attention to the support, which is going to bring back the strength.
19:41I'm wondering what this sea of green is.
19:43There were so many bits all fell off.
19:46So I put the tape on to try and piece everything together.
19:49But I'm just getting all this glue off at the moment.
19:51Problem is, there's several different types.
19:54Oh, no.
19:55I absolutely sympathise, yeah.
19:57So, yeah, I'll leave you to it, David.
20:00We'll see you later.
20:06The restoration of the salon hair dryer's chair is hotting up.
20:11I'm at the really exciting stage where I'm sewing the cut components of the vinyl together.
20:19Dorcas really loved her pinks.
20:21And I've gone with this dusty colour.
20:25I've chosen to use a vinyl again because it's extremely hard wearing.
20:29And as this hair dryer is going to be used again, it's the best choice.
20:37I'm starting to make this seat back.
20:41What I'm making here is a mould almost.
20:45Once this is screwed together, I'm going to be using these thin sheets of plywood to bend over this.
20:51I should be left with a curved piece of plywood.
20:54Sona's going to upholster it and it will screw in place just as the original was on there.
21:12All right, perfect.
21:14Now that is all screwed together, almost ready to start laminating the plywood.
21:35This is a very strong wood glue that I am smearing on every inch of these very thin sheets of
21:44plywood.
21:44So I'm laminating five pieces together, stacking them all up like a lasagna.
21:50I'll clamp them in place and the glue will set.
21:54And hopefully once it's cured, I'll be left with a perfectly curved piece of plywood.
22:07It's slipping around all over the place. I knew this would happen.
22:11Oh!
22:14Oh no, this is an absolute nightmare.
22:18I may well need another hand. Hang on.
22:21What's up, mate? I saw the flares go up. SOS.
22:24Help!
22:27I'm getting in such a mess.
22:30You just thought, I've got mucky hands. Pete can have them as well, didn't you?
22:33Exactly. Pete would love this job.
22:36As I clamp it up, it's slipping around all over the place.
22:39I'll do that. There we go.
22:41Oh, that's so much easier, isn't it?
22:43It's working, yeah.
22:45You happy?
22:46I'm happy, as long as you're happy.
22:48I'll tell you what, there's certainly enough glue in there.
22:50Oh, look. I love it when a plan comes together, eh?
22:55Nice one. Thank you.
23:01One last check before trimming it down.
23:05It feels so good.
23:07I'm really pleased with how that's turned out.
23:09I can trim this excess off.
23:12And then I can put a bottom cloth on the bottom, which covers up the wood and makes it completely
23:19neat, top and bottom.
23:26Now all the glue has cured, it's time to remove the clamps and see if it's all held together, and
23:37most importantly, if it's the right shape.
23:42Oh, yes. Look at that.
23:45There we go. Yes, I have got some cleaning up to do.
23:49There's a lot of excess glue and the edges need a little trim.
23:51But, once I've trimmed this to size, might round the edges off, it's ready to be upholstered.
23:57Look at that. It's really strong.
24:05Glue's been a sticky subject for David, but with the village scene now taking shape, it's time for some complex
24:13carpentry.
24:14Now, there's quite a few of these little figures that have actually broken at the ankles.
24:19I can imagine Kamal and her brothers making them walk and this sort of thing, and that would have been
24:25a lot of pressure on that joint.
24:28So, I'm going to try and add a little bit of strength, and I'm actually going to recycle some of
24:35my cotton swabs.
24:36These have a little bamboo stick.
24:39So, I'm going to use those as little dowels, so it will take some of the pressure off just that
24:45flat, horizontal glue surface.
25:10That's the glue.
25:11So, we can line that up now.
25:18And I know that with hydraulic pressure that that glue has now been pushed everywhere it needs to be.
25:27I'm not going to give up the day job yet and become an orthopaedic surgeon, but he has now got
25:32some bones to hold him up.
25:34I'm going to go on to one of the little boat figures now.
25:40The detail and the amount of carving in this is just phenomenal.
25:43She's got a break on her wrist there.
25:47Her elbow is broken, but more tricky than those is her oar is broken.
25:56That, just as a glue joint, wouldn't really be very strong, so I'm just going to put a little cut
26:04up the centre of that little stick.
26:10So, that's the one in the top part of the stick.
26:13So, I'm just going to do one now in the lower part.
26:20I'm just going to push the glue into the joint.
26:27A little tiny piece of wood.
26:30And then just marry it up.
26:33This little piece of wood is actually working like a microscopic mortise and tenon joint.
26:38It's a lot stronger than if I just glued it together.
26:41So, now I just have to finish the rest.
26:54The next stage in Rebecca's repair of the rugby flag could endanger all her meticulous realigning work on the threads.
27:04So, I've got everything nicely lined up.
27:07All of this silk is nice and straight.
27:10It's looking a bit more like a flag now.
27:12So, it's now ready for its full support, which is going to go on the back.
27:17So, I've made a support fabric.
27:18I've used a really fine silk.
27:21I've coated it with a conservation grade adhesive.
27:25So, this is like a great big sticker.
27:29So, ideally, I want to get this in position right the first time.
27:34If I have to move it, it's actually going to be quite tricky.
27:38Because it could actually just sort of pull everything out of shape.
27:41Okay, there's one chance here.
27:43Okay.
27:44Let's see.
27:54Oh.
27:56Oh, my goodness.
27:58Shaking.
27:59Okay.
28:08I tell you what, textile conservation is quite stressful, really.
28:14Oh, there we go.
28:15I can breathe again now.
28:17That will have brought back that strength and support to the flag, which is much needed.
28:22So, what I need to do now is reactivate the adhesive with a heated spatula, and then the silks can
28:29bond together.
28:31As Rebecca breathes a sigh of relief, work continues to return the sass to the salon hair dryer.
28:40Does that not look so smart?
28:42While David's about to make a head start on some carving.
28:47One of the things that stands out is this little guy here, and he's looking a little incomplete.
28:56And I'm going to use a very similar grained wood, English cherry wood, which I can then stain down later
29:06on, making him a new head.
29:09And with wood carving, it's always best to go a little bit bigger, and then when you come to the
29:15final smoothing, then you can take it down.
29:19You can't put it back.
29:24These little people, their little faces are so detailed.
29:29You can really see the expressions on their faces.
29:34So, it's quite a bit of pressure actually to try and replicate that in that sort of detail.
29:43He's, yeah, he's starting to look a little bit like a head anyway, so that's good.
30:01It's taken the combined efforts of four different experts to transform the hair dryer, but Mark's work on the wiring
30:09hasn't yet been put to the test.
30:13Right, it looks good.
30:15It looks nice.
30:16Every single wire has been replaced.
30:17Correct.
30:18Right.
30:19Come on Mark, you do the honest.
30:20We're ready to go.
30:21We're ready to do it.
30:21I'm standing back.
30:21Right.
30:26That's it.
30:26Okay.
30:27Hang on.
30:27Okay, so I can hear, I can feel the fan.
30:29Yeah.
30:30I'm now going to put the heating element on to warm.
30:33Yeah.
30:34Oh yeah, I can feel that.
30:35Oh.
30:36Come on.
30:37Very good.
30:38This is good, Mark.
30:39That's very good, yes.
30:40Thank you so much, Mark.
30:41I mean, that really means now I can put the lid on, close it all up, get it onto the
30:45actual seat.
30:46And get your head up.
30:47Oh yeah.
30:48I can decide on which style, don't I?
30:52This hair dryer was the talisman around which a thriving family business revolved.
30:57But decades of beehives, bobs and bouffons had worn out the electrics and left the aesthetics having more than a
31:06bad hair day.
31:09For sisters, Carol, Pat and Alison…
31:12Hello, hello.
31:14Hello.
31:15Hello.
31:15Welcome back to the barn.
31:16Hello.
31:17The dryer is a reminder of their beloved mum Dorcas, who used it for home pampering sessions well into her
31:2490s.
31:25How have you been?
31:26Good.
31:27All right.
31:28Very good, yes.
31:29Excited.
31:30Yes.
31:30Very excited.
31:32It's a really unusual but lovely tribute to your mum, isn't it, this hair dryer?
31:37I think so.
31:38It is.
31:39Yes.
31:39It just sums her up, really.
31:41It just sums up the happy times of the salon as well, doesn't it?
31:45Of everybody being together.
31:47Mm.
31:47You ready?
31:48Yes.
31:49We are.
31:49Very ready.
31:50Yes.
31:56Oh.
31:56Oh, my God.
31:58What a beautiful, beautiful job.
32:00Oh, my God.
32:01It's even better than I thought it would be.
32:03It is, actually.
32:03It's absolutely stunning.
32:06And it's pink.
32:08What an incredible job you've done with that.
32:10It's fantastic.
32:12That's stunning.
32:12That looks brand new, actually.
32:15Oh, I can't believe how we've done it.
32:18Look at the piping on the sides.
32:20It's absolutely incredibly beautiful.
32:25I can just see her sitting there.
32:30It's OK.
32:32Come on.
32:34She would have just loved it, wouldn't she?
32:37Yes.
32:38Absolutely loved it.
32:40So, does it actually work now?
32:43Would you like to try it?
32:50Oh, it's on.
32:51Look at the red lights on.
32:52Oh, that's it.
32:53There we go.
32:54There we go.
32:58Oh, my God, that's fabulous.
33:00It's fantastic.
33:01I don't believe you've made that work.
33:03I can't believe it, either.
33:04No.
33:04That's wonderful.
33:05That is absolutely beautiful.
33:07It was a team effort.
33:09Yeah.
33:10Yeah.
33:10I took it all apart, all the nuts and bolts of it.
33:12Obviously, repainted it.
33:13Sona has just dealt with the approach.
33:14It's all upholstery and this beautiful fabric.
33:16Wow.
33:16Yeah.
33:16And Mark worked his wonders on the insides, all the electrics.
33:19Credit to everyone who's worked upon it, because you've made an absolutely wonderful job.
33:24And we're so pleased with it.
33:25Definitely.
33:29It's my mum.
33:31All I could see was my mum.
33:33That was her dryer.
33:35She just loved that dryer.
33:39She was always done up so beautifully.
33:42And that hair dryer now is looking at its absolute best.
33:48So, yes, it's my mum all over.
33:59Next, Samantha from the Scottish Borders, with a harmonious heirloom that's helped her family uphold a popular tradition for leather
34:09restorer Susie.
34:11Hello.
34:12Hello.
34:15This is very sweet.
34:17It's a cornet case that belonged to my great granny's uncle, Walter S. Wilson.
34:23It was presented to him in 1902 for his services rendered to the Hamilton YMCA Brass Band.
34:30And the cornet is part of the traditional brass band.
34:33So, do you play?
34:35Yes, I play a solo cornet for Hoyke's sax horn band in the Scottish Borders.
34:40So, this has been passed down through your family for well over 100 years?
34:43Yes, through several generations.
34:46And then my grandad donated it to the band that I joined when I was 11.
34:50So, how did you get it then if it was donated to the band?
34:54One of the older band members told me that this case was in the cupboard and there was a cornet
34:58in there and that it belonged to my grandad and that he had given it to the band before he
35:02passed.
35:03And then the band said he would have been thrilled that one of his grandchildren had picked up a brass
35:08instrument and he would have wanted me to have it.
35:10That must have been a lovely feeling.
35:11It meant a lot to me to have that back.
35:14And was that the same cornet that he played or is it just the case?
35:17Yes, it is the same cornet.
35:19So, I'd really love to have this case restored and pair them back together.
35:24A lovely link to your grandad.
35:26I know.
35:26He died in 1987, three years before I was born.
35:29So, I feel like we would have had a real connection.
35:34Yes.
35:34So, it's great to have this within the family.
35:36But as you can see there's a few repairs that are needed done.
35:40The straps especially that are too fragile to hold any weight.
35:46And obviously there's a few tears in the back.
35:49It's a big old tear.
35:50It's a beautiful case, but it's in dire need.
35:55Yeah.
35:55I'm hoping I can get it into useful condition.
35:58Thanks very much for this.
36:01Take care.
36:01Bye-bye.
36:15I really, really love this case.
36:18Even though it's got significant damage where the leather splitting, the main body of the case itself is really very
36:29strong and intact, which is wonderful.
36:31The area that I'm really concerned about is this lid where we've got the breaking on the hinge here with
36:40that constant backwards and forwards.
36:42The fibers just get weak and then they just break.
36:47This area will need to be strengthened and new leather put on there along with replacing the straps.
36:58But I think the first place that I need to start is the exterior of the case itself.
37:03Get some hydration back.
37:06So what I want to do is just add some consolidant and that's just going to stop the fibers coming
37:12off.
37:13And this stuff sinks in really, really quickly.
37:17It's wonderful.
37:19Once I'm happy with how everything's looking, I can focus my attention on removing the lid.
37:32Now that the rugby flag has some more muscle, Rebecca can turn her attention to the Irish embroidery.
37:39What I'm going to do is add a layer of conservation net, which is a really fine net.
37:45And it'll actually mean the flag will be very handleable.
37:47But what will happen is these lovely embroidered areas will have like a cloudy appearance.
37:54So in order to make sure that I don't lose all of that detail, what I've done is taken a
38:00tracing of the embroidery.
38:02And I'm now going to use fabric pens to transfer that design onto the net.
38:09So that when I put the net over the flag, it'll be a nice strong green as it should be.
38:17And just trying to keep it within the lines.
38:20You know, you were always told that, weren't you, at school?
38:23Time-consuming, ridiculous, but hopefully it'll work.
38:42Right.
38:45Let's see if it actually matches up.
38:54Okay, that embroidery is now really standing out.
38:58So now I know this works, I can do exactly the same for the other side.
39:02And then I can stitch these two layers together.
39:06Oh, that's so good.
39:13Now I've put the final touches on this little chap's face and head.
39:18I must admit, I'm quite pleased.
39:20He's come out quite all right, I think.
39:22So I think now it's time to get a bit surgical and actually remove his head.
39:32I'm using a very, very, very fine toothed Japanese saw.
39:37This gives me a really nice fine cut.
39:41And it's very precise so I can, oh, there we go.
39:45So I didn't think I was that far through.
39:48Right.
39:50So the next stage really is to glue his head onto his body.
40:02He's looking really quite good.
40:04There's not many people can say they've performed a head transplant,
40:06but I think this has been quite successful.
40:09So all I've got to do now is just make his arms and his missing leg
40:14and put him on a little base,
40:16and then he's ready to go and join the rest of his friends.
40:26With the corn at Casey's leather now supple again,
40:30Susie's preparing to rebuild the torn top.
40:33All that's holding the lid on is this section of leather.
40:41Rather than take a blade and create a cut,
40:45I want to emulate how this is sort of broken apart
40:48by using my thumbnails and try and prise the fibres apart
40:54because it's easier to join a raggedy edge
40:58and blend it in than that clinical cut.
41:06Okay.
41:07They should just lift off.
41:11Perfect.
41:12I'm really happy with that.
41:13Now what I can do is focus on rebuilding the edges.
41:35This is the spine that we'll be fitting in here,
41:38and then the lid I'm going to do the same.
41:42So this is what's going to be taking all of the strain.
41:47Once I've got this joined to the torn leather here,
41:52it's going to have its integrity and strength back.
41:55I'm just going to feed that in here like so.
42:01So I'm just making sure I'm getting those raggedy edges
42:05well and truly coated with glue.
42:08And now I'm just going to slide this into the back piece.
42:13Now the key here is to get it absolutely lined up
42:17because I want to get that join of the two torn sides
42:24who have that mesh of fibres just rejoined.
42:29It'll be like some weird leather jigsaw puzzle.
42:49It's almost full time for Rebecca and her repair.
42:53The whole flag is flexible, looks great,
42:57and it feels really secure.
42:59The next thing I need to do is actually stitch
43:02the two halves of the flag back together
43:06to create the whole complete flank again.
43:10And then I can hand it back to Johnny.
43:13This threadbare souvenir was presented by the Ireland team captain
43:18to his English counterpart
43:20long before their grandsons bonded over beers.
43:25Hoping to fly the flag for friendship,
43:27rugby fan Johnny is back to see if his precious memento has been restored.
43:34There he is.
43:37Hello.
43:38Hello, Will. Hello, Rebecca.
43:39Hi. How are you?
43:41I'm just really excited to see what's happened.
43:43Yeah.
43:44When it was given to me, I felt this huge obligation to look after it.
43:48It will be a huge relief if I know it's in a stable condition,
43:52but it's also honoring two sets of grandfathers who played in the game,
43:56my dear friend Ollie and his memory.
43:59Being able to honor all of those people is really important to me.
44:03I'm itching for you to see this.
44:05Really?
44:07Are you ready to take a look?
44:08I am.
44:09I'm ready to take a look.
44:11Yeah.
44:11Okay.
44:18Oh, wow.
44:24Wow.
44:29That's amazing.
44:30That's amazing.
44:32You've worked a miracle.
44:37Look at that.
44:41Both sides as well.
44:42Yeah.
44:43I did both sides.
44:46I'm staggered.
44:47Absolutely staggered.
44:49That's a triumph.
44:50You are a very talented person.
44:52It was an absolute pleasure to work on.
44:54It's such a charming object, you know.
44:56It was so lovely to work on.
44:57I can't tell you.
44:58So now it's repaired, what are you going to do with the flag?
45:02Well, this is really special to me, obviously, because of the story.
45:08But it's also special to two families.
45:11And I hope that once a year, or once every two years, we'll all come together.
45:17We'll have a ceremonial unveiling of the flag and then probably have a really good time just catching up.
45:24Thank you very much.
45:25You're welcome.
45:26Thanks a lot. Bye-bye.
45:30Amazing.
45:30Absolutely amazing.
45:31I've never seen something so tattered become something so beautiful.
45:34Oh.
45:35Well done.
45:36A big bit of my motivation for getting it fixed was to preserve Ollie's memory.
45:41Now it's repaired.
45:42I'm really looking forward to showing Ollie's family.
45:45It'll be such a lovely opportunity to come together to honour him and to say thank you.
45:51Uh-oh.
46:08With the lid reattached to the cornered case...
46:12Let's get this lined up.
46:15Susie's about to give it some extra strength and finesse.
46:22Now, I'm going to start adding this strip of leather from the side here,
46:29and it's going to literally cap and finish off this edge
46:34so it looks really nice and tidy.
46:36I have to say, I absolutely love sewing.
46:41So I've been looking forward to this stage.
46:46Once I get the feel for where my holes are, I should be in business.
46:53And as this case gets rebuilt,
46:58it's going to be given back its life,
47:02and Samantha can carry on using this for confidence.
47:14Once I've got this completed, I can remake the straps,
47:19and that will be the lid completely finished in its restoration.
47:38So the end of the strap is slightly tapered inwards so that it feeds through the buckle with ease.
47:46So I'm just going to cut the new straps the same way.
47:56I've got my pricking iron here.
47:59Just lining that up.
48:01Make sure it's nice and straight.
48:05And finally, before I sew this on, I'm going to punch the holes.
48:22Okay, now I can sew these onto the case.
48:38It's taken a man to raise a village,
48:41and there's just one more job for David to round his restoration off.
48:46Kamal mentioned that she remembered them being quite vibrant in colour,
48:51and so I'm going to oil the figures just to bring out the colour in the wood,
48:58but I'm going to airbrush it so that I don't put too much on
49:02and it doesn't leave a shiny finish.
49:04I want to keep them nice and matte.
49:10So I've got my little airbrush.
49:15You can see that it's actually really bringing the colour out nicely.
49:19I'm going to carry on with the rest of the figures
49:22and then hopefully Kamal will have a beautiful village scene
49:26to remind her of all those happy times in Nigeria.
49:37These miniature wooden characters illustrate life in the fishing villages of Nigeria,
49:42Australia, but after years of play saw them break into pieces,
49:47the remains were locked away.
49:52Oh, mate.
49:54Oh, David.
49:55Look at that display.
49:58Kamal's returned with mum Badgen
50:00to reclaim their reminder of idyllic times as a family
50:04in the country they called home.
50:30And now, because my brother's passed away,
50:34it was something that was special to us as a family.
50:38Are you ready to see it?
50:39Absolutely. Can't wait.
50:41Yes, yes, yes.
50:50Oh, my goodness.
50:52Oh, wow, they look so beautiful.
50:58It's so beautiful.
51:01Oh, my goodness.
51:05It's exactly as we would have seen them when we were younger,
51:08but what you've done to them.
51:11Oh, my goodness.
51:17It's beautiful.
51:18They look so animated now.
51:20Every time you look at it, you can see something different now
51:23and all the things that you've added to it, David.
51:25And, oh, my gosh, what a skill.
51:29The more I looked at them,
51:30the more pieces that I found missing.
51:33Yes.
51:33But I didn't know necessarily what they looked like,
51:37so I'm hoping I've got them as good as I can for you.
51:41You've gone over and beyond,
51:42because I can see a spoon in that gentleman's hand.
51:44I never saw that before.
51:46I think that's perfect.
51:47That was artistic licence.
51:49Oh, thank you.
51:50Mum has always said these are her favourite pieces.
51:52And now, I mean, we're going to have to have a party.
51:56So we're going to have to have them.
51:57We're going to have to have everyone around to look at them.
52:00Just pure joy here I'm looking at.
52:02Thank you so much.
52:03It's been such an honour to do it for you.
52:06Safe travels. Bye-bye.
52:08Thank you. Bye-bye.
52:08Bye-bye.
52:15I'm so pleased all the Naziriyah's memory come back.
52:19In my heart, I'm really blessing you all, thank you.
52:24Nigeria was our first home as children,
52:27and it's something that stays in your heart.
52:29Just to have that memory back again, it's just a real joy.
52:33It'll stay with us forever,
52:34and it is like having our home back to us now.
52:47Susie's final task,
52:49ensuring the monogram of the Cornet Casey's original owner,
52:53is as brassy as its contents.
52:56The edges, they're lined with black paint that in areas has worn off,
53:03and I think once I've picked out the edge with the black that's missing,
53:08it should bring that gold really to the forefront.
53:12If I was just to go ahead with a black line all the way around,
53:16it would look wrong.
53:17It would look too crisp and new.
53:20So I'm going to use an acrylic paint,
53:23and I'm going to dilute it down a little bit
53:26so that it becomes a bit more of a wash rather than a solid paint.
53:32I'm just going to add a little bit of water.
53:36I'll just go in steady and see how we do.
53:41It just is a really wonderful piece,
53:45and it's really lovely that Samantha will get to use it as it was intended.
53:56Having passed down four generations of one family,
54:00this leather carrier had borne the brunt
54:03of more than a century of practice and performance.
54:08Brass band member Samantha hopes her grandfather's case
54:12can safely carry his Cornet again,
54:15as she continues to follow in his footsteps.
54:19Hello.
54:20Hello.
54:21Nice to see you.
54:21Nice to see you, too.
54:23Now, this case means quite a lot to you.
54:25Have you been thinking more about your grandad
54:26since this has been here?
54:28Yeah, I often wondered what he would have thought.
54:31I think he'd be quite chuffed at it as being repaired.
54:33Keeps the history alive and keeps that connection still
54:36after all this time.
54:38Are you ready to see it?
54:40Aye.
54:46Oh, that's lovely.
54:48It's came up so nice.
54:51That's lovely.
54:53And you've even repaired that really well.
54:58It's great that the straps are safe enough to carry around.
55:04It's much, much neater now.
55:06It's great.
55:07It's lovely.
55:08Thank you so much.
55:10And it's great that you've managed to tidy up that as well.
55:13Yes.
55:14I'm going to be staring at it for weeks.
55:17So when you go into practice for the first time with this case,
55:21how is that going to feel for you?
55:23I'm going to be really excited to show all the band members
55:26and it'll be quite a proud moment for me to know that I've got a wee bit of my grandad
55:33with me.
55:33Oh, that's lovely.
55:35I've brought the original cornet with me to show you and also to play you a wee song.
55:42Fantastic.
56:06lovely really lovely amazing great work found it beautiful
56:15there you go oh look at that beautiful it's lovely to see the two of them together and
56:21know that the cornet's safe in that box now and that there's no fear of it falling out so it's
56:27fantastic it definitely makes me very happy that you're able to use it now i'll be forever grateful
56:33thank you very much thank you i'll just tie them up amazing that's great thanks thank you take care
56:46it's just fantastic to see the two of them back together and in working order it's a privilege
56:52to be able to have these items within our family there's not many people that do
56:58so it's a great feeling to know that they're back together and back to life
57:09if you have a treasured possession that's seen better days and you think the team can help
57:14please get in touch at bbc.co.uk slash techpark and join us in the repair shop
57:22you
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