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Short filmTranscript
00:01Here at The Repair Shop,
00:03countless treasures have been brought back to life.
00:07Ka-ching.
00:08That reveal so much about who we are
00:12and where we're from.
00:14It's like it's brand new.
00:15But there's so much more out there.
00:17Let's do it.
00:18That's not yet made it to the barn.
00:20This is amazing.
00:22So the team are hitting the road.
00:25I just love getting up close and personal with the objects.
00:27And we're going to get a glimpse into some amazing heritage crafts.
00:31Yes.
00:31I cannot wait.
00:34On a unique adventure.
00:36Oh, yes.
00:37This is terrifying.
00:39To join forces with expert craftspeople.
00:43Whoa!
00:44If we don't point these joints, moisture's going to penetrate.
00:47On their most ambitious restorations, yes.
00:50To think every day you come up, this is your office.
00:52Wow! It's big.
00:54Keeping heritage crafts alive.
00:56Keep going, keep going.
00:58Yeah.
00:58It's getting hot in there.
01:00On precious restorations around the country.
01:03I can't even imagine what it looks like.
01:06Wow!
01:07There's a legacy here that needs to be protected.
01:16Today...
01:16Isn't this beautiful?
01:17A trip to Cornwall, where the epic restoration of a mechanical exhibit...
01:23This looks absolutely terrifying.
01:25...is sowing seeds of change.
01:27This is the legacy of the Eden Project.
01:31Will pours heart and soul into a pair of special Welsh love spoons.
01:35I love carving things out of wood, so my plan is to carve a sort of ornate hook out of
01:41sycamore.
01:42And Dom pushes the boat out, exploring one of the world's oldest crafts.
01:48It's a real testament to your handiwork.
01:50This is floating perfectly.
01:57Repair shop experts, Dom and Steve, are back on the road.
02:01This time they're in beautiful Cornwall.
02:04With its dramatic coastline, sandy beaches and rich history, it's a magnet for tourists from all over the world.
02:13Today, we're heading to the Eden Project.
02:15Have you ever been there?
02:16I've been there once before, probably more than ten years ago.
02:19I'd be taking lots of photographs.
02:21Right, but we are here to work, Steve, OK?
02:23There's nothing we can't do, is there?
02:24I don't think so.
02:26But there's always, you know, a curve ball could come along.
02:29I think there's going to be plenty of those.
02:35The Eden Project was created at the turn of the millennium from a barren, steep-sided clay pit.
02:42Now it's a gigantic garden with one of the world's largest indoor rainforests.
02:47Isn't this beautiful?
02:49It's gorgeous.
02:50Yeah.
02:50This groundbreaking project is designed to connect people of all ages with the natural world.
02:57And there's a novel way of taking in the whole 30 acres.
03:02Oh, no, Steve, I do not fancy that. Look.
03:05They are going quite well.
03:06Yes, they are.
03:08Any zip-wire temptation will have to wait.
03:12The boys are here to help fix one of the site's most famous exhibits.
03:16Here we are. Plant takeaway. There it is.
03:20The plant takeaway was the first ever display.
03:24A life-size mechanical theatre, it demonstrates our complete dependence on plants,
03:30with more than a hint of humour.
03:33But it's gone kaput.
03:35In need of the repair shop's help is the project's chief science engagement officer,
03:41Dr Joe Elworthy.
03:42Plant takeaway. What's this about?
03:45This shows what a world would be like without plants.
03:49You start off with the figures fully clothed, the cat lapping its milk,
03:54and then piece by piece, everything that's made of plants is taken away.
03:59So, first of all, the juice comes out of the glasses,
04:02the rug comes out from under the dog, the fire stops working,
04:06the fridge opens and closes, and everything in the fridge disappears as well.
04:11The plant disappears into the pot, and then the people spin round,
04:16and you have two naked people.
04:18Oh, right. Wow.
04:18Because they lose their clothes. Shocking.
04:20Shocking, shocking.
04:21They lose their clothes, and then they sink to the floor,
04:23because, of course, plants give us oxygen as well.
04:26It's called plant takeaway, but secretly we all call it the dead cat,
04:29because the last thing to go is the cat.
04:31Oh, no.
04:32Eyes pop out.
04:33What?
04:34Yeah. End of the cat.
04:35Oh, the poor cat.
04:36On the surface, it's very fun,
04:38but the message it's actually portraying is quite powerful, isn't it?
04:42Really.
04:43I'm really serious.
04:44Yeah.
04:45Trust us.
04:45And it stays in the memory, because it makes you laugh.
04:48Sounds like you're really proud of it.
04:50Oh, I absolutely love it.
04:52And it broke my heart when it started to go wrong.
04:54The puppets won't switch round, and the cat won't lie down at the right time,
04:58and it's all gone out of sync, really.
05:00How long has it been broken for?
05:02Six months, it's been broken.
05:03Can't stand it anymore, and I just want it fixed.
05:08The automata was only intended to last a year,
05:11but due to its popularity, it's been running every three minutes
05:15during opening hours since the year 2000.
05:18I tried to work it out, actually.
05:20I got to one and a half million times,
05:24and 23 million people having a look at it.
05:27That's incredible.
05:28Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:28The way you talk of the project here, you seem so passionate about it.
05:32How long have you been involved with it?
05:34I was here before it started.
05:35Before it started?
05:36Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:37So literally day one, you've been involved?
05:39Yeah, I just moved to Cornwall and started to set it up
05:42because it seemed like an amazing opportunity,
05:45and I'm really glad I did.
05:46This is the legacy of the Eden Project.
05:49Eden's about our dependence on plants,
05:51and it's about story, and it's about theatre,
05:54and it's about positivity, and it's about joy.
05:57And kids would remember this forever.
05:59Yeah, yeah.
06:00You can imagine people who came here as children are now adults,
06:05and they're bringing their children to see it.
06:07All the local people know it and love it.
06:10People have phoned up asking when it's going to be fixed.
06:13People have been disappointed.
06:14I just desperately want to get it working again.
06:17It's a hugely complicated job,
06:20but luckily the boys have persuaded renowned
06:22automata artist Paul Spooner,
06:25whose iconic work has been commissioned by everyone,
06:28from the Science Museum to Louis Vuitton,
06:30to come on board for the fix.
06:34Hello, Paul.
06:35Hello, Steve.
06:37You've got your work cut out here.
06:39Er, yes, there's quite a lot of work to do on it.
06:42I'll show you what's inside.
06:45Yeah, that comes off there.
06:46OK.
06:48A lot of pneumatic stuff in there.
06:49There's masses of stuff in there.
06:52Er, there's, yes, well, just enough.
06:56And Paul should know.
06:57It was him and a team of craftspeople
06:59who designed and built Plant Takeaway in the first place.
07:03So we're now thinking that when they die,
07:05they're going to slump rather than...
07:08I'm puzzling because I made this 25 years ago
07:11and I've forgotten how it works, but...
07:13Do you know what?
07:13It's very rare to meet the maker of something
07:16that I'm going to help repair.
07:18Yes, well, I understand most of them are dead, I suppose.
07:22Paul's role this time is to get the automata's many models
07:26back in working order.
07:28So what can I do to help?
07:30I'm going to lift it out.
07:31OK.
07:32And it...
07:33And it'll go about there.
07:36Yeah.
07:37The main problem that we have that's visible anyway
07:40is that the tongue isn't lapping,
07:42and that's really important.
07:44That's got a little electric motor in it there.
07:47OK.
07:48The best thing we can do is put it on a bench
07:50and take it to pieces a bit more.
07:52OK.
07:53Right.
07:53Let's get it onto the bench.
07:58While Steve and Paul delve deeper
08:00into the inner workings of the automated CAD,
08:04Will is keeping the show on the road.
08:07He's come to meet Catherine,
08:08who's got a pair of family heirlooms
08:11in desperate need of his help.
08:14What do we have here?
08:16Well, these are Welsh love spoons.
08:17And they were carved by my father, Len Evans.
08:20Your dad carved these?
08:22He did.
08:22Now that's some skill.
08:24That's a big old spinny.
08:25That's a cowl spoon.
08:28Cowl is Welsh for broth.
08:30Normally they wouldn't be that size.
08:32But he carved up a big one for fun.
08:36Tell me a bit more about this one here.
08:38I'm attached to this spoon because it was made for my mother.
08:41This is real intricate carving here.
08:43From one piece of wood.
08:44No.
08:45Yeah.
08:46What, those little balls on the inside?
08:47Yes.
08:48Yeah.
08:48Wow.
08:49And that's a fairly simple one.
08:51Yeah.
08:51He did much more complicated ones.
08:54So I've seen a few love spoons before, but I don't really know the story behind them.
08:59So why would they have been made?
09:00I suppose it started in rural Wales.
09:03It was a young man who wanted to carve a spoon to show the young lady that he wanted to
09:08marry her.
09:09And if she accepted it, it was like a betrothal.
09:12So what if you're not a great spoon carver then, but you're really in love with someone?
09:17I don't know what they did.
09:20How come is that your dad was carving love spoons?
09:22Well, he was apprenticed at the age of 14 to a carpenter.
09:26And then from then on, taught woodwork and handicrafts in a secondary school.
09:31By the early 1950s, he realised that, in actual fact, that the craft was dying out.
09:37There were only three known people in Wales who were carving love spoons.
09:40Really?
09:40So from then on, his passion was to save the craft.
09:45And he wrote a book.
09:48It isn't just a book about the history of the love spoon.
09:50It's a book that actually shows people how to carve the spoons.
09:53And I think he probably carved over a hundred spoons, I would imagine.
09:58The Welsh love spoon tradition dates back to at least the 17th century.
10:03Full of symbolic detail, they are personalised for the lucky recipient.
10:08Yeah.
10:09Len, my father.
10:10Marian, my mother.
10:11That's me, Catherine.
10:13And Roger, my brother.
10:14That's really sweet.
10:15The symbolism in Welsh of spoons is very important.
10:19The links for loyalty.
10:21The shackle, because you're shackled for life.
10:25A heart, obviously, for obvious reasons.
10:27Yeah.
10:27Made with love by a man for a girl.
10:31And the full spoon at the bottom for a full life.
10:34He didn't have a workshop.
10:36Didn't he?
10:36He carved in the kitchen.
10:37What?
10:38Yes.
10:39My mother was wonderful, because she never complained.
10:42And there would be sawdust and there would be shavings.
10:45And in the evening, sometimes, they'd be watching television,
10:47and he'd bring a spoon into the living room.
10:49No.
10:49And he'd be sitting in his check.
10:52Carving.
10:53And she'd just get the hoover out afterwards.
10:55That's amazing.
10:56And clear it all up.
10:59Catherine's dad, Len, was well known for his wood-crafting skills.
11:04And his handiwork reached an even wider audience
11:07when this very spoon featured in the BBC dramatisation
11:11of the seminal Welsh novel, How Green Was My Valley.
11:15You still kept this, though?
11:17What?
11:18That love spoon that Owen made you.
11:21This spoon was a very integral part of the story,
11:23but he was very proud of the fact that one of his spoons
11:25was in such a famous BBC series.
11:28What was your relationship like with your dad?
11:31Very loving, because he was an older dad.
11:33He was in his 40s when my brother and I were born.
11:36OK.
11:36I would say he was quite indulgent.
11:38It was my mum who was the strict one.
11:43Whilst Catherine inherited the majority
11:45of her father's handcrafted love spoons,
11:48these two were handed down to her brother.
11:51When he passed away, his wife sent them to me.
11:54OK.
11:55And I was so distressed to find that they were full of woodworm.
12:00And as soon as they came, I wrapped them up in polythene
12:02to make sure that they wouldn't get into anything else.
12:04Well done.
12:04Well done.
12:05This one in particular I was so upset about.
12:08Would you like me to get rid of the holes?
12:09Oh, please.
12:10It doesn't do justice to your dad's work.
12:12No.
12:12He was such an amazing man, and these spoons mean a lot to me.
12:17And I would love to hang them on the wall with my other spoons,
12:21but I'm afraid to, in case the woodworm gets from these
12:24into the other spoons.
12:27If you could do something about them, it would be wonderful.
12:29Well, leave them with me, and I'll get them looking the best that I can.
12:32Oh, thank you, Will.
12:36The repair shop is all too familiar with the perils of woodwork.
12:40If left untreated, it can destroy precious heirlooms
12:44and the history they hold.
12:47I am a lover of wood carving, but this absolutely blows my mind.
12:51The fact that that is carved from one piece of wood.
12:55I've actually carved a few wooden spoons in my time.
12:58Nothing as intricate as this, but very exciting to get my hands on these.
13:01Right, better get started.
13:04Spoons in hand, Will is returning to the barn to treat them
13:08and give Catherine a way of storing them out of harm's way for years to come.
13:14Back in Cornwall, Steve and Paul are methodically working
13:18through the failing mechanics plaguing the automated cat.
13:22There's the tongue.
13:24Oh, I see.
13:25So, as the motor goes around...
13:27Yeah.
13:28The tongue...
13:29Yeah.
13:29Ah!
13:32That motor...
13:33Yeah, there's no resistance there.
13:36That suggests that the gears are stripped.
13:39Oh, are they?
13:39Because the motor should be...
13:40Yeah, you should feel the resistance of all the gears going.
13:43Going through the motor and trying to turn the motor itself,
13:45and so that's what's wrong with that.
13:4880 RPM motor, we can get one of them.
13:50Oh, right, okay.
13:51Yeah.
13:51Simple as that.
13:52Tomorrow, not now.
13:53Yeah.
13:54So, we've got to get this one off now.
13:55Yeah.
13:56These pliers have got a cutter on them.
14:02I don't know.
14:04There we go.
14:04Is that loose?
14:06It is.
14:06You might have to...
14:07Pull that out.
14:08Just go on under there.
14:10And then...
14:11You've got it.
14:11This is the tongue.
14:13That is the tongue.
14:14And it's looking pretty fresh, isn't it?
14:16Oh, I can feel that.
14:18Absolutely...
14:19It's done, isn't it?
14:19Yeah, it is done.
14:20Yeah.
14:21It's finished with.
14:22Chuck it away.
14:25These cylinders look as if they're quite new,
14:28and these fittings look as if they're quite new,
14:30so that's probably okay.
14:32There's one cylinder here
14:34that looks as if it's part of the original thing
14:37that worked the tail.
14:38Okay.
14:39That feels a bit wonky to me.
14:41Might need a new seal in it or something
14:44to stop the air leaking.
14:45So, it's just like a cylinder of a car, really,
14:48just getting pushed one way then pushed back the other way.
14:50Yeah.
14:50And that's all done with air pressure.
14:53Yep.
14:54Now, I know how long it takes to make things,
14:57and I'm thinking this must have taken such a long time
15:01to make the whole automata.
15:04I'm guessing it took us about nine months.
15:06It was certainly less than a year.
15:08Okay.
15:08I'm not surprised.
15:09And did you have many headaches along the road?
15:12Yes.
15:15You know, one bit crashes into another bit,
15:18things start swaying around,
15:19or there's inertia,
15:21and the figures are enormously heavy.
15:23Oh, yes, of course.
15:24And they clunk into, you know,
15:26and they knock spots off themselves.
15:28So, you know, it's always been a problem.
15:30It's a bad idea, really.
15:33I mean, every single bit has its own problem.
15:36Yes, sure.
15:37That's it.
15:38While Steve and Paul continue to fine tune every element of the cat's pneumatic system...
15:46Across the site, Dom is taking the scenic route
15:49to meet big boss Andy Jasper,
15:54to find out about plant takeaway's pivotal role
15:57in the metamorphosis of the venture.
16:00What we worked out in those very early days
16:02was how important the plant takeaway was,
16:05which is why it's so brilliant having you guys here today.
16:09The project's very first exhibit,
16:11it not only set the stage in terms of ethos,
16:14but also helped draw in visitors
16:17while the rest of the site was taking shape.
16:19It's because people got behind it and said,
16:22let's find out how we can support it.
16:23If you think before Eden Project was here,
16:26there wasn't really a place, a destination for tourists to come.
16:29If it wasn't for Cornwall
16:30and this wonderful sort of spirit of the community here,
16:33this place would never have really got off the ground.
16:36Do you think that comes from the strong underlying message
16:39behind all of this?
16:40Well, if you think about it, our future,
16:42if we're really going to have a sustainable future,
16:44it needs to be green.
16:45We need to be focused on the natural world.
16:47In reality, it's a very serious message,
16:49but actually it's the drama of it
16:51that actually makes people really relate.
16:53Captures people's imagination.
16:55Yeah.
16:55I think it's so funny that
16:57after a day of walking around this incredible place,
17:00the one memory that so many kids have,
17:02the cat with its eyes falling out.
17:13At the bar.
17:15Will is preparing to do battle
17:17with the woodworm ravaging Catherine's lovespoons.
17:22These lovespoons are absolutely amazing,
17:25but there are quite a lot of holes in these.
17:27Now, woodworm is a pest.
17:30It's a villain in my line of work.
17:32They tend to ruin quite lovely things.
17:34The beetle lay the larvae on the surface.
17:36They end up eating into the wood.
17:38They then feed on the inside.
17:40And when they turn from a grub to a beetle,
17:43they then chew their way out of the surface and fly away.
17:46The larger spoon has less holes on the surface.
17:49And you might think that it's sort of less ravaged on the inside,
17:52but the beetles could still be on the inside,
17:55larvae chewing away.
17:56You just don't know.
17:57Tapping on the surface sometimes helps.
17:59If it has, like, a very dull sound,
18:01that might mean there's hollow on the inside.
18:04But also there's a sort of dusty powder
18:06that comes out called frass,
18:08and that is a kind of mixture of all the wood
18:11that they've kind of chowed down on
18:13and turned into a powder.
18:14If that is light in colour,
18:16that might mean that it's active
18:17because it's freshly chewed up wood.
18:19If it's darker and grey,
18:21that might mean that it's older.
18:22There are different ways to tell,
18:23but being in a wooden barn like this
18:25with lots of lovely bits of wood and furniture around,
18:27it'd be the right thing to do
18:29to treat this before I start on any other work.
18:32I've got a woodworm treatment here,
18:34which I'm going to brush onto the surface.
18:36That will then be absorbed into the wood
18:38and hopefully get rid of any furniture beetles or insects.
18:59The idea is that this solution doesn't just sit on the surface.
19:03It's going to be drawn into the wood.
19:06Using a conservation-grade insecticide,
19:09brush carefully into the holes,
19:11ensures it reaches the larvae
19:13while preserving the delicate carving.
19:16The deeper that it gets,
19:17the more chance that it is going to
19:19shoo away those insects and beetles
19:22and prevent anyone from coming back.
19:26There's a huge colour transformation
19:29just putting this solution onto the surface.
19:32It looks absolutely wonderful.
19:41Back in Cornwall,
19:43in the shadow of the biomes,
19:45a monumental restoration is growing legs.
19:49Steve is catching up with Paul's colleague,
19:52creative engineer Nick Murdoch,
19:54who's been brought in to tackle the colossal task
19:57of overhauling the mechanics
19:58that power plant take away.
20:01Hi, Nick.
20:02Hey, Steve.
20:03How are you doing?
20:04Yeah, very well, thanks.
20:05This looks absolutely terrifying.
20:08There's a fair bit to do.
20:09Yeah.
20:09How does it all work?
20:11So the majority of it's run on air,
20:13so it's pneumatic systems,
20:14lots of pneumatic rams and pneumatic motors.
20:17So that's all controlled by PLC,
20:19which is a programmable logic controller.
20:21OK.
20:21It's basically an industrial computer
20:23for telling things when to move.
20:26I guess it takes a fair bit of air
20:28to make all of this work.
20:29Oh, loads.
20:30There's a dirty great big compressor
20:33over in one of the buildings far away
20:34with airlines running under the building to it.
20:36Right.
20:37What's the biggest challenge?
20:39Really, it's the enormity of it.
20:41I mean, there's just so much to do.
20:43At the moment, we're running
20:45this sort of slightly disjointed, out-of-sync show
20:47because we've got electronic components
20:49that aren't talking to pneumatic systems
20:51and vice versa.
20:52Do you have an instruction manual?
20:54Yes, we do.
20:55Crawling around in the back,
20:56I found one of the original manuals for the exhibit,
20:58which is basically the Holy Grail
21:00with something like this.
21:01Such a big part of this restoration
21:02is trying to figure out
21:05how things originally worked
21:07or whether some of the later modifications
21:10actually worked better.
21:12With such intricate and nuanced mechanics,
21:15Steve is leaving this job
21:17in Nick's capable hands.
21:19But before he can get back to it,
21:21the remaining figures must be carefully removed
21:23and taken to the workshop for restoration.
21:27It's really hard to make this
21:28not look like sliding the corks
21:30in the back of the hand.
21:41Back at the barn,
21:42having treated the wooden love spoons
21:44with insecticide,
21:45Will is ready to begin the next stage
21:48of the restoration.
21:49Well, the spoons have now dried
21:51and I'm pretty sure that the woodworm treatment
21:54has done its job.
21:55Well, I'm now about to polish the spoons
21:58and I usually do that at the end of the restoration.
22:02In this case, I need to do it now
22:03because I'm about to tackle these woodworm holes
22:07and the filler that I want to make up
22:09needs to match the colour of the finished spoon.
22:12So I'm kind of having to work in reverse
22:14in order to have a seamless finish here.
22:17At the moment, the spoons look very, very, very dry.
22:22And when I put the polish on,
22:23you're going to see the colour change completely.
22:27Oh, that's lovely.
22:29Now, I have a feeling that originally
22:31these would have been finished
22:32either with a wax or with a polish,
22:34but as time has gone on,
22:35they've really dried out.
22:38So the polish is going to nourish the wood,
22:41bring up the grain,
22:41but also add a layer of protection.
22:45Oh, that looks so good.
22:47I mean, compare that to that.
22:49Which one would you rather have hanging on your wall?
23:01The more polish that I put on,
23:02the more detail that it's showing off.
23:07This is a very unique piece
23:08and I think, you know, when someone passes away
23:11and they've made something for you,
23:13it's almost as if you still have a part of them there.
23:16It's quite personal
23:17and I can definitely understand
23:18why Catherine wants to keep these.
23:21Well, that is the first spoon polished
23:23and what a massive transformation.
23:25Look at that.
23:26That's a spoon you definitely want to eat your porridge with.
23:31That was like the easiest of both of them.
23:33This makes me slightly worried.
23:36I mean, this has the most amount of holes
23:37and as you can see here,
23:39when the polish goes on,
23:40it really highlights that woodworm damage.
23:43I'm going to polish this one
23:44and once they're both dried,
23:46then I can turn my attention to filling the holes.
24:00Adding that thin layer of polish
24:02has totally enhanced the colour of the wood.
24:05Now, that gives me a really good idea
24:07as to what colours I need to mix up
24:09to patch those holes.
24:10I've got these wax sticks here
24:12and these are fantastic
24:14at filling out scratches and dents in wood.
24:17I've got so many different shades of brown here
24:20and I'm hoping to be able to mix those together
24:23to match this kind of yellowy-brown colour.
24:25The idea is I'm going to melt this wax
24:28with a soldering iron,
24:29drip into the holes
24:30and in theory, it should block out the hole
24:33and create that colour of wood.
24:36They look quite good.
24:37The great thing about the wax is it's reversible
24:40so when I fill the hole,
24:42if it's too dark or too light,
24:43I can actually just pick it out and start again.
24:52Really dark.
24:54I'm going to try this one there, I think.
25:01Too dark.
25:03Second one, not too bad.
25:04Slightly dark.
25:05I'm hoping this third one,
25:07it looks slightly lighter
25:08so I'm hoping for big things here.
25:15That's not bad.
25:17Now, rarely does this actually happen.
25:19Usually I have to mix up different colours
25:21to get what I need
25:23but it's almost as if that stick was made for this spoon.
25:26That is a perfect match.
25:29Right, I'm going to use that
25:30and I've got enough wax there, thankfully,
25:32to fill holes on both of the spoons
25:34so I'm going to get melting.
25:54I've now filled all of the woodworm holes
25:57and looking at the spoons,
25:59I mean, you wouldn't know
25:59that there were any holes there in the beginning.
26:01I'm really pleased with the outcome.
26:02The last bit of woodwork that needs to be sorted out, though,
26:05is this split in the ring at the top of the big spoon.
26:11Thankfully, there's no missing wood there.
26:13It's quite a clean break
26:14so it's just a case of adding some wood glue in there
26:16and getting on the clamp.
26:20Whilst Will forges on with Catherine's spoons,
26:25Dom is back on the road
26:26to unearth more crafting wonders.
26:29I am in East Sussex
26:31and I'm on my way to see Julie
26:33who's going to teach me
26:34about a historic craft of basket making.
26:38Being able to make things from natural materials
26:42always fascinates me.
26:44The processes involved
26:45to turn something that grows out in a field
26:47into an actual physical usable item.
26:50It's an amazing skill to have
26:51and hopefully I'll pick up a few tricks.
26:58From her studio on the edge of Romney Marsh,
27:02Julie Gurr has been weaving her magic
27:04for over 20 years
27:05and her riverside location
27:08provides ideal growing conditions
27:10for the willow she uses.
27:15Julie, this is beautiful.
27:19What a studio you've got here.
27:20It's surrounded by beautiful baskets.
27:23Is this all your work?
27:24All my work, yeah.
27:26I'd love to know more about how these are made.
27:28I see you've got some bits here.
27:30Yeah, I've got some examples
27:31ready for you to have a go at.
27:32So talk me through then.
27:33This is the start of a basket.
27:34This is the start of a basket.
27:35This is called the slath.
27:37So we've got three rods going that way
27:38and three going that way.
27:40Yeah.
27:40But we have to tie the middle bit.
27:44Put the tips in there.
27:47Bring one behind.
27:49So you've got one coming down each side.
27:51Yeah.
27:51And then you're going to take the left-hand one
27:54cross those three
27:55behind the next three
27:56and then you turn the whole thing.
27:59And just keep doing that
28:00round and round and round.
28:01Yeah, yeah.
28:01So now we're going to start
28:02opening up the spokes.
28:05That one wants to stay where it is
28:07and then you're opening up this one
28:09and then you bring that to the front
28:12and then you take the left one
28:14and it goes to the back
28:15and you're going...
28:17Over there, yeah.
28:18Over there.
28:19So it's going to have spokes
28:20all the way around in a circle
28:22and then we're going to weave
28:23all around those to make the base.
28:25Over there.
28:26Yeah.
28:28Under there.
28:29That's it.
28:30Turn the whole thing.
28:31Turn the whole thing around.
28:32Bring them both down to the front.
28:34So over there?
28:35Yeah.
28:35Oh, and then like that?
28:36Yeah.
28:36So you've got one each side.
28:37Yeah.
28:38But you want these all to be evenly spaced
28:40by the time you've gone round
28:41a couple of times.
28:44Like in an ideal world.
28:45In an ideal world, yeah.
28:47Okay.
28:47I feel like we might not be
28:48in that ideal world at the moment.
28:50Next step then,
28:51once I've got my base finished
28:52and I've reached the outside...
28:53I'll show you...
28:55Here's one that I did earlier.
28:57There's the base finished.
28:59These uprights have been put into the base.
29:01I'll show you how it starts.
29:03So I'm just starting it off
29:05by hooking three...
29:06behind three uprights in a row.
29:10And then you want to take the left one
29:13and it goes in front of two uprights
29:16and behind the next.
29:18Do you want to have a go?
29:19Yeah, I would love to have a go.
29:21So furthest one out.
29:22Yeah.
29:23One, two, in here.
29:26That's it.
29:27Yeah.
29:28Okay.
29:30One, two.
29:32In there.
29:34This is not something
29:35that you can just go on a weekend course
29:37and pick up.
29:38No, it's lots of practice.
29:43Julie's basket-making business
29:45is as eco-friendly as they come.
29:48The willow is harvested by hand in winter,
29:51allowing the plant to regrow
29:52the following spring.
29:55It's then dried for storage
29:57and when needed for weaving,
29:59left in water for several days
30:01until it regains its suppleness.
30:03And unlike plastic containers,
30:06the willow basket is 100% biodegradable.
30:12done.
30:13Finished.
30:14Perfect.
30:15You happy with it?
30:16Not bad.
30:17Other than the bits I did.
30:18Yeah.
30:21And that is one complete basket
30:23that should outlive me.
30:25That will be around for a long time.
30:29It's from her eye-catching baskets
30:31that Julie makes a living.
30:34Let me put my life jacket on,
30:35just in case.
30:37But her fascination with this ancient craft
30:40led to a new pursuit,
30:42weaving coracles,
30:44ball-shaped willow boats
30:46wrapped in waterproof fabric
30:47that have been navigating our waterways
30:49since the Bronze Age.
30:51Do you promise me this thing floats?
30:53Yeah, it should do.
30:55There's only one way of finding out.
31:00And sit down, sit down, sit down
31:02and slide your bum across
31:04to the middle of the seat.
31:24Got to get back as well, don't forget.
31:26Don't you worry about that.
31:26That's OK.
31:27It's a real testament to your handiwork.
31:30This is floating perfectly.
31:33What an amazing experience.
31:35That was absolutely incredible.
31:37It's good fun, isn't it?
31:38Thank you so much.
31:40Oh, dry land.
31:43Oh!
31:47In Cornwall,
31:49Paul is taking special delivery
31:51of the Plant Takeaways Warden Oak models.
31:55It's a big bloke, isn't it?
31:56It is.
31:57It's bigger than me.
32:03With the painted ones,
32:05a lot of the paint damage
32:06is actually on the backs of the shoulders
32:08and the sides of the head
32:09where they contact the structure.
32:13Another big one
32:14is the delrin pads on the feet.
32:17Enid's foot is really interesting.
32:19It's worn away to a hard edge,
32:21so it's got a ledge
32:22around the front edge of it.
32:23Before getting to work on Enid
32:26and her nearest and dearest,
32:28Paul needs Nick's help
32:29to reassemble dead cat.
32:32Beautifully made thing, this, isn't it?
32:34It is.
32:34Well done.
32:36And test whether his repairs
32:38have managed to revive
32:39the fallen star.
32:41Right.
32:41That's got it.
32:43Drop the voltage a bit
32:44so it's smaller.
32:48It's got this.
32:50That's it.
32:51That's what it does.
32:53The cat may now be alive and licking,
32:56but for the grand finale
32:57of the plant takeaway,
32:59it must also master
33:00playing dead.
33:03We can put some air on it
33:06from my compressor
33:08and check out the actual dying thing.
33:13We won't be able to get
33:14the body back on,
33:15but we'll be able to see
33:16at work, I think.
33:18Right.
33:19Kill the cat.
33:22Yeah.
33:23There we go.
33:23And this, this is the...
33:26So shall we come?
33:27And the cat is dead.
33:28Let the cat live.
33:31Wow.
33:32OK, well.
33:34Well, there we go.
33:35Well, take it away.
33:36I don't want to do it anymore.
33:42At the barn,
33:44Will has finished the repairs
33:45to Catherine's precious love spoons
33:47and is turning his attention
33:49to how she will display them.
33:52Catherine loves her dad's Welsh love spoons,
33:55very proud of his work.
33:57So rather than displaying them
33:58with a hook or a nail on the wall,
34:00I thought it'd be really nice
34:00to be able to carve something.
34:03So I have drawn out a design.
34:05My plan is to carve
34:07a sort of ornate hook
34:09out of sycamore.
34:11I've been greatly inspired by Len.
34:13His work is marvellous
34:14and I love carving things out of wood.
34:16So this is going to be
34:17a very pleasurable thing for me to do.
34:19I'm actually going to start off
34:20by removing a lot of that waste wood
34:22with an electric drill.
34:40Well, I've just finished
34:41drilling out that waste wood
34:43and it's already made a huge difference.
34:45It saves a lot of time
34:46in hacking away
34:48at stuff I'm not actually going to end up keeping.
34:50That is the basic shape
34:51that I'm going for.
34:52It's that kind of lovely S shape.
34:55It's still quite chunky though
34:56and very rough to the touch.
34:58So I'm going to use some files now
35:00to start to refine that further
35:02and smooth off the surface.
35:19It's taken me quite a while
35:20to get to this point
35:22which makes me think
35:23how much time it would have taken Len
35:24to carve the spoons.
35:26There's a lot of mess here.
35:30That makes me chuckle
35:31because the thought of Catherine's mum
35:33following Len round the house
35:35with a vacuum cleaner
35:35is absolutely hilarious.
35:45That now seems smooth enough
35:47that I can start making my pencil marks
35:49in preparation for carving.
35:51I'm going to bring this over here.
35:54I mean, it looks like the same thickness
35:55going down the outside
35:56but it has a bit of a neck
35:57to the upper bit there
35:59so I'm going to try
36:00to make some pencil markings.
36:04I'm happy with that.
36:05It's going to look nice and slim and trim.
36:09Now this is probably
36:10the tool I'm going to use.
36:12It's really sharp
36:13and it's one of my favourite carving gouges.
36:35With Will's work done
36:37the spoons are finally ready
36:39to be reunited with their owner.
36:44Hi Catherine.
36:45Hello again.
36:46Lovely to see you.
36:47You too.
36:48How have you been?
36:49Fine, thank you.
36:50Looking forward to today.
36:51Now, what were you hoping
36:52that I've managed to do
36:53with the spoons
36:53because they were quite dry looking,
36:56lots of holes.
36:56Yeah.
36:57But it would be just lovely
36:58if they looked like they were
36:59when my dad carved them.
37:01Yeah.
37:02I've got a space ready for these two.
37:04Do you?
37:04I have.
37:07Would you like to see what I've done?
37:08Yes.
37:09Yes?
37:10You ready?
37:10Yes.
37:11OK, here we go.
37:19Oh, my goodness.
37:22Oh, that is fantastic.
37:25All the woodworm holes are gone.
37:28How did you do that?
37:30Oh, you've done a beautiful job.
37:33Oh, I wish my dad could see them.
37:36The big spoon,
37:37it was really tricky to work out
37:39how to hang this on the wall
37:40because just having a nail
37:41or a screw
37:42doesn't really do justice to it.
37:43I was quite worried about that.
37:44So I decided to carve some hooks for you
37:46and something in keeping with the design.
37:48So I've actually kind of used
37:50a bit of that kind of hook design there.
37:54I noticed that.
37:54Do you know,
37:54I was really wondering
37:55how am I going to hang the big one on the wall?
37:58I noticed that you'd echoed the shape,
38:01which was very clever.
38:03Yeah.
38:03They were really dry
38:04when I picked them up
38:06and they needed nourishing.
38:08So I polished them up,
38:10gave them a wax over.
38:10But it's lovely
38:11because it's really enhanced your dad's work.
38:13It has.
38:14It has.
38:16Oh, well, that's absolutely marvellous.
38:19Now, there's a lot of symbolism
38:20tied up in the spoons,
38:22but what do they actually symbolise to you personally?
38:25Oh, they're my dad.
38:26It's my dad to me.
38:27Yeah.
38:29It's all tied up in my memories of him.
38:32I think he would have been quite sad
38:34to see them,
38:34the state that they were in,
38:36and to have them restored like this.
38:38Even more special than the others
38:40because I'll associate them
38:41with the job that you've done.
38:43Oh, thank you.
38:44Yeah.
38:44As a craftsperson,
38:46you know,
38:46I can greatly appreciate your dad's work.
38:48And it'd be quite sad to say goodbye to these.
38:51Oh, that's nice to know.
38:53But, you know,
38:53it has actually inspired me
38:55to do some more carving myself.
38:56So when I find some time,
38:58I might whistle one for my wife.
38:59Yes.
38:59I hope you're going to.
39:01I will do.
39:01Lovely to see you again.
39:03Thank you so much, Will.
39:04I'm very grateful.
39:06It's a pleasure.
39:07Bye-bye.
39:12Thinking about the spoons
39:14and talking to Will about them
39:15and talking about my father carving,
39:17I mean,
39:17it's brought him back vividly to me.
39:20I mean,
39:20he died in 1983.
39:22That's half of my lifetime ago.
39:25And this whole experience
39:27has made my dad feel very close again.
39:44200 miles away,
39:46Dong is making the return trip to Cornwall.
39:49I'm heading back to the Eden Project
39:51to see how Nick and Paul
39:53have got on repairing the automaton.
39:55I'm actually quite nervous.
39:58I know how much it means to all of them.
40:00So it's important to a lot of people.
40:04The grand reopening
40:05has pulled in a large crowd of staff and volunteers,
40:09along with visitors,
40:10old and new.
40:11I can't wait to see the automaton revealed today.
40:16I just really can't.
40:17Having dead cat restored
40:20is really important for us
40:22because it's such a key part
40:26of the way Eden speaks to the world.
40:28I really hope that it all works.
40:33Before carton call,
40:34Dom is checking in
40:36with the ever-industrious Paul and Nick,
40:38who have made all of this possible.
40:41Hello.
40:42How are you both doing?
40:43I'm nervous, yes.
40:44Oh, no.
40:45Well, when you make machines,
40:47you live in a state of suspended nervousness.
40:50Anxious.
40:51Yeah.
40:51Yeah.
40:52Nick, how are you?
40:53Yeah, good.
40:54A little bit tired.
40:55It's been a busy few weeks.
40:57It's been a lot of work.
40:57Yeah.
40:58Hello, everyone.
40:59Thank you so much.
41:00It's so lovely to see so many people
41:02that have come out today.
41:03Jo, one thing's for sure,
41:05these curtains have been closed for far too long.
41:07Yes, they definitely have.
41:08Absolutely.
41:09And thank you, you guys,
41:10because awesome.
41:13This has been a huge amount of work
41:16for all of the team involved
41:17in trying to repair this machine
41:18and get it working again.
41:19I hope that you're all excited to see it.
41:22You want to take a look?
41:24Yes!
41:25Come on, then.
41:32After years of slow and steady decline,
41:36the magnificent plant TakeAway
41:38has its module back,
41:41delivering its vital message
41:43with flair and wit.
41:57Jo, how's it feel seeing it working again?
42:00Very happy.
42:01Yeah.
42:01Very happy indeed.
42:02Another 25 years.
42:04Yeah.
42:06So much gratitude to the guys who fixed it
42:08and for you to helping as well.
42:11So, awesome.
42:12Yeah, I think it's well worth saying
42:14a big thank you again to these two.
42:16Absolutely.
42:17Thank you both so much.
42:19Well done.
42:21It was quite emotional
42:22seeing everyone's reactions
42:24and it's a real touchstone
42:26for so many people.
42:28Yeah, it was quite taken aback
42:29by just how many people
42:30have a really strong
42:31sort of emotional connection to it.
42:33I had no idea
42:35that I would be back here.
42:36You don't think 25 years ahead.
42:38But it worked very well today,
42:40I thought.
42:41Getting it repaired
42:42has just come up
42:44with the goods.
42:45So, I cannot believe
42:47how happy I am
42:48that we repaired it
42:50and it's working
42:52and everybody's happy.
42:58If you'd like to see
43:00more fantastic fixes
43:01and restorations,
43:02search BBC iPlayer
43:04for The Repair Shop
43:05on the road.
43:09We'll be right back to it.
43:11We'll be right back to it.
43:13We'll be right back to it.
43:14We'll be right back to it.
43:17We'll be right back to it.
43:18We'll be right back to it.
43:20We'll be right back to it.
43:21We'll be right back to it.
43:22We'll be right back to it.
43:25We'll be right back to it.
43:26We'll be right back to it.
43:26We'll be right back to it.
43:27We'll be right back to it.
43:27We'll be right back to it.
43:28We'll be right back to it.
43:28We'll be right back to it.
43:30We'll be right back to it.
43:32We'll be right back to it.
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