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00:01Here at the repair shop, countless treasures have been brought back to life.
00:08That reveal so much about who we are and where we're from.
00:15But there's so much more out there that's not yet made it to the barn.
00:20This is amazing.
00:22So the team are hitting the road.
00:24I just love getting up close and personal with the objects.
00:27And we're going to get a glimpse into some amazing heritage crafts.
00:31I 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 yet.
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.
00:57Keep going.
00:58It's getting hot in there.
01:00On precious restorations around the country.
01:03I can't even imagine what it looks like.
01:06There's a legacy here that needs to be protected.
01:15Today.
01:16Isn't this beautiful?
01:18A trip to Cornwall, where the epic restoration of a mechanical exhibit.
01:22This looks absolutely terrifying.
01:25is sowing seeds of change.
01:27This is the legacy of the Eden Project.
01:30Will 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.
01:47It's a real testament to your handiwork.
01:50This is floating perfectly.
01:57Repair shop experts, Dom and Steve are back on the road, this time that in beautiful Cornwall, with its dramatic
02:05coastline, 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, but there's always, you know, a curveball could come along.
02:29I think there's going to be plenty of those.
02:30You'll do.
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.
02:51This 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.
03:04Look.
03:05They are going quite fast.
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.
03:17Plant Takeaway.
03:18There it is.
03:20The Plant Takeaway was the first ever display.
03:24A life-size mechanical theatre.
03:26It demonstrates our complete dependence on plants, with 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, Dr. Joe Elworthy.
03:42Plant Takeaway.
03:44What's this about?
03:45This shows what a world will be like without plants.
03:49You start off with the figures fully clothed, the cat lapping its milk, and then piece by piece, everything that's
03:56made of plants is taken away.
03:59So, first of all, the juice comes out of the glasses, the rug comes out from under the dog, the
04:05fire stops working, the fridge opens and closes, and everything in the fridge disappears as well.
04:10The plant disappears into the pot, and then the people spin round, and you have two naked people.
04:18Oh, right.
04:18Wow.
04:19Because they lose their clothes.
04:20Shocking, shocking.
04:21They lose their clothes, and then they sink to the floor, because, of course, plants give us oxygen as well.
04:25It's called Plant Takeaway, but secretly we all call it the dead cat, because the last thing to go is
04:31the cat.
04:31Oh, no.
04:32Eyes pop out.
04:33What?
04:34Yeah.
04:34End of the cat.
04:35Oh, the poor cat.
04:36On the surface, it's very fun, but the message it's actually portraying is quite powerful, isn't it?
04:42Really.
04:43And really serious.
04:44Yeah.
04:44And 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, and 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, and it's all gone out
04:59of sync, really.
05:00How long has it been broken for?
05:02Six months, it's been broken.
05:03I can't stand it anymore, and I just want it fixed.
05:08The automata was only intended to last a year, but due to its popularity, it's been running every three minutes
05:14during opening hours since the year 2000.
05:18I tried to work it out, actually.
05:20I got to one and a half million times, and 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.
05:37So, literally, day one, you've been involved.
05:39Yeah, I just moved to Cornwall and started to set it up, because it seemed like an amazing opportunity, and
05:45I'm really glad I did.
05:46This is the legacy of the Eden Project.
05:49Eden's about our dependence on plants, and it's about story, and it's about theatre, and it's about positivity, and it's
05:56about joy.
05:56And kids would remember this forever.
05:59Yeah, yeah.
06:00You can imagine people who came here as children are now adults, and 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.
06:12People have been disappointed.
06:14I just desperately want to get it working again.
06:17It's a hugely complicated job, but luckily, the boys have persuaded renowned automata artist Paul Spooner, whose iconic work has
06:26been commissioned by everyone, from the Science Museum to Louis Vuitton, to come on board for the fix.
06:55And Paul should know, it was him and a team of craftspeople who designed and built Plant Takeaway in the
07:02first place.
07:03So we're now thinking that when they die, they're going to slump rather than...
07:08I'm puzzling, because I made this 25 years ago, and I've forgotten how it works.
07:13Do you know what? It's very rare to meet the maker of something that 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 back in working order.
07:28So what can I do to help?
07:30I'm going to lift it out.
07:31OK.
07:33And it'll go about there.
07:36Yeah.
07:37The main problem that we have that's visible anyway is that the tongue isn't lapping, and that's really important.
07:44That's got a little electric motor in it there.
07:47OK.
07:48But the best thing we can do is put it on a bench and take it to pieces a bit
07:52more.
07:52OK. Right. Let's get it onto the bench.
07:58While Steve and Paul delve deeper into the inner workings of the automated cat, Will is keeping the show on
08:06the road.
08:07He's come to meet Catherine, who's got a pair of family heirlooms in desperate need of his help.
08:14What do we have here?
08:16Well, these are Welsh love spoons, and they were carved by my father, Len Evans.
08:20Your dad carved these?
08:22He did.
08:22Now, that's some skill. That's a big old spoon.
08:26That's a cowl spoon. Cowl is Welsh for broth. Normally, they wouldn't be that size, but he carved up a
08:34big one for fun.
08:36Tell me a bit more about this one here.
08:37I'm attached to this spoon because it was made for my mother.
08:40This 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. Yeah.
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 wanting to carve a spoon to show the young lady that he wanted to marry
09:09her.
09:09And if she accepted it, it's just like a betrothal there.
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, and then from then on taught woodwork and
09:28handicrafts in a secondary school.
09:31By the early 1950s, he realised that, in actual fact, the craft was dying out.
09:37There were only three known people in Wales who were carving love spoons.
09:40Really?
09:41So, 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 100 spoons, I would imagine.
09:57The Welsh love spoon tradition dates back to at least the 17th century.
10:03Full of symbolic detail, they are personalised for the lucky recipient.
10:08Len, my father, Marion, my mother.
10:11That's me, Catherine, and Roger, my brother.
10:14That's really sweet.
10:15The symbolism in Welsh love spoons is very important.
10:19The links for loyalty.
10:21The shackle, because you're shackled for life.
10:25Heart, obviously, for obvious reasons.
10:28Made 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.
10:36He carved in the kitchen.
10:37What?
10:37Yes.
10:39My mother was wonderful, because she never complained.
10:42And there would be sawdust, and there'd 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.
10:52And she'd just get the hoover out afterwards.
10:55That's amazing.
10:56Clear it all up.
10:59Catherine's dad, Len, was well known for his woodcrafting 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?
11:30Very loving, because he was an older dad.
11:33He was in his 40s when my brother and I were born.
11:36I would say he was quite indulgent.
11:38It was my mum always the strict one.
11:42Whilst 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.
11:55And 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.
12:05Well done. Well 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. He was such an amazing man.
12:14And these spoons mean a lot to me.
12:18And I would love to hang them on the wall with my other spoons,
12:21but I'm afraid to,
12:22in case the woodworm gets from these into the other spoons.
12:26Right.
12:26If you could do something about them, it would be wonderful.
12:29Well, leave them with me,
12:30and 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,
12:49but 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,
12:59but very exciting to get my hands on these.
13:01Right. Better get started.
13:04Spoons in hand,
13:06Will is returning to the barn to treat them
13:08and give Catherine a way of storing them out of harm's way
13:11for years to come.
13:14Back in Cornwall,
13:15Steve and Paul are methodically working through the failing mechanics
13:19plaguing 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. Ah.
13:32That motor...
13:33It feels a bit...
13:33Yeah, there's no resistance there.
13:36That suggests that the gears are stripped.
13:39Oh, are they?
13:39The motor should be...
13:40Yeah, you should feel the resistance of all the gears going through the motor
13:43and trying to turn the motor itself,
13:45and so that's what's wrong with that.
13:4780 RPM motor, we can get one of them.
13:50Oh, right, OK.
13:51Yeah.
13:51So, what's that?
13:52Not now.
13:53So, we've got to get this one off now.
13:55Yeah.
13:56These pliers have...
13:58I've got a cutter on them.
14:02I don't know.
14:04There we go.
14:05Is that loose?
14:06It is.
14:06We might have to...
14:07Just pull that out.
14:08Go on under there.
14:10And then...
14:10You'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's absolutely...
14:18It'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 OK.
14:32There's one cylinder here
14:34that looks as if it's part of the original thing
14:37that worked the tail.
14:38OK.
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,
14:49then pushed back the other way.
14:50Yeah.
14:50And that's all done with air pressure.
14:53Yep.
14:53Now, I know how long it takes to make things,
14:57and I'm thinking,
14:58this 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.
15:08OK.
15:08I'm not surprised.
15:09And did you have many headaches along the road?
15:11Yes.
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 clonk 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.
15:37While Steve and Paul continue to fine-tune
15:41every element of the cat's pneumatic system...
15:44Ha-ha-ha!
15:46..across the site,
15:48Dom is taking the Scenic Room
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
16:06having 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
16:16while the rest of the site was taking shape.
16:19It's because people got behind it
16:21and said, let's find out how we can support it.
16:23If you think before Eden Project was here,
16:26there wasn't really a place,
16:27a 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.
16:48In 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
16:56that after 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.
17:04LAUGHTER
17:13At the bar,
17:15Will is preparing to do battle
17:17with the woodworm ravaging Catherine's love spoons.
17:22These love spoons 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
17:45and 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,
18:20that 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 wooden furniture around,
18:27it'd be the right thing to do to treat this
18:30before 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.
19:02It's going to be drawn into the wood.
19:06Using a conservation-grade insecticide,
19:09brush carefully into the holes
19:10ensures it reaches the larvae
19:13while preserving the delicate carving.
19:15The deeper that it gets,
19:17the more chance that it is going to
19:20shoo 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 takeaway.
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.
20:21It's basically an industrial computer
20:23for telling things when to move.
20:25I 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,
20:44we're running this sort of slightly disjointed,
20:47out-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
20:58for 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
21:17at Nick's capable hands.
21:19But before he can get back to it,
21:21the remaining figures
21:22must be carefully removed.
21:24And taken to the workshop for restoration.
21:27It's really hard to make this
21:28not look like sliding a corpse
21:30in the back of the band.
21:41Back at the barn,
21:42having treated the wooden love spoons
21:44with insecticide,
21:45Will is ready to begin
21:47the next stage of the restoration.
21:49Well, the spoons have now dried
21:51and I'm pretty sure
21:52that the woodworm treatment
21:54has done its job.
21:56Well, I'm now about to polish the spoons
21:58and I usually do that
21:59at the end of the restoration.
22:02In this case,
22:03I need to do it now
22:03because I'm about to tackle
22:05these woodworm holes
22:06and the filler that I want to make up
22:09needs to match the colour
22:10of the finished spoon.
22:12So I'm kind of having to work
22:13in reverse
22:14in order to have a seamless finish here.
22:17At the moment,
22:18the spoons look very, very, very dry.
22:22And when I put the polish on,
22:23you're going to see
22:23the colour change completely.
22:27Oh, that's lovely.
22:29Now, I have a feeling
22:30that originally
22:31these would have been finished
22:32either with a wax
22:33or with a polish,
22:34but as time has gone on,
22:35they've really dried out.
22:37So the polish is going to
22:39nourish the wood,
22:40bring up the grain,
22:41but also add a layer of protection.
22:45Oh, that looks so good.
22:46I mean, compare that to that.
22:49Which one would you rather
22:49have hanging on your wall?
23:00The more polish that I put on,
23:02the more detail
23:04that it's showing off.
23:07This is a very unique piece
23:08and I think, you know,
23:10when someone passes away
23:11and they've made something for you,
23:13it's almost as if you still
23:14have a part of them there.
23:15It's quite personal
23:17and I can definitely understand
23:18why Catherine wants to keep these.
23:21Well, that is the first spoon
23:23polished and what a massive transformation.
23:25Look at that.
23:26That's a spoon you definitely
23:27want to eat your porridge with now, isn't it?
23:31That was like the easiest
23:32of 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
23:41that woodworm damage.
23:43I'm going to polish this one
23:44and once they're both dried,
23:46then I can turn my attention
23:47to filling the holes.
24:00Adding that thin layer of polish
24:02has totally enhanced
24:03the colour of the wood.
24:05Now, that gives me
24:06a really good idea
24:07as to what colours
24:08I 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
24:16and dents in wood.
24:17I've got so many different
24:19sort of shades of brown here
24:20and I'm hoping to be able
24:22to mix those together
24:22to match this kind of
24:24yellowy brown colour.
24:25The idea is I'm going to melt
24:27this wax with a soldering iron,
24:29drip into the holes
24:30and in theory,
24:31it should block out the hole
24:32and create that colour of wood.
24:36They look quite good.
24:37The great thing about the wax
24:39is 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
24:44and start again.
24:52Really dark.
24:54I'm going to try this one there,
24:55I 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, you know,
25:09I'm hoping for big things here.
25:15That's not bad.
25:17Now, rarely does this
25:18actually happen.
25:20Usually I have to mix up
25:21different colours
25:21to get what I need
25:23but it's almost as if
25:24that stick was made
25:25for this spoon.
25:26That is a perfect match.
25:29Right, I'm going to use that
25:30and I've got enough wax there,
25:31thankfully,
25:32to fill holes on both of the spoons
25:34so I'm going to get melting.
25:54I've now filled
25:55all of the woodworm holes
25:56and looking at the spoons,
25:59I mean, you wouldn't know
25:59that there were any holes
26:00there in the beginning.
26:01I'm really pleased
26:02with the outcome.
26:03The last bit of woodwork
26:04that needs to be sorted out
26:05though is this split in the ring
26:07at the top of the big spoon.
26:10Thankfully,
26:11there's no missing wood there.
26:13It's quite a clean break
26:14so it's just a case of adding
26:15some wood glue in there
26:16and getting on the clamp.
26:20Whilst Will forges on
26:22with Catherine's spoons,
26:24Dom is back on the road
26:26to unearth
26:27more crafting wonders.
26:29I am in East Sussex
26:31and I'm on my way
26:33to see Julie
26:33who's going to teach me
26:34about a historic craft
26:37of basket making.
26:38Being able to make things
26:40from natural materials
26:41always fascinates me.
26:44The processes involved
26:45to turn something
26:46that grows out in a field
26:47into an actual
26:48physical usable item.
26:50It's an amazing skill to have
26:51and hopefully
26:51I'll pick up a few tricks.
26:58from her studio
26:59on the edge
27:00of Romney Marsh
27:01Julie Gurr
27:02has been weaving
27:03her magic
27:04for over 20 years
27:05and her riverside location
27:08provides ideal
27:09growing conditions
27:10for the willow
27:11she uses.
27:15Julie,
27:16this is beautiful.
27:18What a studio
27:19you've got here
27:20just surrounded
27:21by beautiful baskets.
27:23Is this all your work?
27:24All my work, yeah.
27:26I'd love to know more
27:27about 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.
27:32Talk me through then.
27:33This is the start of the basket.
27:34This is the start of the basket.
27:35This is called the slaff.
27:37So we've got three rods
27:38going that way
27:38and three going that way.
27:40Yeah.
27:40So we have to tie
27:41the middle bit.
27:43Put the tips in there.
27:47Bring one behind.
27:49So you've got one
27:50coming down each side.
27:51Yeah.
27:51And then you're going to
27:52take the left-hand one
27:53cross those three
27:55behind the next three
27:56and then you turn
27:58the 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.
28:04That one wants to stay
28:06where it is
28:07and then you're opening up
28:08this one
28:09and then you bring
28:10that to the front
28:12and then you take
28:13the 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
28:20spokes all the way
28:21around in a circle
28:22and then we're going
28:23to weave all around
28:23those 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
28:33down to the front.
28:34So over there.
28:35Yeah.
28:35Oh, and then like that.
28:36Yeah, so you've got
28:36one each side.
28:37Yeah.
28:38But you want
28:38these all to be
28:39evenly spaced
28:40by the time
28:41you'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
28:48be in that ideal world
28:49at the moment.
28:50Next step then,
28:51once I've got my base
28:52finished and I've reached
28:53the outside.
28:53I'll show you
28:54here's one that I did earlier.
28:57There's the base finished.
28:59These uprights
29:00have been put into the base.
29:01I'll show you
29:02how it starts.
29:03So I'm just
29:04starting it off
29:05by hooking
29:05three,
29:07behind three
29:07uprights in a row.
29:10And then you want
29:11to take the left one
29:13and it goes in front
29:14of two uprights
29:16and behind the next.
29:18Do you want to have a go?
29:19Yeah, I would love
29:20to have a go.
29:21So furthest one out.
29:22Yeah.
29:23One, two,
29:24in here.
29:26That's it.
29:26Yeah.
29:28Okay.
29:29One, two,
29:32in there.
29:34This is not something
29:35that you can just
29:36go 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
29:46as they come.
29:48The willow is harvested
29:49by hand in winter,
29:51allowing the plant
29:52to regrow
29:52the following spring.
29:54It's then dried
29:56for storage
29:57and when needed
29:58for weaving,
29:59left in water
30:00for several days
30:01until it regains
30:02its suppleness.
30:03And unlike plastic containers,
30:06the willow basket
30:07is 100%
30:09biodegradable.
30:12Done.
30:13Finished.
30:14Perfect.
30:15You happy with it?
30:16Not bad.
30:17Other than the bits I did.
30:18Yeah.
30:20And that
30:21is one complete basket
30:23that should
30:24outlive me.
30:25That'll be around
30:26for a long time.
30:29It's from her
30:30eye-catching baskets
30:31that Julie makes
30:32a living.
30:33Let me put my
30:34life jacket on,
30:35just in case.
30:37But her fascination
30:39with this ancient craft
30:40led to a new pursuit,
30:42weaving coracles,
30:44ball-shaped
30:45willow boats
30:46wrapped in
30:46waterproof fabric
30:47that have been
30:48navigating our
30:49waterways
30:49since the Bronze Age.
30:51You promised me
30:52this thing floats.
30:53Yeah,
30:53it should do.
30:55There's only one way
30:57of finding out.
31:00And then sit down,
31:01sit down,
31:02sit down,
31:02and slide your bum
31:04across to the middle
31:04of the seat.
31:24Got to get back as well,
31:25don't forget.
31:25Don't be worried about that.
31:26That's okay.
31:27It's a real testament
31:29to your handiwork.
31:30This is floating perfectly.
31:33What an amazing experience.
31:35That was absolutely
31:37incredible.
31:37It's a good time,
31:38it's nice.
31:38Thank you so much.
31:40Oh,
31:41dry land.
31:43Oh!
31:47In Cornwall,
31:49Paul is taking
31:50special delivery
31:51of the Plant Takeaway's
31:53worn-out models.
31:55It's a big girl,
31:56isn't it?
31:56It is.
31:57It's bigger than me.
32:03With the painted ones,
32:04a lot of the paint damage
32:06is actually on the
32:07backs of the shoulders,
32:08the sides of the head,
32:09where they contact
32:11the structure.
32:13Another big one
32:14is the delrin pads
32:16on the feet.
32:17Enid's foot is really
32:18interesting.
32:18It's worn away
32:20to a hard edge,
32:21so it's got a ledge
32:22around the front edge of it.
32:24Before getting to work
32:25on Enid
32:26and her nearest
32:27and dearest,
32:28Paul needs Nick's help
32:29to reassemble
32:30dead cat.
32:32Beautifully made thing,
32:33this, isn't it?
32:34Yeah, it's well done.
32:36And test
32:37whether his repairs
32:38have managed to revive
32:39the fallen star.
32:41Right.
32:41That's got it.
32:42That was.
32:43Drop the voltage a bit
32:44so it's smaller.
32:48That's got it.
32:50That's it.
32:51That's what it does.
32:53The cat may now
32:55be 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
33:07and check out
33:10the actual dying thing.
33:12We won't be able
33:13to get the body back on,
33:15but we'll be able
33:15to see it at work.
33:17I think.
33:18Right.
33:19Tell the cat.
33:22Yeah.
33:23There we go.
33:24And this,
33:24this is the...
33:26So shall we calm
33:27the cat's dead?
33:28Let the cat live.
33:30Wow.
33:32Okay, well.
33:34Well, there we go.
33:35Take it away.
33:36I don't want to do it anymore.
33:42At the barn,
33:44Will has finished
33:44the repairs
33:45to Catherine's
33:46precious love spoons
33:47and is turning
33:48his attention
33:49to how she will
33:50display them.
33:53Catherine loves
33:53her dad's Welsh
33:54love spoons.
33:55Very proud of his work.
33:57So rather than
33:57displaying them
33:58with a hook
33:58or a nail on the wall,
34:00I thought it'd be
34:00really nice to
34:01be able to carve
34:02something.
34:03So I have
34:04drawn out a design.
34:05My plan is to carve
34:07a sort of ornate hook
34:09out of sycamore.
34:11I've been greatly
34:12inspired by Len.
34:13His work is marvellous
34:14and I love carving
34:15things out of wood.
34:16So this is going
34:17to be a very pleasurable
34:18thing for me to do.
34:19I'm actually going
34:20to start off by
34:20removing a lot
34:21of that waste wood
34:22with an electric drill.
34:40I've just finished
34:41drilling out that waste wood
34:43and it's already
34:43made a huge difference.
34:45It saves a lot of time
34:46in hacking away
34:48at stuff I'm not
34:49actually going to end
34:49up keeping.
34:50That is the basic
34:51shape that I'm going
34:52for.
34:52It's that kind of
34:53lovely S shape.
34:55It's still quite chunky
34:56though and very rough
34:58to the touch.
34:58So I'm going to use
34:59some files now to start
35:00to 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
35:24have taken Len
35:24to carve the spoons.
35:26There's a lot of mess here.
35:30that makes me chuckle
35:31because the thought
35:32of Catherine's mum
35:33following Len
35:34around the house
35:35with the vacuum cleaner
35:35is absolutely hilarious.
35:45That now seems smooth enough
35:47that I can start making
35:48my pencil marks
35:49in preparation for carving.
35:51I'm going to bring this
35:52over here.
35:54I mean it looks like
35:55the 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.
36:05but it's going to look
36:05nice 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
36:15favourite carving gouges.
36:35With Will's work done
36:36the spoons are finally ready
36:39to be reunited
36:40with 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
36:52to do with the spoons
36:53because they were
36:54quite dry looking.
36:55They were.
36:56Lots of holes.
36:56Yeah.
36:57But it would be just lovely
36:58if they looked
36:58like they were
36:59when my dad carved them.
37:01Yeah.
37:01I've got a space
37:02ready for these two.
37:04Do you?
37:04I have.
37:07Would you like
37:07to see what I've done?
37:08Yes.
37:09Yes.
37:10You ready?
37:10Yes.
37:11OK here we go.
37:16Oh.
37:20Oh my goodness.
37:22Oh that is fantastic.
37:25All the woodworm holes
37:27have gone.
37:28How did you do that?
37:30Oh you've done
37:31a beautiful job.
37:33Oh I wish my dad
37:34could see them.
37:36The big spoon
37:37it was really tricky
37:38to work out
37:39how to hang this
37:39on the wall
37:40because just having
37:41a nail or a screw
37:42doesn't really do justice.
37:43I was quite worried
37:44about that.
37:44So I decided
37:45to carve some hooks
37:46for you
37:46and something
37:47in keeping
37:48with the design
37:48so I've actually
37:50kind of used
37:50a bit of that
37:51kind of hook design
37:53there yeah.
37:54Do you know
37:54I was really wondering
37:55how am I going
37:56to hang the big one
37:57on the wall.
37:58I noticed
37:59that you'd echoed
38:00the shape
38:01which was very clever.
38:03Yeah.
38:03They were really dry
38:04when I picked them up
38:06and they needed
38:07nourishing
38:08so I polished them up
38:09gave them a wax over
38:10but it's lovely
38:11because it's really
38:12enhanced your dad's work.
38:13It has.
38:14It has.
38:15Oh well
38:16that's absolutely
38:17marvellous.
38:19Now there's
38:19a lot of symbolism
38:20tied up in the spoons
38:21but what do they
38:22actually symbolise
38:23to you personally?
38:24Oh they're my dad.
38:26It's my dad to me.
38:27Yeah.
38:29It's all tied up
38:30in my memories
38:31of him.
38:32I think he would
38:33have been quite sad
38:34to see them
38:34the state
38:35they were in
38:35and to have them
38:37restored like this.
38:38Even more special
38:39than the others
38:40because I associate
38:41them with the job
38:42that you've done.
38:43Oh thank you.
38:44Yeah.
38:44As a cast person
38:45you know I can greatly
38:46appreciate your dad's work
38:48and it'd be quite sad
38:49to say goodbye to these.
38:51Oh that's nice to know.
38:53But you know
38:53it has actually
38:54inspired me
38:55to do some more
38:55carving myself
38:56so when I find
38:57some time
38:58I might whittle
38:58one for my wife.
38:59Yes I hope
39:00you're going to.
39:01Lovely to see you again.
39:03Thank you so much
39:04Will I'm very grateful.
39:06It's a pleasure.
39:07Bye bye.
39:12Thinking about the spoons
39:13and talking to Will
39:14about them
39:15and talking about
39:16my father carving
39:16I mean it's brought him
39:18back vividly to me.
39:20I mean he died in 1983.
39:22That's half of my lifetime ago.
39:25And this whole experience
39:27has made my dad
39:29feel very close again.
39:44200 miles away
39:46Dom is making
39:47the return trip
39:48to Cornwall.
39:50I'm heading back
39:50to the Eden Project
39:51to see how
39:52Nick and Paul
39:53have got on
39:54repairing the automaton.
39:55I'm actually
39:57quite nervous.
39:58I know how much
39:59it means to all of them
39:59so it's important
40:01to a lot of people.
40:04The grand reopening
40:05has pulled in
40:06a large crowd
40:07of staff and volunteers
40:08along with visitors
40:10old and new.
40:12I can't wait
40:12to see the automaton
40:14revealed today.
40:16I just really can't.
40:17Having Dead Cat
40:19restored
40:20is really important
40:21for us
40:22because it's
40:24such a key part
40:26of the way
40:27Eden speaks the world.
40:28I really hope
40:29that it all works.
40:33Before Carton Call
40:34Dom is checking in
40:36with the avid
40:36industrious
40:37Paul and Nick
40:38who have made
40:39all of this
40:40possible.
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
40:48of 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
41:01so many people
41:02that have come out today.
41:03Joe.
41:04One thing's for sure
41:04these curtains have been
41:05closed for far too long.
41:07Yes, they definitely have.
41:08Absolutely.
41:09And thank you you guys
41:10because awesome.
41:13This has been
41:14a huge amount of work
41:16for all of the team
41:16involved in trying
41:17to repair this machine
41:18and get it working again.
41:19I hope that you're
41:21all excited to see it.
41:22You want to take a look?
41:23Yes.
41:25Come on then.
41:32After years of slow
41:34and steady decline
41:36the magnificent plant
41:38takeaway
41:38has its module back
41:40delivering its vital message
41:43with flair
41:44and wit.
41:57Jo, how's it feel
41:59seeing it working again?
42:00Very happy.
42:01Yeah.
42:01Very happy indeed.
42:02Another 25 years.
42:04Yeah.
42:06So much gratitude
42:07to the guys
42:08who fixed it
42:08and for you
42:09to helping as well.
42:10So, awesome.
42:12Yeah, I think it's well worth
42:13saying a big thank you
42:14again to these two.
42:16Absolutely.
42:17Thank you both
42:17so 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
42:32connection to it.
42:33I had no idea
42:34that 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 fixies
43:01and restorations
43:02search BBC iPlayer
43:04for The Repair Shop
43:05on the road.
43:07...
43:12...
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