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The Repair Shop On The Road S0 Episode 0 Engsub
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00:01Here at The Repair Shop,
00:03countless treasures have been brought back to life.
00:08That reveal so much about who we are
00:11and where we're from.
00:15But there's so much more out there
00:17that'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 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.
01:06Wow!
01:07There's a legacy here that needs to be protected.
01:14We're off to Birmingham.
01:16I know.
01:16Yeah.
01:17Road trip.
01:18On today's travels, Dom and Will are heading to the Midlands.
01:23You call this a jewel, as I'm flaking this data.
01:26Yeah.
01:26Doesn't look pretty much like a jewel at the moment.
01:29Ringing in the changes, restoring a telephone box.
01:33I've been absolutely itching to do that crown.
01:36I love.
01:37A pair of secateurs tell an astonishing story.
01:41Nothing would defeat him.
01:43If he could do it, he would do it.
01:45And a fan maker reveals her secrets.
01:49You're almost there though, Will.
01:50If there's a will, there's a way.
01:53You've got all the lions, haven't you, today?
01:57Situated at the heart of England,
01:59and the second largest city in the UK,
02:04Birmingham was a medieval market town
02:07before becoming a manufacturing powerhouse
02:09in the Industrial Revolution.
02:12Today, with a population of nearly 1.2 million people,
02:16it's a major commercial and cultural centre.
02:22You know how we need to start every road trip?
02:24How?
02:25With some snacks.
02:26Oh, you bring snacks?
02:27I bought you some breakfast.
02:28Oh, Dom, pastry.
02:31Thanks, buddy.
02:32Yeah, I didn't get the coffee.
02:33We'll have to get one on the way.
02:34Yeah.
02:35Well, today, I'm going to help Rupert
02:37fix up an old telephone box.
02:40I love that old classic design of, like, the red phone box.
02:43You can see it a mile away.
02:45Yeah.
02:45And there's something quite nostalgic about it, very British.
02:53Will's come to the Birmingham suburb of Harbourn,
02:56south-west of the city centre.
03:00Look at this.
03:01This is lovely.
03:03Slightly flaky, but what an iconic piece.
03:06Tell me a bit more about it.
03:07So this is Harbourn's last remaining phone box.
03:10And we really want to try and hold on to it
03:12and do something special with it.
03:14Keen to see the phone box saved
03:16is local resident and teacher, Rupert Conway.
03:20For me, they're just really pretty.
03:21It's an iconic bit of British street furniture.
03:24We're known around the world for these things,
03:26and I think we sort of neglect them a little bit.
03:29And I presume it hasn't been used for quite a long time.
03:32It's been in this state for, I would say, as long as I can remember.
03:36It had a phone box in it until about a year ago,
03:38and it was in a dire state then.
03:40So BT have been allowing people, communities, to adopt them,
03:43as long as they have the backing of a charity.
03:45And then we were able to adopt it for the nominal fee of a pound.
03:48I'm a local resident, just live a couple of minutes up the road.
03:51We're a great city, loads of things going on,
03:53but sometimes we don't do ourselves justice.
03:55And a lot of our heritage, we seem to just forget.
03:58And I think this is something like a bit of a jewel in our community.
04:00You call this a jewel? Yeah.
04:03As I'm flaking this paint off.
04:05Doesn't look very much like a jewel at the moment.
04:07Give it time, and with your wonderful expertise,
04:09we'll get it back to its original form.
04:12The classic red telephone box
04:14was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott,
04:16the architect who created Battersea Power Station.
04:21The first was installed in London in 1926.
04:25And the basic shape remained largely unchanged
04:28until the late 1960s.
04:30Oh, hello there. How are you? All right.
04:33Harbourn's box is a model K6, the most popular,
04:38introduced in 1936.
04:41What is the plan for the foam box?
04:43Is it to actually have it as a working foam box again?
04:45The plan really is to repurpose it as a defibrillator.
04:49What exactly is a defib?
04:50Is that what they sort of use to restart someone's heart?
04:53Yeah, so it's a medical device that's placed somewhere in a public space.
04:56But they're really accessible.
04:58They're really easy to use.
05:00I mean, it makes sense to have it housed in such an iconic thing like this.
05:05And once it's restored, I mean, if you need one and someone says,
05:09go to the foam box, you know where to go to.
05:11Perfect place. Intersection with lots of traffic.
05:14Lots of different types of people, elderly people.
05:17I think it's a really good opportunity to make something that is redundant,
05:20to make it relevant again.
05:22Well, I absolutely love the foam box.
05:23And your passion and drive to having this restored is absolutely amazing.
05:28Can't wait to get started.
05:29But where to start on such a big project?
05:33To answer that, Will's phoned a friend.
05:36Specialist restorer, Liam Carr.
05:39What do you think?
05:40Yeah, it's looking a bit worse for wear.
05:43Are you being very polite?
05:45I mean, like the paint is just flaking all over the place.
05:48Yeah.
05:49Yeah, the weather's got to this one.
05:51Have you restored a foam box before?
05:52We have, yes.
05:53I think we're coming close to about 80 we've done up and down the UK now.
05:5780?
05:58Yes.
05:58Yeah, our company specialises in British heritage,
06:00so it's K6 foam boxes and church restorations that we do.
06:04So this is a normal day's work for you?
06:06It is, yes.
06:08Two of them we've done with telephones in.
06:11The rest of them go to food banks, defibrillators, bookshops, art galleries.
06:16It's interesting that you say that
06:17because Rupert wants this to turn into a defib station.
06:20It's ideal housing for a defib, life-saving equipment.
06:25What is the plan with this then?
06:26First stage, we'll remove the glass
06:28and then we'll lightly sand this paintwork down, remove the flaky paint.
06:32What about the door?
06:33No.
06:34Oh, gosh, that's heavy.
06:35Yeah.
06:36Yeah, the outside is a hardwood frame
06:38and then it's got a cast insert.
06:40We'll keep the cast insert, but we'll replace the hardwood frame
06:43so it'll last a lot of years.
06:45Yeah?
06:45Yeah.
06:47Can you help me put this back out of me?
06:50Yeah.
06:54We want this to be like a big red beacon.
06:57Is there a specific type of red colour?
06:59Because they all look exactly the same, don't they?
07:01They do, yeah.
07:02They're a BT red, what the original BT used,
07:04and it's called a current red.
07:06Current red?
07:07Yeah.
07:07Yeah.
07:08But Will's getting ahead of himself.
07:11There's a lot of hard work to be done before the paint brushes come out.
07:17As the site is made safe, he's making a clean sweep of things.
07:24Oh, that's perfect.
07:25We're all nice and clean here now.
07:27Right, what's next?
07:28We'll start to remove the glass, I think.
07:30Is that a case of just...
07:32No, I'll knock the pins out from the inside
07:34and then if you could gently push it towards me.
07:37So, I'll be on this side.
07:38Yep.
07:38You got tools?
07:39I have, yep.
07:39All right, let's go.
07:40First, I couldn't put my glasses on.
07:46Ready?
07:47Perfect.
07:48All right, let's do this.
07:53So, that's the bottom?
07:55Yeah.
07:56We'll just try and remove this for him.
08:02Oh, look.
08:03Look at that.
08:04Shall I take it out?
08:05Yeah, we'll put it out and we'll push it your way.
08:09Oh.
08:10Perfect.
08:13Oh.
08:16That's pretty good.
08:17Right, so that's one down.
08:18How many more to go?
08:19That's quite to you.
08:20Yeah, we'll just work our way down.
08:22Oh, look.
08:23I can push it with my hand.
08:24Yeah.
08:25These ones are all the plastic ones now.
08:27Oh, I see.
08:28It's a bit easier.
08:29They used to repair them with a plastic polyglazer.
08:31It's just a cheaper option than repairing the glass.
08:39Hello.
08:41Got it?
08:41Yeah, I've got that one.
08:43Oh, I'm getting the hang of this.
08:52As Will and Liam strip the phone box back to bare essentials.
09:00Out on the road, Dom is in search of a time-worn treasure.
09:05A possession with a personal connection in need of care from the expert team in the barn.
09:15Brenda Meehan and daughter Catherine Barrett are from Teesside in the northeast of England.
09:20And what they're bringing to Dom may be small in size, but tells the story of a giant of a
09:27man.
09:28What have you brought in for us today?
09:30Well, these belonged to my dad.
09:33They were his garden secateurs.
09:35Okay.
09:36And he passed them on to me, because we were both left-handed.
09:40But unlike me, my dad wasn't born left-handed.
09:44Okay.
09:44He sadly lost his arm during the war.
09:47So, what was dad's name?
09:49Dad was called Ivor.
09:51Ivor Custer.
09:52Gardening was his hobby, along with breeding budgerigars.
09:55Yeah.
09:56And he had an allotment and group prize croissants.
10:00Wow, so gardening was a big part of his life, by the sounds of it.
10:03Yes, absolutely.
10:04But gardening was a later chapter in Ivor's life,
10:08because this story begins in the Second World War.
10:12He went to France, start of 1940.
10:15Obviously pushed back to Dunkirk, as they were.
10:18Yeah.
10:18It was a Dunkirk evacuee, 19.
10:2219.
10:22But he made it back okay?
10:24Well, yes, made it back, and then they were shipped out again to North Africa.
10:27Wow.
10:28In 1942, he was seriously injured.
10:31He'd had a shell injury.
10:33Okay.
10:34Oh.
10:34So that nearly killed him.
10:36But then he applied to join the newly formed paratroopers.
10:41I think after everything that he'd been through,
10:42to then volunteer to, like, throw himself out of a plane as well,
10:46on top of everything else.
10:47It's incredibly brave.
10:48I can't really get my head around it, to be honest.
10:50The paratroop regiments were essential to the battle plans for D-Day,
10:55the Allied invasion of Europe, in 1944.
11:00He went to his barracks to train for D-Day, and he was reading a letter from a mum in
11:06his barracks,
11:07and somebody shouted his name and threw what they thought was a dud grenade at him.
11:14Right.
11:15And my dad looked up and caught it.
11:17It blew his arm off.
11:19No.
11:20Yes.
11:21So it wasn't a dud grenade?
11:22No.
11:23And it exploded in his hand?
11:25Yeah.
11:25He lost teeth and shrapnel in his face and...
11:28Oh, that sounds horrible.
11:30So, obviously, he didn't make D-Day, but most of the friends in his section
11:38didn't come back from D-Day.
11:40And he always carried tremendous guilt that he didn't get to go.
11:46My mum and dad had only been married a month when he lost his hand,
11:49and she hadn't seen him.
11:51And the wedding photograph is the last photograph he had with two hands.
11:56So, because of that grenade that he caught, he ended up losing part of his arm?
11:59Yes.
12:00Yeah, from below the elbow.
12:01Yeah.
12:02Oh, bless him.
12:03But it never stopped him.
12:05Yeah.
12:06So what happened next?
12:07He went and got his job back in the steelworks, and he eventually became foreman.
12:12Yeah, senior foreman.
12:14This is amazing.
12:15I mean...
12:15Sheer determination, grit, and, I mean, he drove cars.
12:20Nothing would defeat him.
12:22If he could do it, he would do it.
12:24And for his family, nothing was too much trouble.
12:27He'd do anything for any of his family.
12:29So where do these secateurs fit into that amazing life that your father had?
12:32Well, my dad loved gardening, and it was his solace, his passion.
12:38He could sit in his greenhouse for hours, and he'd prick out tiny little seeds into little,
12:44tiny little white cups, and see them grow.
12:47And he just became brilliant at it, really.
12:52Love that.
12:52And taught us all.
12:54Good.
12:55And casting out.
12:56Yeah, he knew, like, if he went for a walk, he knew what every single plant was.
12:59Really?
13:00Yeah.
13:00Yeah.
13:00Can I take a look?
13:01Yes, absolutely.
13:02You can tell that they were, like, good quality.
13:04Yeah, they're sturdy, aren't they?
13:06Yeah, yeah.
13:06Look at that blade.
13:08What have you done to those?
13:10That is some wear and tear.
13:11They're not supposed to be serrated.
13:13No, they're not.
13:14I know.
13:15Well loved and well used.
13:16But I just loved feeling them and knowing that they were his, and his hand had been on
13:22them, and...
13:22What do you mean by that?
13:23I love gardening.
13:25He loved gardening.
13:26You know, it's a proper physical connection.
13:28So is it important for you, then, that these get repaired?
13:31Oh, yeah.
13:31Definitely, yeah.
13:33I think it's just so wonderful to be able to, like, tell my grandad's story through these secateurs.
13:38Yeah.
13:38So are these something that you see on the wall as a display piece, or is the dream to actually
13:44take them out into the garden?
13:45The dream is to take them into the garden, but...
13:48If that's possible.
13:49If that's possible.
13:50But if not, then I would like them to look, at least look nice.
13:54A lovely memory of an amazing man.
13:56Yeah.
13:58This is going to be an interesting challenge for Jonathan.
14:01I can't wait to see what he's going to say, especially when he sees these blades.
14:04Yeah.
14:05Yeah.
14:12Also facing a challenge...
14:14Look at that.
14:14And not a single broken panel.
14:16Are Will and Liam restoring the Birmingham phone box?
14:20How far back are we sanding these?
14:22We're literally just removing the flaky paint and sanding to key for the undercoat.
14:27Masks on and a very light sand.
14:29Perfect.
14:35Oh, yeah.
14:37This is just flaking away.
14:53This is looking really good.
14:55It's good in there now, isn't it?
14:56Yes.
14:57Now, I realise the more flaky paint that I take off, it kind of reveals areas of damage.
15:02That's right, yeah.
15:03It probably needs to be filled.
15:04Yeah, you're usually fine then.
15:06But it's really coming along.
15:07Well...
15:08On the flatter, less fiddly surfaces, Liam is using an orbital sander, speeding up the process,
15:16so that painting can start.
15:20And for that, he's brought in Bagub.
15:24Because it's a family firm, there's Uncle Richard on the filling, and Brother Daniel on the prep,
15:33making it ready for the undercoat.
15:36I found out a fun fact.
15:39Telephone boxes were painted red because of a competition in 1924.
15:43Do you know that?
15:44Yes.
15:45You didn't know that.
15:46Rich, do you know that?
15:47I didn't know that.
15:48Did you?
15:48I did.
15:49OK, what about you?
15:50Did you know that?
15:50I did.
15:51Ah, of course you did.
15:54You got any fun facts, Liam?
15:56Yeah, every kiosk is stamped of where it was built.
15:59Really?
16:00Yeah, just on the back.
16:01Yeah, have a look at this.
16:02Have a look.
16:03Let's have a look.
16:05Oh, yeah!
16:06Yeah.
16:06What does it say?
16:07Glasgow, that one.
16:09What founder is that, Rich?
16:11Saracen, isn't it?
16:12Saracen.
16:15I think we're making really good progress.
16:17We are, yeah.
16:18It's coming along nicely, isn't it?
16:20After we've done the prime and undercoat, we'll give it another very, very light sand.
16:24And then after the sanding, is that when that big bright red topcoat goes on?
16:28The bright red topcoat will go on and then finally we can get onto glass and rehanging the door.
16:33I've been absolutely itching to do that crown.
16:38There we go.
16:40Oh, yes.
16:42That's lovely.
16:44Oh, yes.
16:55At the barn, another team of skilled craftspeople are taking care of the nation's heritage.
17:03Among them, Jonathan Reid, a master putter or scissor maker.
17:10Dom's brought me this pair of secateurs that belong to Brenda's father, Ivor.
17:16But in the state they're in at the moment, they might struggle to cut through anything.
17:22Wear and tear or rust has created all these notches and gaps along the blade's edge.
17:29Secateurs are supposed to open themselves up with some form of spring mechanism.
17:35Now, clearly this one isn't working.
17:38Normally what you'd find on a pair of secateurs would be a volute spring,
17:44which is one that pushes the shanks apart.
17:50But on this pair, the spring is on the inside of the secateurs.
17:55So the first thing I'll need to do is disassemble them.
18:08So immediately we can see what the problem is with that spring.
18:13It's completely rusted and it's compressed.
18:16So when they were unlocked again, the spring no longer expanded.
18:25There's actually a second spring in here.
18:28What I think's happened is there's been an attempt to repair these in the past.
18:34So a second spring has just been put in there when the first spring stopped working.
18:41Unfortunately, this spring is beyond repair, so I'm just going to have to replace it.
18:48I have a few springs myself, but they're just a bit too short.
18:57Which I think means I'm going to have to ask Steve and see if he's got any springs that might
19:03fit in here.
19:06Steve, I've got this pair of secateurs and the spring's broken so they won't open anymore.
19:12I was hoping that you had a replacement.
19:14I'll have a look in my magic spares drawer.
19:25It's quite a thick spring, isn't it?
19:27Yeah.
19:28It has to do a lot of work.
19:29Yeah.
19:32I'll tell you what, I'll make them.
19:34Brilliant. So can I leave this with you?
19:36Yeah, of course. Yeah, no, absolutely.
19:38Thank you so much.
19:39I'll pop it over in a minute.
20:10I'll put this on top.
20:13but I'll have to see if it works.
20:19Now, it fits okay.
20:27I'm really impressed with that.
20:29I mean, it feels great, it's smooth, there's enough resistance.
20:34It's opening all by itself.
20:37Steve's done a really good job with that spring.
20:41Now I just need to disassemble them again.
20:43I need to focus on the handles.
20:47Brenda said she wanted these looking good as new.
20:51So it's a case of removing that old paint and repainting them.
20:56Now I can already see that the paint is starting to peel away.
21:01So I should be able to get a majority of it off with a knife.
21:16Now that I've removed all of that old paint,
21:20I'm just roughing the surface so the new paint can bind a bit better.
21:26All right, I'm really happy with that finish.
21:31So it's time to start painting.
21:46Elsewhere, Will's taking a break from restoration duties.
21:50He's stepping out to discover another chapter in Britain's crafting heritage.
21:55On a suitably warm day, he's meeting someone to help him cool off.
22:02Expert fan maker, Victoria Adjoko.
22:13Fans can be traced back 3,000 years, but became popular in Europe in the early 18th century,
22:21highly decorated and associated with seduction and romance.
22:25But in recent times, the art of fan-making became endangered,
22:30until revived by enthusiasts like Victoria.
22:36So we have three main components with the folding fan.
22:40The paper, the pleaters and the frame.
22:45So what do we start off with then?
22:47We've got some colourful paper here.
22:49Yes, we want to use a paper that's no more thicker than 160 GSM.
22:54Like a bit of paper you put in your printer?
22:56That's right, that's right.
22:58Just so it allows and enables us to make the folds quite easily.
23:02The pleater works as a template to mould the creases into the paper.
23:07Right, so that goes on there.
23:11Like that?
23:12Yes.
23:13OK.
23:15So now we take all the pleats.
23:17Yeah.
23:18You're going to go all the way to the edge of the table.
23:21That's it.
23:22Yeah.
23:22So you're thumbing your forefinger.
23:24Yeah, like that.
23:25Perfect.
23:26And the other three fingers will push away.
23:28Keep it like that.
23:29So that's just the first.
23:31And then you're going to bring the fold up.
23:33Like that.
23:34And then slide everything towards you till the next fold.
23:41Yeah, so I'll bring it to there.
23:42Here.
23:43Yes.
23:43That's it.
23:44So then you bring the fold up.
23:45So the next one like that.
23:46Like that.
23:47That's it.
23:48Least the forefinger down.
23:49I know.
23:51You're almost there though, Will.
23:53If there's a Will, there's a way.
23:55You've got all the lines, haven't you, today?
23:58But it's Will who's got to get his lines together.
24:01Bring the fold up.
24:02That's it.
24:03Like that.
24:04To make perfect crisp creases.
24:07Are we going down?
24:08Yep.
24:08Yes.
24:09This is the last bit there, right?
24:11Bring it all over like that.
24:13Well done.
24:14There you go.
24:16And there's my fan.
24:18Well, not quite.
24:20Will's fan is still inside the pleaters.
24:23Shall we take a look?
24:23Yes.
24:24Go for it.
24:25Take this off.
24:30And...
24:30Voila!
24:32Yay!
24:33Well done.
24:34And what we can do is make sure...
24:38Flip it the other...
24:39I see.
24:40See?
24:41Ah.
24:42Ah, I see.
24:45There we are.
24:45Well, that worked really well.
24:46That's pretty straightforward.
24:47Once...
24:48Pretty straightforward.
24:49Once you know the secrets, you see.
24:50That's it.
24:51That's it.
24:53Next is time for the fan to be glued to the frame,
24:56made from thin strips of wood,
24:58which first need a light sanding.
25:01You start that side, I'll start that side,
25:03and we'll see who gets to the middle faster.
25:05Three, two, one.
25:06Go.
25:06Begin.
25:10Why are we sanding these for?
25:11It enables the glue to adhere better to the paper.
25:16So we're likely keying the surface, then?
25:19Absolutely.
25:21It's coming off quite easily, actually.
25:23Yeah.
25:24I presume that you don't want to take it below the line.
25:27That's right.
25:27So I'd say you've gone deeper enough there,
25:29maybe just a little bit more at the bottom there.
25:31Yeah.
25:33You are a really, really good natural teacher.
25:36Have you taught fan making, or what's your background in fan making?
25:40Well, my background is in drama theatre,
25:43and I just fell in love with it from there.
25:45They're just beautiful.
25:46They just carry so much history,
25:48like the Georgian period, the Regency era.
25:51And obviously there's the language of the fan as well.
25:54The language of the fan.
25:55It's basically a subtle language used with gestures of the fan itself.
26:02Right.
26:02And it was usually used in social settings,
26:06mostly for women as a flirtatious way to find a suitor.
26:11Mm-hm.
26:12Shall I say no more?
26:13Um, have you...
26:15Have you used a fan in the past to find yourself a suitor?
26:19I've put it on the spot there.
26:21I don't know.
26:23I don't know.
26:24I don't know.
26:26Frame prepared.
26:28Time now to attach the paper.
26:30So here we have our glue.
26:33So what we want to have is our leaf.
26:36Pattern side is down.
26:38Yeah.
26:38So we take our glue,
26:40spread it along and across.
26:42Then we put the stick on the first fold right here.
26:47Mm-hm.
26:49Then we turn this over.
26:51Okay.
26:52Then it's the next guard stick.
26:55So you do the two outer sticks first?
26:57Yes.
27:05So it's the next one on the top?
27:08Yes.
27:08Okay.
27:09I'm going to bring it round to see where we begin.
27:11Good.
27:12You're looking more quick now, though.
27:14You're getting into it.
27:15I love the confidence.
27:17That's it.
27:21Great.
27:23Flip back over.
27:24Yes.
27:25Next top one.
27:27That's it.
27:28Is this something you could see yourself doing again?
27:32I can get a picture of myself put onto a fan and give it to Dom.
27:36He would love that.
27:37You see?
27:38That's the idea.
27:39There you go.
27:40Well, that's his birthday present sorted out.
27:42Last one.
27:43There we go.
27:44Sometimes this can be quite tricky.
27:45It is.
27:47Getting it on.
27:47Right, Janelle.
27:48And we're on.
27:50Are we on?
27:50Yes.
27:51Yes.
27:52And I presume we're there now.
27:54Yes.
27:55Moment of truth.
27:56I'm excited.
27:57Oh, yes.
27:59Okay, here we go.
28:02Oh.
28:03That's it.
28:04Oh, yes.
28:07Oh.
28:08I can cool down now.
28:10Please, do you like it?
28:10Yes.
28:11Do you know what?
28:13You've just made another fan.
28:14I have.
28:15In me.
28:15Yay!
28:16You like what I did there?
28:19Do you know what?
28:20I love your passion for your craft.
28:22It's absolutely amazing.
28:23Thank you for handing some of those skills over to me as well.
28:27It's been a pleasure.
28:28Oh, nice and cool now.
28:35In the barn.
28:39Jonathan's next job is to restore the blades of Brenda's secateurs.
28:44I suspect that there's been an attempt to sharpen the insides of these blades,
28:50meaning this blade is potentially thinner than it once was.
28:54So I have to be careful when I'm grinding that rust away.
28:57I want to minimize the amount of material I'm taking off this blade,
29:01as the more I take off, the thinner it'll get.
29:04So the first thing I'm going to do is flat grind the outside blade on a sharpening stone.
29:27Even after only a few passes, that's looking miles better.
29:31I've gotten rid of most of that rust,
29:34so I'm going to carry on with this for a while
29:37and then move on to the inside blade.
30:03I'm already quite happy with that
30:05because you can tell from how even that grind is
30:09that I'm taking height down in the right spot
30:12as I slowly work my way towards the front of the blade.
30:21Still got a bit of grinding on this inside blade to do,
30:24but once I've done that,
30:25it's just a matter of putting a blade's edge on there.
30:40I'm going to be using a circular grindstone to put this edge on
30:43and it moves slow enough that I won't be introducing any heat to the blade,
30:48which could affect its hardness.
31:05Can you see how all of the burrs
31:09are just really inconsistent and falling off?
31:13Once it's all the way back and it's past those lines of warping,
31:17that burr will be really consistent
31:19and you'll just see the metal curl up onto the underside of the blade.
31:34These secateurs mean a lot to Brenda
31:36because they represent the resilience of a dad, Ivor.
31:41They've been an absolute joy to work on.
31:44I'm really pleased with these blades and this paint.
31:47They're already looking brand new.
31:49I just need to get both halves together
31:53and hand them back to Brenda.
32:02In Birmingham, with Will out of town,
32:06Liam's working a solo shift, getting ready to paint.
32:11All sanded and primed, just ready for the top coat.
32:14The red that we're using is the iconic current red,
32:18which would have been used by BT.
32:20It's very important that we use this colour of red
32:23because if the shade's off,
32:25it doesn't look like the iconic British phone boxes
32:27that you're used to seeing.
32:33While most of the restoration is done on site,
32:37Liam has taken the door to his workshop
32:39to be sanded, painted,
32:44then brought back to Birmingham on time
32:47to start putting the telephone box back together.
32:51We're back here at the Birmingham phone box
32:53and we're about to start installing the glazing.
32:56We're going to replace this with all toughened glazing
32:58so there won't be a mixture of perspex and toughened glass.
33:02It'll all be made to measure bespoke glazing.
33:23Rupert wanted to give his local phone box
33:26a new purpose.
33:27So in preparation, Liam's made a special sign.
33:33Right, that's all the glazing finished now.
33:36It's ready for its defibrillator unit,
33:38which will benefit the whole community.
33:45At the barn,
33:48Jonathan's expert restoration is complete.
33:53It's time for Brenda and Catherine to be reunited
33:56with the secateurs
33:57that belong to a much-loved father and grandfather.
34:04Welcome to the barn.
34:05Yeah, nice to see you again.
34:07How have you been feeling since leaving me with the secateurs?
34:10It's sort of...excited, really.
34:11Sort of wanting to see what you've been able to do,
34:14if you've been able to fix them completely
34:18or just enough so that they look better.
34:21Jonathan has worked on these.
34:22He's our scissor and blade expert.
34:24He's so talented.
34:26But that really was a big if, because they were in...
34:28Yes, they were in a bad way.
34:29Quite a state, weren't they?
34:30Yeah, they looked as though they had teeth.
34:34I hadn't trekked them well, really.
34:37These have been used and worn out.
34:41Worked into the ground.
34:42Yes, yeah.
34:43I would just really like my mum to be able to use them again
34:45because I think it just gives that connection
34:48from one generation to the next.
34:50And I think we'll all be planting a lot more roses,
34:53if that's the case.
34:53Yes, I hope so.
34:54She can come round and shape them all.
34:57Teach you.
34:57Yeah, exactly.
34:59OK, are you both ready to see them?
35:01Yeah.
35:01No.
35:02No.
35:04Yeah, you ready?
35:11Wow.
35:12Oh, my goodness.
35:13I just thought they look brand new.
35:16Aw.
35:19You're speechless, aren't you?
35:21I am.
35:21Yeah, I am.
35:22Wow.
35:23I can't believe that.
35:24It's incredible.
35:26I promise you, every bit of them are still your dad's.
35:29They are amazing.
35:31They look great, don't they?
35:32They look fabulous, fabulous.
35:36Didn't think I'd cry.
35:37Yeah.
35:39Where do you think, where's that emotion coming from?
35:42I think just seeing them like that and knowing they were like that when Dad bought them.
35:47And, you know, just thinking of him, really, and how special he was, and how we all loved him.
35:56We did.
35:57We did.
35:58We still do.
35:59Yeah.
35:59It's amazing what these things can do, isn't it?
36:01Just bringing memories back.
36:02It's the memories, that's it.
36:04It's just, can I pick them up?
36:08Of course you can.
36:11We need to test them out now.
36:13Oh, look at that.
36:14Beautiful, aren't they?
36:15You need to be careful.
36:15They're very sharp.
36:16Oh, they're amazing.
36:19Jonathan has, he's completely stripped them down.
36:21Taken them completely apart.
36:22They are the same blades.
36:24He has spent a long time grinding them down, reshaping them, straightening them up and polishing
36:30them and sharpening them.
36:31So they are really sharp now.
36:33Dad would be so pleased.
36:34I know he would.
36:36What do you think he'd say?
36:36Look after them.
36:38Yeah.
36:39We'd have one chance, that's it.
36:40Yeah, yeah, that's it.
36:41Look after them.
36:42They'd be treasured, absolutely treasured.
36:44That is the bare steel.
36:46So, Jonathan says, if you keep them clean, keep them dry and oil them every now and then.
36:50Oil them, yes, yes.
36:51Stop them going rusty.
36:52Yeah.
36:52That's the best way to look after them.
36:55I'm overwhelmed, to be honest.
36:56I'm just thinking of Dad and how he used to come and do my roses with those secateurs
37:05and taught me how to use them.
37:09But, yeah.
37:10Happy memories.
37:11Yeah.
37:12Very happy memories.
37:13I'll let you take them home then.
37:15Thank you so much.
37:16Thank you both.
37:16It's been lovely to meet you both.
37:19You can carry them.
37:22I can't take my eyes off them.
37:24I can see myself in them.
37:25They're that shiny.
37:26They're amazing.
37:28I'm absolutely thrilled for my mum.
37:30You can see how overwhelmed and how happy she is.
37:34And it's just wonderful that they've been able to be repaired to this kind of standard.
37:38It's way beyond what we expected.
37:41My dad faced such adversity in his life and he overcame it.
37:48And he passed that on to us that nothing is too difficult.
37:53You just have to keep trying and keep believing that you can do it.
37:57And you will.
38:00I can't wait to start using them and having that feeling of pruning the roses with them.
38:07And to do it the first time is going to be amazing.
38:12As Brenda takes her father's treasured secateurs back home to Teesside,
38:17Will's on his way to Birmingham to add the finishing touches to the Harbourn phone box.
38:23I'm really excited to be back in Birmingham and I'm on my way to see Liam.
38:28It's great to restore something so iconic to British history.
38:33But it's really lovely that Rupert and the community wants to take this one step further.
38:44Hey, you've been busy.
38:47It's getting there, isn't it?
38:48Just checking that's not wet paint.
38:49No, definitely not wet.
38:51Amazing.
38:52I can see that a mile away.
38:54Literally, it's like a beacon.
38:56That's it.
38:57Now for the most important part, the defib.
39:00That's it, yeah.
39:00I've got it just in the box there.
39:02All right, let's have a look.
39:04Rupert's dream for the phone box is to install a defibrillator.
39:08Look at that.
39:09A device that can restore a heart's natural rhythm in case of cardiac arrest.
39:15Right, let's get this fitted then.
39:16It's a potential lifesaver and one that will be available to the whole community.
39:23How does this work?
39:24You phone a number?
39:26Yeah, there's a sign that we need to put on and they'll phone the number, get the cord and be
39:31able to access the defibrillator.
39:32Wonderful.
39:33Great job.
39:35With the defibrillator in place and the door back on, there's just one thing left to do.
39:43Right, let's get this covered up before the community turn up.
39:46Yeah.
39:46You've got that.
39:47Perfect.
39:48I'll get the steps and I'll do the top.
39:49Brilliant.
39:54Got it?
39:58Restoring Harbourn's phone box has taken a real community effort.
40:03I'm excited.
40:04Can you see the big veil?
40:06Ooh.
40:08Isn't that looking good?
40:09So Rupert and his family, friends and neighbours are all keen to see Will and the team's handiwork.
40:18Hi.
40:19Hi, everyone.
40:20Good to see you.
40:22Really excited to have so many people here today.
40:24Really supportive and really enthusiastic and excited to see what happens next.
40:29I'm feeling a bit anxious now.
40:31I'm ready for the phone box reveal.
40:33There seems to be a lot of people in the community coming to have a look at it.
40:36Well, I mean, this is an incredibly important phone box because not only is it a great piece
40:41of British history, but it could also save a life.
40:44It's a very, very exciting day.
40:46Are you ready to see it?
40:47Yes.
40:59What do you think?
41:01Stunning.
41:01Very well done.
41:02Amazing.
41:04Thank you so much.
41:05Well, don't thank us.
41:06It's this gentleman here who started it all, so well done.
41:10It's absolutely stunning.
41:11Oh, you're welcome.
41:12The best in Birmingham, the best in the UK.
41:14That's right, yeah.
41:15Do you want us to come and take a closer look?
41:17Rupert, do you want to come and check it out?
41:18Yeah, shall we have a look?
41:20Wow, isn't that beautiful?
41:21Beautiful.
41:23And the insignia at the top, gorgeous.
41:25I painted that.
41:26Did you?
41:27This is a big event for the people of Harbourn, and it's even attracted the attention of their MP, Preet
41:34Cowagill.
41:35So when Rupert contacted me now, it's been nearly two years, telling me about this project, that he'd adopted this
41:41scheme.
41:42I was so, so excited.
41:45But the signs of fibrillation when the crown was called, I mean, wow.
41:49Proud to be grummy, proud to see this restored in all of its glory.
41:55Also here is Belle Legge of the Community Heartbeat Trust, who helps groups throughout Britain install defibrillators.
42:04So the renovation of the phone box is just so fantastic.
42:08We build a network of the defibrillators around the UK.
42:12We know that defibrillators from our scheme have saved lives, so to have one in such a built-up area
42:19is amazing.
42:23We were very proud when the blanket came off and we were seeing Rupert's face and all the community stood
42:28behind him.
42:29I feel brilliant now that it's all finished.
42:33Blown away by it. It's really beautiful.
42:35All the little details that I hadn't even appreciated before have really come to the fore.
42:39The crown, all the paintwork, it looks absolutely stunning.
42:43What I really like is that the phone box has got that history behind it, but also, more importantly, it
42:50has that unit inside.
42:51I really hope that the people of Harbourn feel safer in the knowledge that that unit is there.
42:56Hopefully they'll never have to use it, but if they do, they know where to find it.
43:05If you'd like to see more fantastic fixes and restorations, search BBC iPlayer for The Repair Shop on the road.
43:43We'll see you next time.
43:45We'll see you next time.
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