Tissues ready for another ‘Repair Shop’

The Repair Shop has been something of a sleeper hit, becoming truly popular along with the past year’s lockdowns when an attitude of ‘make do and mend’ was by necessity embraced by us all.

The human stories behind the objects which are in need of a little tender loving care are what really hooked us, though, and tonight’s edition features plenty of those and sure to get a few tears of emotion, sadness and joy.

We meet Stella whose seized-up retro roundabout reminds her of her three daughters’ childhoods and the fun they had growing up.

Sadly, Stella’s middle daughter Emma died in 2016, leaving two young children behind.

Dominic Chinea is the one facing the heavy-duty task of repairing it, and he has his work cut out if he’s going to get it spinning again in time for Stella and her granddaughters’ return to the barn.

There’s also a First World War dominoes set, thought to have been played in the Christmas truce of 1914.

Wood expert William Kirk is amazed by the set as well as its history, and sets about trying to get it looking like it would have done all those years ago, imagining the hands that would have played games using the set.

Certainly the set’s owner Ben believes the dominoes played a part in this symbolic moment of peace in an otherwise pitiless war.

Meanwhile Suzie Fletcher uses her amazing leather skills on a mid-19th century women’s side saddle bought in Texas.

Suzie is just the woman for the job, being a Master English Saddle Maker and member of the Society of Master Saddlers, and this slice of US Western history is fascinating to her as well as the viewers.

The saddle’s owner, Suzie lived a cowboy lifestyle in her youth, Sara is surprised to learn that Suzie also spent time on ranches and the pair reminisce about the fun they had.

The bond formed between the two ladies makes this a very special repair for both Suzie and Sara.

Lastly this week toy restorers Julie and Amanda arrive at the barn in with a patient in urgent need of an operation – their old teddy bear is broken, and needs to be taken care of by mechanical maestro Steve Fletcher.

The bear was gifted to an abandoned girl from Hong Kong when she arrived in the UK to meet her adoptive family for the first time, so as ever with these objects, it’s of great importance on a personal level, even if it may not have the kind of monetary value that we’re used to from other antique-based shows.

And in the end, that’s what makes this series dearer to us than, say, Antiques Roadshow – we might not all have priceless vases or antique dressers worth thousands in our lofts, but most of us have one or two items that mean the world to us, and in the end that’s far more special, and a lot more unique.

And so the repairs keep coming and continue to keep the nation watching and waiting!

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