0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to The Repair Shop,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06where cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life...
0:00:06 > 0:00:09This is the workshop of dreams.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11..home to furniture restorer Jay Blades.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Nowadays, everybody spends a fortune on stuff that, once it's broken,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19they just bin it. But everybody has something that means too much to be
0:00:19 > 0:00:21thrown away, and that's where we come in.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Working alongside Jay will be some
0:00:23 > 0:00:26of the country's leading craftspeople...
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Every piece has its own story.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31It's amazing to think that some of my work becomes part of that story.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I've always played with things,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36I've always repaired things, and I just love it.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40There is a real pleasure in bringing people's pieces back to life again.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43..each with their own unique set of skills.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47- The right tool for the right job. - They will resurrect...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49- revive...- I'm warm, man!
0:00:49 > 0:00:53..and rejuvenate treasured possessions
0:00:53 > 0:00:56and irreplaceable pieces of family history...
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Wow, she's fantastic!
0:00:59 > 0:01:01..bringing both the objects...
0:01:01 > 0:01:03- Oh!- This is what I remember.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07- ..and the memories that they hold... - Wow!- ..back to life.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Oh, my God!
0:01:25 > 0:01:29In The Repair Shop today, it's a team effort to revive a modern
0:01:29 > 0:01:31design classic...
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Hold on, hold on, hold on. I can see it.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35That's it. Yeah, do that one next.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38- Who do you reckon's going to get to the end first?- Well, I think...
0:01:38 > 0:01:40I think I've got my money on Jay.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42..and something to test the skills of antique photography expert
0:01:42 > 0:01:46- Brenton.- It's a box of bits... - A box of bits.- ..at the moment.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48- What do you reckon? - LAUGHTER
0:01:51 > 0:01:55But first, The Repair Shop is about to take receipt
0:01:55 > 0:01:57of a very special item.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58Hello, you all right?
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Yes, thank you.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Natalie Cumming from Shropshire is here
0:02:02 > 0:02:04with a precious family heirloom.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06So, what is this, then?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08- It's a violin.- It's a violin, yeah?
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Restorer John Dilworth is a violin specialist.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16He's worked on some of the world's most valuable instruments.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19It's in a pretty poor condition.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20There we go.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Wow! Yeah, that's seen better days.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25- A slight obvious problem there, yeah.- There is a bit, isn't there?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28So, what's the story behind this, then?
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Well, the violin belonged to my grandfather
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and it was passed to my aunt,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37who was sent to Auschwitz in 1939.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38That's some history.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47My Aunt Rosa is a very well-known violinist,
0:02:47 > 0:02:54and she was invited to play in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in the mid-30s.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Unfortunately, being Jewish, she was arrested,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02and they were all sent to Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04And then, in 1939,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Auschwitz was opened and she was immediately transported there.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Because she played the violin and she played very well indeed,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14that was her lifeline.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19She was able to be part of the women's orchestra in Auschwitz,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22which lulled the new intakes coming in
0:03:22 > 0:03:25to a false sense of security.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29This was what kept her alive for the whole of the war,
0:03:29 > 0:03:34then she finally returned home to Leeds, and she died in '47.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41The violin then passed to Natalie's father, also a musician.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46He didn't just use the violin as a means to making a living,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48he lived the violin.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50That was his life.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And, fortunately, I've got those memories.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56That's what the violin represents to me.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04I'm afraid it's just stayed in the attic all these years
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and never been played.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Well, this was, I'm sure,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11made in Germany towards the end of the 19th century.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Mm-hmm.- But this is rather alarming, isn't it?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- I would think that that damage probably occurred in the camps.- Yes.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- Oh, that's... Yes.- So someone's repaired this, then,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22- is that correct?- Yeah, it's a very crude repair, I'm afraid.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Yeah, that is, yes.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27It would just be so great if it could be restored.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- If it could be played again, it would be such a bonus.- OK.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37John's been restoring violins for decades,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40but even the most seasoned of craftsmen would feel apprehensive
0:04:40 > 0:04:44handling an instrument with such an incredible history.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46The first job is to take the top off,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48open up the instrument, so I can
0:04:48 > 0:04:50actually see what's going on underneath.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55This is where you find out whether it's going to be an easy job
0:04:55 > 0:04:56or a...or a tricky one.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59You have to find out which way the wood is splitting,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and if the wood is splitting in your favour, that's great.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Hmm.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05OK. Plan B,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09we're going to go round the other way and attack from the other side.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- Ah!- You winning?- Yeah. - Yes, you're winning.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16There it goes.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17- Hang on.- I can't look.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- I can't look, either! - You can't look?! - LAUGHTER
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Yeah. Oh! There we go.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31It's finally given way. This, actually...
0:05:31 > 0:05:33this little hole here, there's a lot more original wood
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- surviving underneath that patch than I feared.- OK.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- So we can take that off...- Yeah. - ..fill that hole,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44but if this repair was actually done in the prison camp,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48- I'd rather keep this piece and just fix it, so that it's...- Yeah.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- Make it look good.- ..it fits better. - What's this? Just a bit of fluff?
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Well, that is known in the trade as the mouse.- The mouse?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- The mouse, yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:05:56 > 0:05:59That's just accumulated bow hair and all sorts of things, odds and ends.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02And some people collect them, and when they make a new violin,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04they'll put that inside, just for luck.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Next into The Repair Shop...
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- How do you do, gents? I'm Phil. - ..Phil Jones has brought a piece of
0:06:18 > 0:06:20his family history for Will
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and antique photography expert Brendan West.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25So, what's in the box?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29This is my great grandad's
0:06:29 > 0:06:31old plate camera.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34As you can see, it's a bit worse for wear.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It looks more like a box of wood.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- It's a box of bits.- A box of bits. - It's a box of bits at the moment.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- There's a lot of bits. - There's a lot of bits.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- Excellent.- What do you reckon? - LAUGHTER
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So, this is a half plate camera from
0:06:49 > 0:06:53the turn of the last century, so 1900, 1910, something like that.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Yeah. My great grandad used to take pictures for the War Department...
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- OK.- ..during World War I.- OK.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04He was... That's his belt buckle off his military belt.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- Oh, wow, that's nice.- That went through World War I with him.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- Really?!- Yeah. The Battle of Hill 62 at Ypres, and...
0:07:11 > 0:07:13So this has actually seen the trenches?
0:07:13 > 0:07:17- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.- Really? - It's been in the trenches.- Wow!
0:07:17 > 0:07:20So if that's been to Northern France, it's in good condition,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25- isn't it?- Yeah.- Yeah. I would like, in an ideal world, to use it again.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28If not, just to have it displayed properly.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32- Lovely.- OK?- Well, we'll get cracking with that, and we'll give you a call
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- once it's ready. Thanks very much. - Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- Cheers.- Thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Brenton's been overhauling antique cameras for over a decade,
0:07:42 > 0:07:47but this 110-year-old example is really going to test him.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50So we're going to be taking the bellows from this camera...
0:07:51 > 0:07:55..carefully, so that we can have a pattern for remaking them.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00There we go. So, that's your bellows.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Got holes in them everywhere, and if you held them up to the light,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07they'd probably leak light like a sieve,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09which is not very good for photography.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Over on his workbench,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19John is cooking up a plan to revitalise Natalie's beloved violin.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23This is my mother-in-law's old bain-marie.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It's been in our family for generations.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28This is the hot melted glue.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31The violin's long and arduous life,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34which included spending the war in a concentration camp,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36has taken its toll.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38This rib, that was, I believe,
0:08:38 > 0:08:43donated to the violin while it was in the prison camp from another
0:08:43 > 0:08:48instrument. I would like to keep this as part of the violin now.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50You know, cos it's part of its history.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56While the body recovers from its structural surgery,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59John turns his attention to repairing the damage to the top...
0:09:01 > 0:09:04The whole thing's resonating nicely.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09..before the two parts can be married back together again.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12As I say, once we start gluing, we're committed.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17And we want a good, strong joint here,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19especially at the neck,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23because that's what determines everything about the instrument.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28It won't be until John has completed
0:09:28 > 0:09:30the restoration that he'll find out
0:09:30 > 0:09:33if his repairs have also restored the violin's voice.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38If you get any stage of this wrong, it'll compromise the sound.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Getting everything in correct alignment,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45getting all the tensions even,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48all adds up in the end to giving the instrument
0:09:48 > 0:09:50the right voice, the right sound.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04With the repairs dry, John can press on with his sensitive renovation.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08The next thing to do is the fingerboard.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11And this, I think, is very moving, really.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15You can actually see fingerprints in it, and to think that was happening
0:10:15 > 0:10:18in the prison camp and all through the long history of the violin.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20But, unfortunately, that's all got
0:10:20 > 0:10:22to be smoothed out to make it playable.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33It's...quite an emotional thing,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35getting rid of these...
0:10:35 > 0:10:38the last traces of the family that have owned it.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It's now ready to play on for another 100 years or more.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55A new item is on its way into The Repair Shop.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Hello.- Hi.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Chris and Tim have brought something that's got Will and Steve scratching
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- their heads.- Right.- Right.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- What have we got?- I'll take that.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- Right.- It's a screen, but obviously it's seen better days.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- So it stands on its end...- Yes.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17..and you have to have it, obviously, in a sort of...
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- Snake.- Snake - good word, yeah.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21To keep it from falling over.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Yeah. So you can hide things behind it, you can divide a room with it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I mean, you could do that tantalising French fan dancer, dance
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- about behind it, and get changed behind it if you want to! - LAUGHTER
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- I've got an image of Steve doing that!- I'm guessing more of a room
0:11:34 > 0:11:36divider kind of thing, or hiding your big TV, or something!
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Ah, yes.- It's articulated and it's wired together.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42So there's wires running through the whole of it from one end
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- to the other?- Yeah.- And this has broken off?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- Yeah.- Is there anything else that's broken?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49There's a piece of damage on one of the ends.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51One of the end pieces has snapped off.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Oh, I think I've just found the broken piece here.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- There it is, yeah.- Right. Whereabouts did you get it from?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- Well, it's not ours...- OK. - ..it's our daughter Rosie's.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04When Rosie was a student in London, about 13 years ago,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07there was a chap throwing it out and it was on the pavement, and she
0:12:07 > 0:12:09asked the chap if she could take it.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- So he said, "Well, you can have it for six quid." - LAUGHTER
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And, being a student, you know, six quid was a lot of money, but she
0:12:14 > 0:12:17gave it to him because she just loved it, and to make it so it will
0:12:17 > 0:12:21last and it won't degenerate into a pile of firewood, you know,
0:12:21 > 0:12:22it would just be fab for her.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30It transpires the screen that was destined to be scrapped is, in fact,
0:12:30 > 0:12:35the creation of Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40He is considered by many to be a pioneer of 20th-century design.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41Ready?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43That is really stiff wire, isn't it?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Really stiff wire.- It's no wonder it's pulling through.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- On that end there, that... - It's really, really tight.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It's actually ripping through this section, isn't it?
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Yeah. OK, what I'll do is, I'm going to try to force this flat.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58It's going to break in places, but if you can order or get me some
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- wire...- Yeah.- ..I can make a start
0:13:00 > 0:13:02on the woodwork and then take it from there.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- OK, I'll get that sorted for you. - Thank you.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Thanks, Steve.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Over on his workbench,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Brenton's about to make a new screen for the World War I camera.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23This is a clear piece of glass,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and what I've got to do is, I've got to grind one side of it
0:13:25 > 0:13:26to make it opaque.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It needs to be opaque because this screen,
0:13:29 > 0:13:30the equivalent of a viewfinder,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34is what the image is projected onto when taking a picture.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37You just start
0:13:37 > 0:13:39to make circular motions.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43So this process takes about half an hour.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47You feel it in your hand - it's like sand, very fine sand.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50You can actually feel it grinding the glass.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54And that's looking quite good. As soon as that's dried off...
0:13:54 > 0:13:57It looks pretty good to me. Yeah, that's good.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Excellent. So that goes in there.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Perfect.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08To make sure the light hits
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Brenton's newly created plate correctly,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14his next job is to get the mechanism working.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18So I've just cleaned this shutter up and it hasn't been shot for probably
0:14:18 > 0:14:22100 years. So the next thing to do now is to fire it and see if we're
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- going to get an activation... - CAMERA CLICKS
0:14:25 > 0:14:26..and brilliantly, we do.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Wow!
0:14:32 > 0:14:36While Brenton overhauls the 100-year-old mechanism,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39The Repair Shop's leather expert, Suzie, is working on a secret
0:14:39 > 0:14:42project for the camera's owner, Phil.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46He brought a belt buckle that belonged to his relative,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49that he'd had in the war, and we
0:14:49 > 0:14:52thought it would be a nice idea as a surprise
0:14:52 > 0:14:56to make the belt buckle up into a usable belt for him.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00What I'm doing here is staining the edge of the leather.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04And the key is not to drip the edge stain down.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Meanwhile, repairs are underway on a more contemporary classic.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24Having sanded the screen's 82 slats three times each side,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27then polishing and varnishing them both sides,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Will can now turn his attention to the broken piece.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35I found some pine which sort of matches pretty closely to the piece
0:15:35 > 0:15:40that I need. So I'm just working out a way to join both pieces together.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Now comes the task of transforming the individual slats
0:15:43 > 0:15:46back into a Nordic design classic.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- Are you ready? - Have you got the wire?- I have, look.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- Let's give it a whirl. - Now, let me just get this right.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- Steve, you're going to feed his wire through this?- Yeah.- All right, let's see this.- Let us begin.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Hold on, I've got to find this hole first.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Well, that's the thick one. Come on, I'm in the lead.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- That's it.- OK, Steve, it's not a race, you're not going to win anything!
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I'm just doing it! I just...
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- Give me, give me some of that. - Yeah, go, go.- Thanks for taking over, Jay.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15You're more than welcome, sir. You're more than welcome. That's it.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Whoa, whoa, whoa, we've missed one, we've missed one. Missed two.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- Why don't have some sort of rhythm going, like...- Yeah.- .."heave-ho," or something?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- Then you could do it in time. - I totally agree with you. - LAUGHTER
0:16:26 > 0:16:27At the beginning we didn't have a rhythm,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- but now we're like the Commodores. - LAUGHTER
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- No, no, Steve's got it. Look, look, look.- Yeah! - LAUGHTER
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- Yay!- He won. I let him win.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Antique photography expert Brenton
0:16:49 > 0:16:52has been overhauling a century-old camera.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54He's refurbished all the components,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58now all he has to do is build a working camera from them.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00So it's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I just start at the bottom and work my way up.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Oh, there we go. I didn't think that
0:17:16 > 0:17:18was going to fit for a minute.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Yeah, that's good.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23The 100-year-old camera is rebuilt, but will it work?
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Guys, we're going to take a picture. Are you ready?
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Luckily, there's a motley crew of models on hand to test it on.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- So, just there you want us, yeah? - Yeah, if you could just line up.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- We'll line up along there. - Line up along there.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- What a pretty bunch. - Is it, stay very still?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41You'll have to keep quite still, yeah, please.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- Shall we pose?- You look beautiful.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45You don't have to do anything for a second.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47OK. Are you ready, guys?
0:17:47 > 0:17:51- Yeah.- OK, three, two, one... - CAMERA CLICKS
0:17:51 > 0:17:56- Oh, God!- Fingers crossed, that's it. - Yes!- Thank you, thank you.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- You got that photo, yeah? - Yeah. Keep...
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- Ho-ho-ho!- Guys, have a look at this. Come and see this photo.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10- What have you got? - That looks old time, innit?
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- Wow!- Oh, look at that! - Wow! That is absolutely brilliant.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18- It's amazing.- That's right, an old lens makes you look old-fashioned.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- Yeah.- I actually look like I'm a time traveller compared to you guys.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25- Like, how can someone in those times have such white teeth? - LAUGHTER
0:18:27 > 0:18:31- Or such knobbly knees. - Knobbly knees?!- Yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Phil Jones came to The Repair Shop,
0:18:35 > 0:18:40longing to take pictures with his great-grandfather's camera.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- How are we doing, Phil?- Mr Blades, sir.- You all right?- Yeah.- Let's go.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- Brenton, nice to see you again. - Nice to see you.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49- What was it like when you dropped it off?- Oh, it was a box of bits.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- So, would you like to have a look? - I would, yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- OK. There is your camera, sir. - Oh, my God!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Wow!
0:19:01 > 0:19:05It is absolutely amazing.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07- That's brilliant.- Do you want to have a look?- Yeah.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- I don't want to drop it! - LAUGHTER
0:19:10 > 0:19:14And it all works. The shutter works, everything works on it.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18That's amazing. Absolutely amazing. I can't believe you did it.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20I'm glad you like it.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22- Thank you very much, sir. - No problem at all.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25So, how does it feel to have it all restored and working?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I...
0:19:27 > 0:19:29I'm lost for words.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33I did not think it would be done. I was expecting a phone call,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37- saying, "Look, we had a go..." - LAUGHTER
0:19:37 > 0:19:39- "..but..."- But you're forgetting where you've come to -
0:19:39 > 0:19:42this is The Repair Shop, mate. Yeah? We can't give you that phone call.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It's working as well! Oh, I'm...
0:19:45 > 0:19:49- I'm amazed.- And we've got one more little thing for you.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53- What's that?- Well, when you came in, you left us a belt buckle.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56I said to the missus when I left it here, you know, I said,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- "I left it with my photographs..." Oh, my God!- Suzie... - LAUGHTER
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Suzie had the idea of making a belt for you.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08- Wow!- So that's your buckle, and that's Suzie's belt she made you.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10That's...that's beautiful!
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- Thank you very much.- Oh, bless you.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Brenton, thanks for everything - the belt, the camera.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19- It's been a pleasure. - Chuffed to bits, chuffed to bits.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- I'm glad you're pleased.- Yeah, that's...- Really, really good.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23I'm amazed.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29I feel...totally shell-shocked.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31I'm just amazed at the work that they've done.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35I did not think it could ever turn out that good.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38And when I saw this belt...
0:20:38 > 0:20:40it...
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I got a bit emotional. But, erm...
0:20:44 > 0:20:46this is something I'm going to treasure.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I'm going to keep it forever.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Will and Steve have reached a crucial stage with the classic
0:21:03 > 0:21:05mid-century screen...
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Righty-ho, here we go.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11..tightening the wires that keep the 82 individual slats together.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- So, if I pull this tight... - HE GROANS
0:21:15 > 0:21:17If I'm just tensioning...
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Too tight and the screen won't be flexible enough to stand up.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Too loose and the screen will simply fall over.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- That should be it.- Is it in?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- Yeah.- Perfect.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- That's good.- That's good, yeah.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Now we can tighten it,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- tension it even more the other side with the key.- Yeah.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40But not too much tension. You keep on putting too much of this tension
0:21:40 > 0:21:42on and it's causing some tension with me.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47- Don't worry about it, my boy.- You're making me feel tense.- I'm sorry.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48- OK, moment of truth. - Moment of truth.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Do you know, it's all going to go, "Whoa!", like this.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- LAUGHTER - It's not going to, Steve,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56especially with that tension you've been putting on it.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- I'm really happy with that.- That's fantastic.- It's great, isn't it?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- Yeah.- Yeah?- Wahey!
0:22:12 > 0:22:13- Erm, Steve?- Yes?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20- I don't know if you can... - LAUGHTER
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- Yeah? - LAUGHTER
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Chris and Tim are back, this time
0:22:34 > 0:22:37with the screen's owner - their daughter, Rosie.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41I'm a little bit excited, but also a bit nervous, because it wasn't
0:22:41 > 0:22:45in the best condition, and I know it wasn't.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49So, yeah, I'm just full of trepidation, really.
0:22:49 > 0:22:55- Hello.- Hiya.- So, Rosie, I've heard a lot about you and your screen.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Have you ever had a chance to actually use it?
0:22:58 > 0:22:59No. I'm already very surprised to see
0:22:59 > 0:23:02that you've got something flat underneath...
0:23:02 > 0:23:04- Well, you know.- ..the red sheets. - LAUGHTER
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- Would you like to have a look? - Yes, please!- OK.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Oh, my God! Look at that!
0:23:11 > 0:23:15LAUGHTER
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- No!- Come and have a look.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22- It's not the same one, is it? - Shall we stand it up?- Shall we?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- Yeah.- Yeah, let's.- Ready?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- Oh, look at that!- Oh, I can't believe that!
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Look at it, it's undulating at last! LAUGHTER
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I can't believe it. It looks amazing.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- So, are you going to use it now? - Yes, please.- Yeah?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Yes, yes, I think that would be very nice.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I'm so happy for you. That's wonderful.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52I can't believe that I managed to get hold of something as beautiful
0:23:52 > 0:23:56as this. I just never, ever imagined that it would ever look like that,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59so I'm really thrilled. It's such a transformation.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Over at John's desk, he's fine-tuning Natalie's violin,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16which survived the war in a concentration camp
0:24:16 > 0:24:19with her aunt Rosa, before being played professionally by her father.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- That looks nice, John.- Hello, Jay.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- You all right?- Yeah.- How are you getting on?- Well, it's job done.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27- So, have you finished then?- Yeah.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30So the last thing to do is put the mouse in, isn't it?
0:24:30 > 0:24:31Yes, yeah, I guess so.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34This little ball of fluff had been gradually building up
0:24:34 > 0:24:37over the 100-odd years since it was made,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40so it seems appropriate to pop it back in.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43In you go. Back home. There you go.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46The mouse has gone home, yeah, And the violin is finished.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51John's labour of love is complete.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The violin has passed down the family line,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58sustaining knocks and patches throughout its turbulent history,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02and in recent years had fallen into total disrepair.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05But John's biggest test remains -
0:25:05 > 0:25:09has he got the violin looking and sounding as Natalie remembers?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- Hello, Natalie.- Hello. - How you doing?- All right, thank you.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- Nice to see you.- Likewise. You've come for your violin?- Yes, please.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20John? Natalie's here.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25- Hello, John.- Hello, Natalie. Lovely to see you again.- Yes, and you.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- There it is.- Wow. - All in one piece again.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37It looks lovely, doesn't it?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Yes, we've put all the bits and pieces back in.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- And those parts there... - That was the main challenge.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- I've kept the pieces that were put in.- What a wonderful job.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- When was the last time you heard it played?- Well, before my father died,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52which...he died in 1983 or '84.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55So, what do you remember most fondly of your dad's playing?
0:25:55 > 0:25:57He loved the Hungarian music,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- the cigany violin music, that kind of thing.- Wonderful.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04So we do have someone who can play it. Chris, if you don't mind?
0:26:04 > 0:26:07The honour of playing the violin for the first time
0:26:07 > 0:26:11since Natalie's father falls to one of the country's leading violinists.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14John has drafted in Christian Garrick,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16who has also composed a special piece
0:26:16 > 0:26:18in honour of Natalie and her family.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I think this is just the man to play your fiddle for you.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25It would a great pleasure. It's very exciting.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32HE PLAYS EASTERN-FLAVOURED MELODY
0:27:04 > 0:27:07LAUGHTER
0:27:08 > 0:27:10That's wonderful.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Absolutely wonderful. - What is that song?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16It's a wee song which I imagined today,
0:27:16 > 0:27:17reading a bit of your history,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and I thought we'd call it Rosa's Wishing Waltz.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- Oh! I can't believe it. - LAUGHTER
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Thank you so much. It is wonderful.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30It is wonderful. I don't have words to say.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I'm beside myself. I... You know, the history of this
0:27:33 > 0:27:36violin, I'm grateful to be a part of it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It's just incredible that you've been able to restore it as you have,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41so thank you so much.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- I'm very pleased to have been able to help.- Thank you for playing.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- That was wonderful.- An honour. - Absolutely wonderful.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I just feel overwhelmed.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52I didn't realise it would be
0:27:52 > 0:27:56restored to how I remember it being played 30 years ago,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00and it was just beautiful - the melody, the tone.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I was suddenly transported back.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I could see my father playing.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06It was beautiful, beautiful.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Join us next time as more items are given a new lease of life...
0:28:19 > 0:28:21- Wow!- ..in The Repair Shop.