0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to The Repair Shop,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07where cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life...
0:00:07 > 0:00:08This is the workshop of dreams.
0:00:08 > 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 > 0:00:18they just bin it. But everybody has something that means too much to be
0:00:18 > 0:00:21thrown away, and that's where we come in.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Working alongside Jay will be some of the country's leading
0:00:24 > 0:00:26craftspeople...
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 > 0:00:34I've always played with things, I've always repaired things,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38- and I just love it.- There is a real pleasure in bringing people's pieces
0:00:38 > 0:00:40back to life again.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43..each with their own unique set of skills.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46- Right tool for the right job. - They will resurrect,
0:00:46 > 0:00:50- revive...- I'm warm, man! - ..and rejuvenate...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55treasured possessions and irreplaceable pieces of family
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- history...- Wow, 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!
0:01:26 > 0:01:28In The Repair Shop today,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30an antique clock that's had a mysterious accident...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34This is either an earthquake or a poltergeist.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Right, well, it must have been a really angry one, because this looks
0:01:37 > 0:01:41- absolutely battered.- ..and a badly damaged painting tests Lucia to the
0:01:41 > 0:01:43- limit.- This is a big job,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and I've got a lot of work cut out with this one.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It's quite a big tear.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57First into The Repair Shop today are Cherith and Simon Hathenthwait.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00They're here with a fragile heirloom in need of some serious
0:02:00 > 0:02:04attention from silversmith and metals expert, Brenton West.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Hello, how are we doing? I'm Jay. - Fine, thanks. Cherith.- Simon. - I'm Brenton.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15- So, what have we got in the bag? - This is a mirror that was given to me when I was eight
0:02:15 > 0:02:22by my nana, who gave me it, saying that her auntie
0:02:22 > 0:02:27- was a nurse, and she knew I wanted to be a nurse at eight...- Right.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30..so I got the mirror. But then, when I was ten,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I broke the mirror and I daren't tell her.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- And unfortunately, when I qualified as a nurse...- Yeah.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39..which is the whole reason I got it, my nan died,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43so she never knew it was broken, so in a way I'm glad she didn't know...
0:02:43 > 0:02:45- Yeah.- ..but now's my chance to get it repaired.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48So you kept it secret that it was broken?
0:02:48 > 0:02:52- I never told anybody that it was broken.- So how did you feel when you broke it?- Heartbroken.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55It's not something you can just nip out and get another one
0:02:55 > 0:02:56- from the shop, is it?- No.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So the painting on the back, is that anything to do with the family or is
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- that...?- I've no idea. I did try to research the name on the...
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- And what did you learn from that?- I couldn't even read it, to be honest.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08- Oh, right. OK. - LAUGHTER
0:03:08 > 0:03:11- That is someone's signature on there, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14So, once we've repaired this, what's going to happen with the mirror?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16My daughter is a nurse,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20- so it'd be really lovely to pass it on to her as a nurse.- OK.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- So you've kept the nursing in the family, then.- Yeah.- OK.- Yeah.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25All right. You can do it?
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- I think so.- So, leave it with us and we'll get it sorted.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- Is that all right? - Wonderful. Thank you.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Thank you for bringing it in.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Before he can start to repair the handle,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Brenton needs to establish what kind of metal he's dealing with.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51If this is white metal, which is a sort of cast zinc,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55if you heat it up, it just melts and...
0:03:55 > 0:03:58just disappears, so this would have to be glued.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03I'm hoping it's brass, because it'll make it a much better repair.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08If it's gold underneath, then we know it's brass.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11If it's white underneath, then we have to start to worry.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17And it certainly looks gold-coloured to me.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I'm quite happy that is a piece of brass.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The difficult bit is going to be
0:04:22 > 0:04:26getting the painting out and the mirror out,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30because I cannot heat this up with those in there,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32cos they'll just break.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Next to arrive at The Repair Shop is Joanna Edwards from Hampshire.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- Hello, I'm Steve.- I'm Joanna. - Hiya.- It's a bit heavy, I'm afraid.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- OK, that's all right.- She's hoping that horologist Steve Fletcher can
0:04:55 > 0:04:59repair a treasured timepiece that's had a rather puzzling mishap.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Right.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Gosh, this really is falling apart, isn't it?- Yes. - SHE LAUGHS
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Right, this is, um,
0:05:10 > 0:05:11a very nice clock.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- Thank you.- Why is it in this condition now?
0:05:14 > 0:05:18I woke up one morning at six o'clock to the most horrendous crash,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and it was going, "Bing, bing, bing, bing!"
0:05:20 > 0:05:23And I thought, "Oh, my God," I jumped out of bed, rushed down,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26and there was my clock on a tile floor...
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- Oh, gosh.- ..smashed to pieces.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Right, OK. How did it fall down?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Well, it was on this chest,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and my husband came rushing down and he saw this little wiggly line going
0:05:37 > 0:05:41across the dust that the feet had made.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- And we looked at it and thought, "There must have been an earth tremor."- Oh!
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The other alternative...
0:05:47 > 0:05:51- is that we have a family poltergeist. - LAUGHTER
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It must be the first poltergeist-damaged clock that I've
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- seen.- Well... - LAUGHTER
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I mean, this dates back to around about the, sort of,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02late 18th century.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Made by this very important maker, Josiah Emery...
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- Yes.- ..of London.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11So it is a very nice clock.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13What's the history of this clock?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Well, I know it belonged to my grandmother,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18because I remember it in their dining room
0:06:18 > 0:06:21when I was a small child, and then my mother inherited it,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and for years it was in their house.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27She loved the tick of it,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29and I feel a bit the same.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32I feel the tick of a clock is the heartbeat of a house.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- Absolutely.- And I would like to hear it again.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Right, OK, well, if you'd like to leave it with me,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40we'll get it all working as it should be and then we'll give you
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- your heartbeat back.- That would be just so wonderful.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- Thank you very much. Thank you. OK, bye-bye.- Right. Bye-bye now.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51When I woke up that morning and heard the crash and found the clock
0:06:51 > 0:06:54on the floor, I was devastated.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58I was the custodian of this clock, and I felt I'd let the family down.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So I shall be very happy when it ticks again.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07That should just come out now.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09There we go.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Oh, we've got this nice verge escapement here.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15This is what gives it the characteristic tick,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17the heartbeat that Joanna was talking about.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23The dial might not be original, but the mechanism is all original.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29It is a genuine Josiah Emery.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32I'll know more once I take it apart.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Josiah Emery was a renowned clockmaker in the 18th century.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39His visionary work was widely admired.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42He even made timepieces for King George III.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45On prestigious clocks such as this,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49it was common for preceding horologists to document their work.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52I can see on here some repair marks.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55There's May 1976.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56There's 1888.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00And November 17.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04So that's either 100 years or 200 years ago.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10So the next step is to start stripping the mechanism down.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Many of the items that arrive through the doors of The Repair Shop
0:08:21 > 0:08:23are examples of outstanding
0:08:23 > 0:08:25craftsmanship in need of an expert eye.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31Next to arrive is a work of art that might stretch painting conservator
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Lucia's highly honed talents.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38- Hello. - Hello. Mr Guthrie, Mrs Guthrie.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- I'm Neil.- I'm Lucia, hi, paintings conservator.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- You have a painting for us today. - I do indeed.- Lovely.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49OK.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Ooh! Ooh!- And there we have it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Wow, it's damaged, very damaged.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- It is.- A very large tear.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59What happened to this?
0:08:59 > 0:09:01- Dare you tell me? - I do dare tell you.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06It hangs on a wall very close to where I sit.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10I have a modified chair, because I'm quite arthritic,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and it has a latch that makes it
0:09:13 > 0:09:15recline, and the latch keeps slipping.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17The chair goes into the lampshade,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21the shade goes into the picture, and I'm sitting there, going...
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Oh, no!
0:09:23 > 0:09:25What can you tell me about the painting?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Well, it's...- Fog on the Thames, I can see it's called.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Yeah, it's Edwin Fletcher.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33We think about 1900.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Well, it's quite beautiful.
0:09:35 > 0:09:381900, yeah, that sort of figures, from the technique.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40And, obviously, it's a pea-souper.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Where did you get the painting from?
0:09:42 > 0:09:47My dad bought it. We saw it in a shop in Folkestone in about 1960.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51It would have been in my parents' house from the '60s,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55- right through until my mum had to go into an old folk's home...- Yeah.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59..and she gave it to me then, so I've had it for, what, 20 years,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- something like that?- So there's a long family history there.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03- Absolutely. - And it means a lot to you.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- It certainly does.- Yeah. It's quite a big tear.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- Yeah.- It's going to be quite difficult to repair that.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12This flaking was obviously going on before the tear.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Do you know why that happened?
0:10:14 > 0:10:18I suspect because my dad will have put an electric heater in...
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Ah, OK.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- ..underneath where it was.- So that causes the canvas to expand and
0:10:23 > 0:10:25contract, and this is why you get the flaking.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27In terms of progress on what we need to do,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31I will start by protecting this damaged paint,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and then I'll treat the tear.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35If you're happy to leave it with me, I'll get on with it.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- I certainly am. Thank you. - Marvellous.- Thank you, thank you.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I've got a lot of work cut out with this one.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46It's quite a big tear.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49This is heat damage.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52There's a lot of little tiny blisters of paint.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Most damage is done by humans.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58The best thing you can do if you've got a painting, hang it on the wall.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Keep it away from heat, so over no radiators or fires,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05no lights anywhere near them.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07No direct sunlight.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09This is a big job.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12We'll see. We'll see if I can get it
0:11:12 > 0:11:15back into play and fixed.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Clockmaker Steve has taken on an 18th-century clock with an
0:11:23 > 0:11:26impressive pedigree. It took a tumble,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and as a result needs extensive
0:11:28 > 0:11:32repairs to its mechanism, casing and dial.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35This is most certainly not a solo project.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38- Are you bringing me a gift, Steve? - I am, yes.- Wow!
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Oh, wow! Goodness!
0:11:41 > 0:11:45First port of call is ceramic restorer Kirsten...
0:11:45 > 0:11:49I would suggest, actually, a coloured fill on that.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- OK, that would be great. - Yeah, I could do that.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56...while woodworker Will is going to attend to the clock's damaged case.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- I've got a little job here for you. - What on earth has happened there?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Yeah, so it's either an earthquake or a poltergeist.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Right, well, it must have been a really angry one,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07because this looks absolutely battered.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09It is in such poor condition.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- Leave it with me.- OK, cool.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- Cheers, Steve.- Cheers.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20This is a huge job.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23There are massive cracks going inside the structure there.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Scratches to the veneer.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Missing veneer, loose veneer.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31And that's it.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33He says! There's lots of work to be doing, though.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Lots of work needing to be done.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Now Steve can address the area that took the majority of the impact -
0:12:41 > 0:12:46the frame that held the clock's glass, known as the bezel.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48So, at the moment, I'm just trying
0:12:48 > 0:12:52to figure out the best way of straightening the dents in
0:12:52 > 0:12:56this bezel. I need to get a glass fitted into this bezel,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and the glass will be circular.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01So I've got to make a perfect circle.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Not sure how I'm going to do that at the moment.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12I'm just scoring a circle, so that will give me something to work on.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16It's a long way out.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Metals expert Brenton is working on
0:13:34 > 0:13:37an old hand mirror with a broken handle.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40But before he can piece it back together, he needs to take it all
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- apart.- Now I've established this is brass and I need to get this lovely
0:13:44 > 0:13:49porcelain thing out of here, because I cannot heat this up.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55It is quite loose now, so I think I'm going to give it a little go and
0:13:55 > 0:13:58see if that will pop out of there.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00There we go, look at that.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Oh, it's even got some nice writing on there.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05It's got, in script,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08"Madame de Crequy," which is obviously a French name.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Some extra digging reveals that the name on the porcelain is also the
0:14:14 > 0:14:17subject of the portrait.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21The Marquise de Crequy was an 18th-century aristocrat and woman of
0:14:21 > 0:14:24letters who wrote about court life from the reign of Louis XIV
0:14:24 > 0:14:26through to Napoleon.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Now that the Marquise is safely out of harm's way,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Brenton can reattach the broken handle.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I've got to get this lined up, so that when I solder this,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44this is at the right angle, it's not moved that way or that way.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46So what I'm going to do, I've put my
0:14:46 > 0:14:48solder paste on the joint.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52I'm just going to heat it up till the solder paste melts.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56It's important to heat it evenly so that you don't heat one bit up more
0:14:56 > 0:14:58than the rest of it and make it
0:14:58 > 0:15:01twist or go out of shape.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Fingers crossed, that's done.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Right, I've soldered this back on here now. It's nice and strong.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11And this bit here is brass.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15This bit was gold-leafed, so I'm now going to apply some size
0:15:15 > 0:15:19to this and then some gold leaf to it.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Size is a type of adhesive used to attach gold leaf to a surface.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28Once the liquid is applied, it has to be left until it becomes tacky.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31I've got a sheet of gold leaf there. I'm going to put this
0:15:31 > 0:15:35mirror down on the gold leaf and pick it up,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38like...that.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Then I'm going to turn it over...
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and then, with a brush,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I'm going to very gently work this into the mirror.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53So we're just really gently dabbing it on, and it will stick to the
0:15:53 > 0:15:58size, where the size is, and wherever there isn't any size,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01the gold leaf just falls away.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Across the workshop, Lucia is having to delve deep into her conservator's
0:16:09 > 0:16:13box of tricks to tackle the heat-damaged and badly ripped
0:16:13 > 0:16:15pea-souper painting.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20I'm securing the paint along the edges of the very long tear that we
0:16:20 > 0:16:23saw. I'm using isinglass.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26It looks like plastic. It's actually fish glue.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28It's very compatible with the
0:16:28 > 0:16:31adhesive that's been used to prepare the canvas originally.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37I'm using a heated spatula at quite a low temperature.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The idea is, the warmness of the glue starts to soften with that
0:16:40 > 0:16:42lifting paint. And hopefully,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47the lifting paint will flatten and reattach itself to the canvas.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51The adhesive also softens the threads that have been stretched,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55so I'll be able to push those back through to the back of the tear.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00This is a piece of nylon gossamer,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02so the patch goes over the tear.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05It's a very light patch, but actually very strong.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12For the next stage of the painting's revival,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Lucia turns to another of her own talents.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18She must now paint her own repairs to blend in seamlessly with the
0:17:18 > 0:17:20original artist's work.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I'm just doing the first stage of retouching,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and what I'm doing is knocking out the white filler
0:17:29 > 0:17:32that I've put in. So I'm putting in, basically, a base coat,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and I'm actually using watercolour.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38The artist's palette is actually a fairly narrow palette of colours.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41So the colour mix for this palette will be earth colours.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46There's a lot of yellow ochre in here, a lot of lead white.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48This bluey-greeny colour down here
0:17:48 > 0:17:51will be Prussian blue and yellow ochre.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53There's actually no green in here.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57So what I'm actually doing with the base coat is very basic,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59mixing up a yellow ochre with a
0:17:59 > 0:18:03little bit of titanium white just to make it a shade lighter.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07You really are working with the painter,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and working out how they've worked.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12It's really fantastic to be able to do that.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Steve is using a three-pronged attack to get a beloved but badly
0:18:18 > 0:18:21damaged clock back in business.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24I'm very happy with the way that has worked out, actually.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28That would be good for a good number of years,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30until the next poltergeist comes along.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33This is an almighty task,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36and with the 200-year-old mechanism completely dismantled,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39there's no turning back now.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40This clock's come up really well.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I've put it in the clock-cleaning fluid and taken it out,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and then I've scrubbed up every individual piece.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52I do like to see a clock like this looking bright and shiny,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55the way that it would have been when it was brand-new.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01I've popped a new main spring into the barrel...
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and I've got a new line to pop on as well.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12The new line is a steel cord which transfers power from the main spring
0:19:12 > 0:19:15to the clock's wheels.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16So I've now got Joanna's clock
0:19:18 > 0:19:21ticking and...
0:19:21 > 0:19:23striking beautifully.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30After hours of painstaking fine brushwork,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35a repaired and revived painting of a Thames pea-souper is beginning to
0:19:35 > 0:19:37emerge from the fog.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39So, how are you getting on with Neil's painting?
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- Hi, Jay.- You all right?- Yeah, good. It's a long process.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44It's a very bad tear.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- But you've fixed that. Look at that! - I've actually just patched it.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- You've put a patch on the back. - Yeah, you can see it, it's sealed on to that tear to hold it together.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55And then this bit, what's going on here then? There's quite a lot of damage, though, isn't there?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58A lot of damage. Somebody has had a go at retouching.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And, in actual fact, this white here, it's a bit difficult to see in
0:20:01 > 0:20:03this light, but this white here is
0:20:03 > 0:20:07actually the sun coming through this murkiness,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- this smog of the pea-souper.- Right. - And that was actually covered up.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15- Ah!- So it's a lot more, sort of, there's a lot more going on in that area.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- I get it. That's quite cool, man. You've got a fair bit to do, haven't you?- Yeah, quite a bit to do.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22So you're going to get rid of all of this, blend it all in, like you do?
0:20:22 > 0:20:24This is a daylight light.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27You can see it casts a light across the surface of the painting.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29So that's why this is all really pronounced,
0:20:29 > 0:20:34- because this light is picking it up. - OK.- So you're seeing it in a very...
0:20:34 > 0:20:36So when you take that away, I won't see all of that?
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- Well, you'll probably see some of it! - LAUGHTER
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- Right, well I'm going to leave you. - I'm not a wizardess.- All right.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48At the metalwork bench, Brenton is returning the ceramic portrait to
0:20:48 > 0:20:50the delicate brass hand mirror.
0:20:52 > 0:20:58So that's Madame de Crequy sealed back into her frame.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I'm really happy. This has come out really well,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03and it's back to its original self again.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08The mirror had been hidden away, unused for decades.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Restored to its former glory,
0:21:10 > 0:21:14it's now ready to be reunited with its owner, Cherith, and her husband,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19- Simon.- Hi.- Hi. All right? So, remind me what you brought me.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I brought you a porcelain mirror with a handle that I broke when I
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- was ten.- Well, we've had a little go at it,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and we're pretty pleased with what's happened. I hope you are as well.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- Oh, my Lord! - SHE LAUGHS
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Oh, wow!
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Gosh, it looks so different!
0:21:41 > 0:21:43I'm frightened of picking it up now, with the handle.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46It's like bringing back memories of when I was ten.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50It's absolutely beautiful.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54You forget what it looks like whole,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57because I've looked at it for so many years in pieces.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59So, what would your grandmother think now?
0:21:59 > 0:22:04- Aww! I looked after it really well! - LAUGHTER
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It's gorgeous. You've done such a wonderful job.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10- Thank you.- I'm glad she never knew that it was broken.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- She knows now. - She does know now, yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- I think she'll be pleased, though, that we got it fixed. - She knows it's fixed.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20- We like to put smiles on people's faces.- Well, you certainly did that.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22- Good.- Thank you ever so much.- No problem at all.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24OK, there you go. Thank you.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Absolutely thrilled with the mirror.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Quite nostalgic.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33It's been in that box, broken, for 40 years...
0:22:33 > 0:22:35well, more than 40 years.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38It's also nice, as well, knowing that it's repaired and that it'll go
0:22:38 > 0:22:42to the next nurse in our family.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Lucia's giving a final once-over to her restoration of the damaged
0:22:53 > 0:22:55painting, but before it can be
0:22:55 > 0:22:58returned, there's still one piece missing.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- Right, frame's all done. - Great, let's have a look.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And I've lined it as well.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Oh, fantastic, brilliant!
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- How's that?- Yeah, that's saved me a job. That's great.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Let's see if it fits.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- Look at that.- Yeah, yeah. - You see how tight a fit it is now?
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- Ah!- Hardly any space.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19With the painting now back snug in its frame,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22it's ready to take pride of place in the home of its owners,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Neil and Viv.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- Hello.- Hello, hi.- Lucia, you've got some visitors here.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- Hi, Viv, lovely to see you again. - Hello.- Welcome back.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- Nice to see you again.- Hello, Neil, nice to see you. OK, are you ready?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Oh, my goodness! O-o-oh! Oh!
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Stunning!- My goodness!
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- Beautiful.- I am absolutely stunned at how that has repaired.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- I just can't see it. I mean... - I think...
0:23:49 > 0:23:52I was expecting to see some sort of a dent there or something.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Well, in actual fact,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56when I'd done the moisture treatment and pulled all the threads of the
0:23:56 > 0:23:59canvas together, they all kind of went back together again, really...
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- Well, it's had a surface clean. - I like the rowing boat now.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- It's just so much clearer. - It is so much clearer,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and the oar and the little waves that come in there.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11So where's it going to sit in the house when it goes back?
0:24:11 > 0:24:14We're arguing about that, because if I put it back in the same place,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- there's a possibility that it might get the same rip again.- Oh, no!- No! - LAUGHTER
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- So, who won the argument then? Where's it going?- I did!
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- Oh, you... Say no more! So where is it going, then? - LAUGHTER
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It's going back in its original spot.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28The painting is on the wall and there should be no problem
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- whatsoever.- Right, OK.- OK. Well, it's a great painting.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- Hope you enjoy it for years to come. - Oh, yeah.- Yeah.- I've missed it.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- I can't say "thank you" enough. - Yeah, I've really missed it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- You've done a wonderful job. - Well, thank you. Well, I'll wrap
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- this up for you, and then you can take it away.- Yeah.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Lucia's done a brilliant job, you know, really has.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I'm really thrilled, I really am.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55It's better than I hoped it would be,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and I can't wait to get it home.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08The Repair Shop squad has joined
0:25:08 > 0:25:11forces to rescue a notable timepiece.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15The beloved clock is nearing the end of its long road to recovery.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- Hey! Oh! Doesn't that look good? - It's very good, isn't it?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- Are you pleased with it?- I'm really pleased with it.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25So your task now is to get that in there,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27and then another happy customer.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- Hopefully.- Hopefully. - LAUGHTER
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Just one final push to get this
0:25:34 > 0:25:37distinguished piece ready for collection.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I'm now going to fit the bezel on,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and hopefully it'll be...
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- all OK now. If I can find the right hole. - HE CHUCKLES
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Someone was just looking down on me right then.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Thank you!
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Good. OK, let's pop it into the case.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16There we are.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20The Repair Shop's work is complete,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22and not a moment too soon.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Joanna is back, ready for the familiar tick of her dear old clock.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31- Hi, Joanna.- Hello.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- Nice to see you again. - It's lovely to see you.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38- I'm really looking forward to seeing that.- Right, OK, I won't keep you in suspense any longer.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- Please don't.- Right, there we go.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42Wow!
0:26:46 > 0:26:47That's amazing!
0:26:52 > 0:26:55That's incredible! Look at that.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Oh, my friend.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Thank you so, so much.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05You're very, very welcome.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07It's been a real pleasure to do.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09CLOCK TICKS
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Sounds wonderful. That's, that's the sound I want.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Thank you very much.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It is just a lovely-sounding tick.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22- I think so.- And Will's done an awful lot to this case.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24- Somebody's done an awful lot to it! - LAUGHTER
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Will, can you come over?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30It is amazing.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- Pleased?- Delighted.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35More than delighted!
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I almost want Steve to take it all apart again on the inside so you can
0:27:38 > 0:27:41see the amazing job that he's done. It looks beautiful inside.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45- Can I have a look?- Yes. Let me just swivel it round for you.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Oh, gosh, wow!
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Goodness me. That's fantastic.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Thank you so much. Thank you both very much.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- OK...- Thank you very much.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I don't think it's ever looked so good. Certainly not in my lifetime.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07It's an old friend being given a really, really good face-lift.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I feel my house has got its heartbeat back now.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Join us in The Repair Shop next time,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23as the team tackles more extraordinary items that have seen
0:28:23 > 0:28:25better days,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27and gives them a new lease of life.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29- That's fantastic! - LAUGHTER