The Repair Shop

Today in the Repair Shop, Jay Blades and the team bring three treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life.The first job of the day falls to cobbler Dean Westmoreland. Angela Rushforth and her daughter Eve arrive with a pair of 70 year old roller skates that once belonged to Angela's mum Irene. Back in the late 1940's Angela's parents romance blossomed at the Astoria roller rink in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. They later married and were together for 67 years, until Irene's death in 2019. Angela is hoping having the skates restored will give her dad Colin a bit of a lift. For all his years of experience, Dean has never worked on a pair of roller skates before and with a tear in one of the toes, missing eyelets and faded leather to attend to, he has plenty to keep him busy.Next to arrive at the barn are sisters Fredericka and Louisa Charles. They bring with them a 1960's radiogram that belonged to their parents, hopeful that electronics whizz Mark Stuckey can get it working once again. Their parents were part of the Windrush generation, arriving in the UK from Dominica in the Caribbean. The radiogram was one of their first major purchases after arriving in the UK and the sisters remember it playing during Sunday afternoon get togethers with friends and family. Music and dancing brought everyone together and the sisters remember their father was a good dancer who liked Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. While Mark tackles the electronics, upholstery expert Sonnaz Nooranvary gets to work replacing a torn fabric panel.Mechanical Expert David Burville is on duty as cousins Tamsin and Daniel arrive with a toy fire engine built by Daniel's great grandfather Francis. Francis was in service during the blitz and the model is a replica of the fire engine he worked on. During the war toys were in short supply so the engine was made as a present for Tamsin's dad. With a working extension ladder, lights, and a motor to propel it, the model is a finely crafted piece that takes all of David's skill to restore.