The Repair Shop

S08:E04 - Fishing Hut Painting, Flying Helmet, Oud

Three precious heirlooms are resuscitated by the team of experts, reviving the memories they hold.Elsa is the first to arrive at the barn, with her family's painting by the eminent Scottish artist Stanley Cursitor, much to conservator Lucia Scalisi's delight. It depicts fishing huts on the rugged coast of the Scottish island of Orkney. Elsa's great, great grandfather was a fisherman on the island and would spend many months each year living in the huts fishing for lobsters. It was there that he became friends with artist Stanley Cursitor who would return every summer to paint the beautiful coastline. The pair became friends and Stanley gifted this painting to him which has been passed down the generations of Elsa's family. However, the painting is now in peril. The wooden board, on which the scene was painted, is infested with woodworm which are still active. They are slowly but surely destroying the painting. Lucia must act swiftly to rescue this precious painting. Luthier Julyan Wallis is next to be tasked with a challenging restoration. Chaaban has brought along a family treasure that was badly damaged twenty years ago on its journey from Chaaban's family home in Lebanon. The Arabic stringed instrument, called an oud, belonged to his late father who would entertain Chaaban and his ten siblings in the evenings. The distinctive sound instantly takes Chaaban back to his childhood and reminds him of the dancing, love and joy that was at the heart of his family. Julyan Wallis carefully pieces it back together and gets it singing once again.Finally, Samantha and her brother Lewis arrive with their grandmother's leather flying helmet for the attention of Suzie Fletcher. The siblings recently lost their trailblazing grandmother and are determined to preserve this significant piece of aviation history, along with the achievements of a remarkable woman. Yvonne Pope Sinters was the first female commercial jet pilot in UK, overcoming countless obstacles to do what she loved. Suzie is only too happy to work on this fascinating 1950s leather helmet, complete with rubber mouthpiece…. devising a clever technique to repair the perished rubber.