The Repair Shop

Today in the Repair Shop, it's all hands on deck as Jay Blades and the crew bring three treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life. First into the barn is a well-worn commemorative cricket ball that is a much-loved keepsake and a symbol of a father's sporting prowess. Owner Tina Loughran has travelled from Northampton to see if leather expert Susie Fletcher and fine art conservator Lucia Scalisi can save a little piece of her family history. Her Dad Stanley was a talented amateur sportsman, and was awarded the cricket ball in 1948 for outstanding Sporting Achievement. Sadly it is now battered and bruised with a gaping crack down the centre, and Stanley's name, once proudly painted in gold is on the verge of disappearing. Metal expert Dom Chinea and wood restorer Will Kirk team up to tackle the restoration of a treasured steering wheel from a scrapped Scottish fishing boat. Now a jumble of broken wooden pieces, the dilapidated wheel is a far cry from being in ship shape and Bristol fashion. For owner Tony Sayer from Merseyside, the wheel is a much-treasured artefact, representing happy memories of childhood summers, and a precious reminder of lost loved ones.  Finally a charming but fragile sailor doll that has been in the care of one family of football supporters for over a 100 years. This Portsmouth Football Club Mascot is a lucky charm for owner John Gibbens. It was pinned to his grandfather's jacket in 1939 as Portsmouth won their first FA Cup final at Wembley, and John wore it when they won the cup again in 2008. Ceramic Expert Kirsten Ramsey has the intricate and unenviable job of piecing the smashed doll's head back together, whilst bear repair pair Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell  make the mascot's body robust enough to withstand any future cup final fixtures.