The Repair Shop

S08:E11 - Marching Bass Drum, Frog Mug, Windmill

Today, it's a labour of love for Jay Blades and the team as they resuscitate three precious family heirlooms. First, beating a path to the barn doors is Jim, joined by his wife Heather and bandmate Sally – all proud members of the Dalkeith and Monktonhall Brass Band. They are here to meet Pete Woods and Dominic Chinea in the hope they can perform a miracle on their band's beautiful, hand painted bass drum. It's been stored under a church altar for decades and was only recently retrieved. Jim and Heather were disappointed to see just how damaged it had become and decided to get it restored as a symbol of their band's heritage. Pete marches on repairing the hoops and adding new skin. Meanwhile Dom's steady hand and laser focus come into play as he repaints the heraldry and illustrations. But when the trio return, they've got their own surprise in store for the experts.Ceramics expert Kirsten Ramsay greets Judy who's brought in precious cargo, a beer mug that belonged to her late dad that's been smashed into smithereens. Judy's father died when she was just five years old, but she remembers fun times with him in which the mug played a central role. Lurking inside, at the bottom of the mug, is a ceramic frog. Each evening, their fun-loving father would drink out of the mug and feign shock at finding a frog at the bottom, much to Judy and her brother Nick's delight. However, the mug recently broke in a house move, just weeks after her dear brother Nick died, leaving Judy heartbroken. Kirsten painstakingly pieces the mug back together, concealing the joins before returning it to a jubilant Judy.Brother and sister John and Helen bring one of their late dad's creations to ask for the team's help. A local GP, their father made this wooden model of a windmill incorporating tongue decompressors from his surgery. But its mechanical motor no longer works and the wooden elements also need a clean bill of health. It's down to Lou Bainbridge and Mark Stuckey to give this treasured item a new lease of life.