The Repair Shop

S05:E44 - Alabaster Light, Piano Stool, Toy Bus

Today in the Repair Shop, Jay Blades and the team bring four treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life.The first arrival at the barn is Eloise McKenna from Kent. She brings what could be the trickiest restoration yet for ceramics expert Kirsten Ramsay. The large alabaster light shade belongs to Eloise's sister and was smashed to smithereens in an unfortunate accident. Kirsten has a giant puzzle on her hands and she must call on all of her experience and patience to piece it back together again. She teams up with art conservator Lucia Scalisi to help with the daunting task. Alabaster proves to be a tricky material to work with but together they achieve the near impossible and return the beautiful lightshade to the sisters, who are quite overcome.The barn's next arrival, Emma Collins from East Sussex, has brought a piano stool for leather expert Suzie Fletcher. This tired piece of furniture has been handed down through four generations of her very musical family and holds particularly fond memories for Emma of her grandparents. Suzie strips the stool back to its bare bones, allowing her to spruce up the wooden frame. The latticed leather seat pad is beyond repair so Suzie sets about creating a replica with impressive results.And metal expert Dominic Chinea welcomes Barbara Walker from Moray in Scotland with her precious childhood toy. The bus is a replica of the buses of 1960s Glasgow but after decades in the garage it needs a full service. The metal work is very rusty, sections are loose or missing and the bell is on the blink. Dom takes great pleasure in transforming this beloved bus into a toy that future generations of Barbara's family can enjoy.