The Repair Shop

S04:E05 - Go-Kart, Handwork Leatherwork, Cat Figurine

Today in the Repair Shop, Jay Blades and the team bring three treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life. Metalworker Dominic Chinea uses all his expertise to make a dilapidated and unsafe vintage go-kart roadworthy once again. Made by iconic toy manufacturer Triang, the go-kart has been loved to near destruction by two generations of children, and owner Mervyn is keen to see it be enjoyed by his grandchildren. But before it can be ridden again, Dom needs to remake the seat, address the damaged paintwork, and call upon the skills of bike restorer Tim Gunn to fix up the rickety wheels.Ceramics conservator Kirsten Ramsay faces an unusual challenge in the shape of a charming little papier maché cat figurine, hand-made by Joan de Bethel in 1953 as a gift to her future husband David. They didn't realise it at the time, but this turned out to be a highly significant prototype, as Joan and David ended up devoting themselves full-time to crafting thousands of these highly collectible ceramic cats. This, the original De Bethel Cat, has seen much better days and is in dire need of conservation, posing a huge challenge for Kirsten, working in a medium she's not familiar with.And master saddlemaker Suzie Fletcher is called upon to restore a hand-crafted leather gun slip, commissioned 30 years ago by Kim Davey as a gift for his father's 60th birthday. It's a an item of huge emotional significance for Kim, and Suzie calls upon all her care and attention to lovingly breathe new life back into this cherished item.