Enter a workshop filled with expert craftspeople, bringing loved pieces of family history and the memories they hold back to life. A heartwarming antidote to throwaway culture.
Season 13 - Episode 16
First through the barn doors is broadcaster Sally Magnusson, who is hoping furniture restorer Sonnaz Nooranvary can help safe a precious memento from her late father – the original Mastermind chair that was featured in every programme for Mastermind’s first 25 years under the chairmanship of her father Magnus Magnusson. It was given to him in 1997 when he retired from hosting the icon quiz show. It’s lived in Sally’s house since her dad’s death in 2007 and is looking the worse for wear. For Sally, it’s much more than a telly prop – it reminds her of an era when she was growing up, her dad was making the programme and he suddenly became a celebrity.
As Sonnaz gets to work on the iconic prop, she discovers the areas that need immediate attention are on the arms. The leather has slowly worn over time. And at the base, there's some really heavy creasing where nervous contestants once sat. She needs to line the leather to give it some extra strength. Over the years, the padding on the inside has really compressed down, and that needs to be brought back to life again. Unexpected structural damage in the arms means she also needs to call in the help of Dom Chinea.
Conducting the next repair is Pete Woods, who tackles an out-of-tune and worn-out glockenspiel that holds deep sentimental value for sisters Mandy Fletcher and Tina Kay from Leeds. The glockenspiel, once belonging to their father Ken Newton, holds a special place in their hearts, as it reminds them of their father's days as a talented percussionist and drummer at the renowned Batley Variety Club. As part of the house band, their father played alongside some of the biggest musical stars of the day, including Louis Armstrong, Jay Orbison and Shirley Bassey. But the years of touring and performing have left the glockenspiel past its peak. So, while Pete focuses on restoring its tone and functionality, colleague Suzie Fletcher lends a hand on the battered case. Together, the talented duo transform the tired instrument into a playable treasure, symbolising the enduring bond between the sisters and their beloved father.
Next in the barn is Jennie Jewitt-Harris from Surrey with a storybook that has its own extraordinary tale to tell. A children’s book given to her dad Tony in 1943 on his eighth birthday, which still has the inscription inside the cover wishing him a happy birthday. Just 12 months later, as World War II raged on, the book that entertained him would also save his life. In 1944, Jennie’s dad was lying in bed in his home in Chingford when German planes launched a bombing campaign to try and hit the local reservoirs. One bomb ripped the front and the roof off Tony’s family house, and he was found lying with the book on his chest and a big shard of glass sticking out the back of the book. With such an incredible story behind the book, Chris Shaw must proceed cautiously with his repair. There's no spine, and the pages need re-sewing. But since the damage is also part of the book’s story, it's important that he keeps the age and provenance of where the glass pierced it.
Last to arrive are Peter and Laura from Smethwick. The grandfather and granddaughter are hoping that expert woodworker Will Kirk can repair a precious toy that’s been in their family for generations. The wooden toucan mobile was originally given to Laura as a baby and stayed with her until she left home at 18. When Laura gave birth to her own son, Rory, it was immediately decided that the toucan, affectionately known as ‘Mr Toucs’, should go into baby Rory’s room. However, an accident during transport saw Mr Toucs lost on a farm and part of him run over on a nearby A road! Laura and her grandfather Peter can’t bear to be without their beloved mobile and want Will to make a new wing and the cloud that used to hang above the bird to take pride of place in baby Rory’s bedroom. With new component parts to make, Will can see how the bird should go together. But it’s the flapping mechanism that he wants to demonstrate to Peter and Laura when they return to the barn.
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