
Jay Blades and the team bring four treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life. \n \nToday’s first arrival at the barn is a not just a cherished family possession but also an account of survival in the face of adversity. This Jewish prayer book belonged to Gary Fisher’s Austrian grandparents Emanuel and Gisela. They were unable to leave Austria after it was annexed by Germany in 1938 and were eventually sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp. Though many of Gary’s family didn’t survive the camps, at the end of the war Emanuel and Gisela were liberated along with the book. Signed by many of the camp's other residents, it’s an important record of the era and a treasured family possession. This delicate restoration and conservation project is in the hands of the barn’s book expert Chris Shaw, who will need all of his book-binding skills to preserve this unique and treasured item. \n\nMark Stuckey’s audio expertise will be tested by the barn’s next arrival - an ageing and very damaged radio brought in by Geoff Allum and his wife Jane. This radio is showing all the signs of the wild adventure on which it accompanied Geoff and his late cousin Donald. In 1971, they set off in a two-man rowing boat to cross the Atlantic from east to west. It took them just over 73 days, and the radio was a vital tool on their adventure. With just a sextant for navigation, listening to the BBC World Service gave Geoff and Don an accurate time of day to help them establish their location, chart their progress and work out for how long they would need to preserve and ration their precious stores of fresh water. Though the radio is badly damaged and hasn’t worked for many years, Geoff is hoping Mark’s expertise may mean he can one day hear it playing again.\n\nNext to arrive at the barn, a stylish futuristic mid-century chair brought in by Tracy Dodds and her daughter Florrie. The chair was bought in the 1970s by Tracy's father Guy, a keen follower of fashion and design. Not only was it an enclosed egg design finished in striking white with red upholstery, but inside it held a hidden secret that delighted Tracy and her siblings - a set of speakers that would envelope the sitter in the sounds of their dad’s favourite Elvis tracks. Sadly, the speakers haven’t worked for nearly 30 years, and the chair itself is showing its age, with the shell and upholstery deteriorating. To revive this stunning piece back to its best, it will need a combination of the talents of the barn’s upholstery expert Sonnaz Nooranvary and resident electronics whizz Mark Stuckey. \n\nFinally, Ramzi Al-Nayazi has brought in a treasured toy from his childhood growing up in Iraq. It’s a mechanical horse-racing game from the 1950s, and Ramzi fondly remembers his whole family gathered round this game, cheering on their chosen horses. Ramzi brought the game with him when he left Baghdad, but it hasn’t worked for many years, and now he is keen to play it again with his own family. The runners and riders are going to need the modelling and mechanical skills of David Burville and the expertise of fabric aficionado Sara Dennis to get them back across the finishing line.
Source: BBC 2
Series 15: Episode 1
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Series 14: Episode 11
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Series 14: Episode 8
First through the workshop doors is Bev, bringing a local landmark that has lost its way. The dilapidated village sign from Broome in Norfolk was designed for the millennium by ...
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BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 25
First into the barn is Alistair Waite, with a fragile cake topper from his parents’ wedding cake, which holds memories of a childhood spent growing up in the circus. The c ...
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BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 7
Setting bear ladies Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch the first task – with strings attached – Jill Purves and her daughter Vickie, from Biggar in Scotland. Bulb ...
20-10-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 10
First through the workshop doors is Ben, with an unusual item needing a joint crusade to get it back on its feet. Silversmith Brenton West, woodworker Will Kirk and leather expe ...
17-10-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 9
It's the return of smoke and mirrors from times past as Camilla arrives with a groundbreaking form of Victorian entertainment she’d like to see back in action. Her revolvi ...
16-10-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 3
Arriving first at the barn is Ian with some footwear that has proven essential to his life. He bought what he calls his ‘soldier boots’ 19 years ago and wears them a ...
15-10-2025
BBC 2
Series 15: Episode 1
First into the barn is John from Holywell, with a unique family heirloom – a detailed working model of a Welsh coal mine, built by his grandfather over 100 years ago. The ...
28-10-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: 17. Ve Day Special
To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the team open the barn doors to four very special items, each with an extraordinary wartime story behind them. \n\nHorologist Steve Flet ...
13-05-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 20
Four more treasured items arrive at the barn, each with emotional and historical weight, and all requiring careful restoration.\n\nFirst through the doors are Thomas and his gra ...
16-09-2025
BBC 2
Series 5 (extended Versions): Episode 14
Jay Blades and the team bring four treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life.\n\nFirst into the barn today, a mid-century coffee table that has been p ...
01-09-2021
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 23
The team of expert craftspeople welcome the owners of four more cherished heirlooms steeped in personal history and emotional significance.\n\nFirst through the barn doors is a ...
07-10-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 19
The team take on four more remarkable restorations steeped in personal history and cultural heritage.\n\nFirst through the barn doors is Ruth from Nottinghamshire, carrying a we ...
09-09-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 21
The team take on four unique items, each carrying deep emotional weight and powerful personal stories.\n\nFirst through the barn doors is a giant plush hound dog, gifted to the ...
23-09-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 22
The team of expert craftspeople welcome four more cherished heirlooms steeped in personal history and emotional significance.\n\nFirst into the barn is a pair of cowboy boots br ...
30-09-2025
BBC 2
Series 14: Episode 11
First into the barn is Zelda, with her most precious possession, a ring bought by her father on a day out together when she was a teenager. But the ring looks nothing like it or ...
22-10-2025
BBC 2