Catch up TV

Series 10: Episode 12

Jay Blades and the team bring four treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life. \n\nFirst to arrive at the barn is Vos van Marken. Originally from the Netherlands, Vos brings with him what looks like a leather-bound book. However, he soon reveals that hidden inside it is a secret radio dating from the Second World War. It was concealed by Vos’s grandfather Anton so that he could listen to news of the Allied war effort. At the time, it was Anton’s only means of getting reliable information, and Vos believes he passed on what he heard to friends in the resistance movement. Anton was clearly taking a huge risk: the Nazis had prohibited the use of radios, and anyone caught with one risked severe punishment. Restoring the radio and preserving the memories of Anton’s brave deed is a job for electronics expert Mark Stuckey.\n\nSeventy-four-year-old teddy bear Goldie has been a trusted companion to three generations of Nerys Kendrick’s family. He was originally given to Nerys’s mum Judith when she was 14 months old. In time, he was passed on to Nerys and her sister, and now he belongs to Nerys's daughter Aaliyah. This much-loved bear has been present at every Christmas and every birthday, and has provided comfort to the Kendrick family whenever they’ve been feeling sad or a little nervous. But the years of love and cuddles have taken their toll, and now Goldie is in dire need of Julie and Amanda’s restorative touch. This repair means a lot to the family - Judith now has a degenerative eye condition, and Nerys is keen for her mum to see Goldie rejuvenated.\n\nNext to arrive at the barn is Merline Wright, with a special pair of scissors. Merline’s mum May was a seamstress in Jamaica, and Merline remembers her skilfully making all manner of items from cushions to bridesmaids’ dresses, as well as everyday clothing, all using these scissors. Merline would describe items of clothing she had seen people wearing or in shop windows, and her mum would then recreate them. May passed away just a month short of her 100th birthday, and now Merline would like scissor-maker Jonathan Reid to restore the scissors to how they looked when May first got them. To do this, he’ll need to reshape the blades, repaint the handles and enlist Brenton’s help to replace the shiny nickel plating.\n\nThe final visitor to the barn is Stephen Carr, who arrives with his old school satchel – a job for leather expert Suzie Fletcher. Stephen was born with one leg shorter than the other and spent lots of time in hospital as a youngster. At primary school he was bullied on account of his disability, and as a result he was anxious about starting secondary school. His parents, Joyce and Charles, bought him the rather stylish satchel to help build his confidence. Happily, Stephen’s confidence grew at secondary school, where he blossomed, but now the satchel is beginning to show its age. The once bright leather has faded, and parts of the satchel have started to perish. Inside, where Charles had written his son’s name and address, the writing has faded, and Stephen would like it restored. Stephen’s parents taught their son the importance of helping others, and if the satchel can be restored, Stephen would like to use it when he volunteers with the Samaritans - in celebration of all that his parents taught him.

Source: BBC 2