The Repair Shop Catch up, Series 11: Episode 14 on BBC 2

The Repair Shop

Series 11: Episode 14

Jay Blades and the Repair Shop team bring three cherished possessions, and the memories they hold, back to life.\n\nAs the team set up for the day, there’s a new expert eagerly awaiting her first assignment. Paper conservator Angelina Bakalarou takes on a portrait from the early 1900s known as a ‘crayon portrait.’ This popular Victorian technique involved painting over an enlarged photograph, thus avoiding hours of posing for the sitter. The portrait belongs to David and features his great grandmother, who by all accounts was a formidable woman. Mary Fletcher was the mother of eight children and profoundly deaf – it’s something that David’s son William relates to. William is deaf and, like his great, great grandmother, has never let his deafness restrict him, which is why it is so important for the family to have the flaking, fragile portrait preserved, displayed and talked about. \n\nEvin is next to visit the workshop, looking for silversmith Brenton West. She’s brought an old-fashioned, large brass heating device called a brazier. It belonged to Evin’s great grandparents who, as Turks, had to flee Greece for Turkey after WW1 with very few possessions. Evin believes this brazier must have been one of their first purchases when they were setting up a new life in Istanbul. It is from the Ottoman period, with a decorative lid and crescent moon motif on the lid and would have been very eye-catching and shiny at the time. Evin inherited the now very dull and dented brazier several years ago and is very attached to it, as it reminds her of her family’s bravery and resilience. Brenton is in his element bashing out the many imperfections, polishing up a storm and totally transforming it for her.\n\nLastly there’s a treat for expert Kirsten Ramsay when a piece of iconic Italian pottery arrives at the barn. The distinctive blue horse was produced by a company called Bitossi and, by sheer good fortune, it was won in a village fayre tombola by John Diamond and his sister Wendy in the 1970s. John and Wendy would often have fun days out as children with their much-missed mum and the winning of this horse - and Wendy being made to carry it for miles on the way home - is a memory they all shared. However, the horse has been in the wars and is currently decapitated! Kirsten must not only reunite the pieces, but colour match a multitude of shades of blue glaze if she is to help John and Wendy preserve the horse and memories of a lovely mum.

Source: BBC 2

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