The Repair Shop Catch up, Series 11: Episode 18 on BBC 2

The Repair Shop

Series 11: Episode 18

A touch of fantasy is in the air as the team turns its attention to two Tolkien-inspired notebooks.\n\nFirst into the barn is David, with a cherished item linking him to his schooldays. He’s brought along two notebooks containing writing and drawings he created in his teenage years, inspired by JRR Tolkien. Inside, amongst his own work, are a handful of letters written to the teenager by the author himself. As a lonely schoolboy, David spent hours creating the scrapbook, but now, after 55 years, it has fallen into disrepair. Held together by rolls of tape, both the pages and spine need a complete facelift. Bookbinder Chris Shaw works his own form of magic with a painstaking repair that leaves David spellbound.\n\nMeanwhile, Dominic Chinea has a more utilitarian but equally cherished item to repair. It’s a vintage workbench brought in by Rob, who fondly remembers his dad using it to build him a sledge. When his beloved father passed away when Rob was just 11 years old, the trusty workbench took on even deeper significance for him. \n\nThe final restoration of the day is a joint task for silversmith Brenton West and leather expert Suzie Fletcher. Evelyn and her granddaughter Keeley\nhave brought in a decrepit manicure set that they believe survived the Liverpool Blitz in 1941. The set belonged to Evelyn’s glamorous mother, and she is keen to pass it on to her granddaughter so it can live on in the family. The experts go all out to nail this important fix.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of The Repair Shop

The Repair Shop

Series 16: Episode 5

First to arrive at the barn is Lisa Power, carrying a fragile but groundbreaking piece of British social history — the very first logbook from Gay Switchboard, founded in ...

10-05-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 16: Episode 4

First to arrive in the barn is Dawn Shrives from West Sussex, carrying a remarkable model watermill built by her late father in 1996. Handmade, brick by miniature brick, to mirr ...

03-05-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 16: Episode 3

First to arrive in the barn are sisters Julie and Tracy from Gosport, with a well-travelled pachinko machine, originally bought by their father in 1970 when he was on naval duty ...

27-04-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 16: Episode 2

First to arrive at the barn is Bobby Williams from Surrey, bringing the powered wheelchair that opened up a whole new sporting career. Bobby had always loved sport as a kid, but ...

21-04-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 16: Episode 1

First into the barn is former serviceman Mike Webb, with an extraordinary piece of exploration history: a model Range Rover commemorating the first successful vehicle traverse o ...

12-04-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 12

First to arrive in the barn is John Wilson from London, with a battered survivor of heady days in the capital for upholsterer Sonnaz and paper conservator Angelina. The unique l ...

06-04-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 11

First into the barn is Heather Evans from Winchester, who is hoping bike aficionado Tim Gunn will be able to restore balance to a tricky mode of transport. She presents a batter ...

30-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 10

Hoping to strike a chord with stringed instrument restorer Julyan Wallis, the barn’s first project has given Gary Miles from Mold in north Wales plenty of teenage kicks. G ...

23-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 9

First into the barn is Christine Jagger from South Yorkshire, with a cherished garden bench – the best Christmas present she ever received from her late husband, Gordon. F ...

17-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 8

First to arrive in the barn are Tony Sivyer, leader of traditional Chinese lion dance team Dragon of the South, along with Alfie Allard, who has risen through the ranks since jo ...

25-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes