The Repair Shop Catch up, Series 12: 7. Windrush Special on BBC 2

The Repair Shop

Series 12: 7. Windrush Special

To mark National Windrush Day, the team fixes four items that celebrate the contribution and achievements of members of the Windrush generation and their descendants.\n\nFirst into the barn is Beverley, with a memento that tells a tale of her father’s heritage. The British passport was issued to Beverley’s father, Edgar, in Jamaica in 1948 and served as his legally binding document to come to the UK to help rebuild the ‘Mother Country’ after the Second World War. In 1950, he travelled on the SS Eros, and after settling in London, he sent for Beverley’s mother who travelled from Jamaica to be reunited with him. The passport has been cherished for nearly 80 years but is sadly now showing its age. Beverley hopes bookbinder Chris Shaw can restore it to remind her elderly dad of his pioneering bravery, moving and settling in a new country as a young man. \n\nNext to arrive is Keithly, with a suitcase owned by his trailblazing mother, Locita. Known as a grip, the case holds memories of a journey filled with opportunity, adventure and resilience. Locita travelled from the island of Nevis to the UK in 1956. The journey was arduous, with Locita spending a long time aboard the SS Irpinia on very rough seas before eventually docking in Southampton. She started her life in the UK in menial jobs, but her tenacity and drive meant she worked and studied hard, eventually becoming a local councillor in Manchester and helping many in the community. Keithly is now hoping the barn’s leather expert Suzie Fletcher can repair the grip so that Locita can take it back to the West Indies with her when she returns later this year.\n\nNext, sister and brother Dorcas and Stephen have brought a precious clock for the attention of the barn’s horologist, Steve Fletcher. The clock belonged to the siblings’ parents, Hermann and Keturah, and was one of the first items they saved up to buy after arriving in the UK from Antigua. The plan was to stay for five years and return home. However, the couple soon put down roots and ended up remaining in the UK for the rest of their lives. The pair worked hard and went from living in a single bedroom in a shared house to eventually owning their own home in Birmingham. The chiming clock took pride of place in their front room and served as a status symbol of the fact that they had ‘arrived’ and established themselves. Now the siblings would love to hear the broken chime ringing again to remind them of their parents’ tenacity and what they did to not only help rebuild the UK but also to build a new life for subsequent generations of their own family.\n\nThe barn’s final visitor is Patrick Vernon OBE, who led a successful campaign for 22 June to be recognised annually as Windrush Day. He’s brought along a radiogram that once belonged to his late friend Eddie Noble, a Second World War British-Jamaican veteran who settled in the UK following his service in the RAF. The radiogram was one of Eddie’s most prized possessions, and he gifted it to Patrick in his later years. Electrical whizz Mark Stuckey acts with military precision to get the radiogram back to its former glory.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of The Repair Shop

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 7

First to arrive in the barn is Toby from Berkshire, with a keyboard that was the sound of his hero, Dave Greenfield of The Stranglers. A lifelong fan of the band, Toby was inspi ...

09-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 6

First into the barn are sisters Carole, Pat and Alison from Shropshire, bringing a treasured relic from their family’s 1970s salon – a retro hairdryer that once belo ...

02-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Favourite Fixes: Episode 5

Mike Stevens is the first to arrive at the barn with a sporting souvenir in need of restoration. He’s eager to recruit metalwork maestro Dominic Chinea and woodwork expert ...

02-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

At Christmas 2025

It’s Christmas at the barn, and the doors are thrown wide open to welcome some very special guests who have brought along cherished items in need of a festive fix.\n\nHoll ...

28-12-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

At Christmas 2025 - Signed

It’s Christmas at the barn, and the doors are thrown wide open to welcome some very special guests who have brought along cherished items in need of a festive fix.\n\nHoll ...

27-12-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

At Christmas 2024

It’s festive season at The Repair Shop, and this year the team of experts are back spreading joy and creating more Christmas magic with their festive fixes.\n\nFirst throu ...

17-12-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 5

First to arrive in the barn is Peter from Blackpool, carrying a shattered violin that once belonged to his late wife’s grandfather Sigmund. A gifted Jewish musician from V ...

25-11-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 4

First into the barn, Gwyneth from Powys entrusts painting conservator Lucia with a remarkable but badly bruised portrait of her heroic ancestor Captain William Marshall, who ris ...

18-11-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 3

First into the barn is Gary from Hastings, bringing his father Jimmy’s old butcher’s bike. Built for heavy loads, it was used to carry boxes of meat through Hastings ...

11-11-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

The Repair Shop

Series 15: Episode 2

First into the barn is Sara from Crewe, with a remarkable relic of both sporting triumph and personal memory – her father Ronnie Cope’s 1958 FA Cup final shirt, when ...

04-11-2025

BBC 2

All episodes