The Repair Shop Catch up, At Christmas 2023 on BBC 2

The Repair Shop

At Christmas 2023

It’s Christmas at The Repair Shop, and the team face four festive fixes.\n\nArriving first is Steve from Chesterfield, whose has brought a very deceptive Christmas treat. The unassuming Christmas cake is not actually a baked dessert, but a mechanical marvel created by Steven’s uncle Fred in the 1940s. Fred, who had an engineering background, loved to entertain, and this cake was an annual highlight for the whole family. Steve recalls the gadget as being like nothing he’d ever seen before or since, but it’s been a long time since the mechanism has entertained a Christmas party. Steve is hoping that the barn’s mechanical maestro, Steve Fletcher, can rescue the wreckage, but to do so, he's is going to need a helping hand from electronics whizz Mark Stuckey and ceramic expert Kirsten Ramsay.\n\nAlso on Mark Stuckey’s job list is the restoration of a record player that holds important memories for Jo Thomas from Wales. Jo hopes that Mark can put a halt to further deterioration of this sentimental piece of equipment that was gifted to her by her late son, Ben, who tragically passed away in 2006 aged just 11. Ben was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, shortly after his 10th birthday, but his illness never dampened his zest for life. As his last Christmas neared, Ben, who shared a love of music with his mum, went shopping and bought her this record player using his own money. The player has been out of service for a number of years now, and Jo longs to hear it again. With arthritis making it difficult for Jo to bend down, she’d like the unit to be placed on legs so that she can operate it more easily.\n\nNext to arrive are mother and daughter Sheila and Denise from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who have brought a pair of unique paper models of Santa Claus dating back over 100 years. The Santas have been owned by three generations of Sheila’s family, and hold fond memories for Sheila and Denise. But these treasured family heirlooms are now beginning to show their age. Paper restorer Angelina Bakalarou is determined to return them back to their once jolly appearance.\n\nThe final restoration falls to little drummer boy Pete Woods, who’s faced with repairing a steel-pan drum brought in by Mark from Brighton. Presenting the drum, Mark explains that his father, Ralph Cherrie, a celebrated steel pan player, picked it up in 1976 when the family made a big Christmas trip to Trinidad, his country of birth. Mark has vivid memories of this special trip with his dad, and it was also the start of his own journey as a musician.\n\nPete has the challenging task of getting this drum back in top working order. To complete his mission, Pete enlists the help of metalwork expert Dominic Chinea to restore the exterior of the drum, and leatherwork supremo Suzie Fletcher to create a new strap so that Mark can wear the drum around his neck.

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