Catch up TV

Series 14: Episode 2

Taking on the barn’s first fix are leather worker Suzie Fletcher and textile conservator Rebecca Bissonnet. They are tasked with rescuing a dog’s jacket worn by a four-legged hero involved in the Lockerbie bombing disaster. Brought in by owner and trainer Neil Powell, the jacket and collar belonged to Pepper, a much-loved border collie who qualified as a search and rescue dog at just 18 months old. The brightest dog Neil has ever known, Pepper also helped rescue a young German boy, who had been missing for over 36 hours in terrible weather.\n\nBut in 1988, after helping search operations in the large crater at the Lockerbie disaster, exposure to the contaminated site left Pepper and the other search dogs with tumours, and they all died. For Neil, it is imperative that Pepper’s well-worn search and rescue jacket and collar are restored to keep his memory alive. Suzie brings life back to the leather collar, whilst Rebecca washes away years of dirt from the jacket to reveal something special for Neil.\n\nThe barn’s second assignment arrives with Gurcharan and her daughter Dimple, who have high hopes that carpenter Will Kirk can fix a table that has helped their family find their feet. The table was bought by Gurcharan’s husband in 1975 after she moved from India to the UK to marry him. Already pregnant and following their arranged marriage back home, the couple needed to quickly fill their new UK home with furniture, and the table was the first thing through the front door. Their children, including Dimple, and later numerous grandchildren, learnt to walk around the low-rise table. And as her health deteriorated, Gurcharan would sit at the table to cook or bake.\n\nOver the years, it has become one of the family. But a bad re-varnishing job has left it looking past its best, and the spindles, which once formed a magazine rack, have fallen victim to the children, who used them in sword fights. Will brings his A-game to the table, leaving Gurcharan and Dimple with a beautifully restored and fully functional piece to cherish.\n\nPete Woods has a gift for restoring instruments, and Natalie and her dad, Mike, are hoping he can restore harmony to one they treasure. Mike’s late father played the saxophone over a semi-professional career that spanned from the 1940s right up to the 1990s. Post-war, he travelled around the UK in big bands and swing bands. In 1950, he decided he needed a ‘proper job’, so became an engineer, but he continued playing the saxophone with a band he formed called The Dick Wade 5. He was in his mid-70s by the time he retired, and he died in 2004.\n\nHis musical talents were passed down to his son Mike, who plays piano, and his granddaughter Natalie, who is following in his footsteps by playing the saxophone. Mike would love to see the saxophone playing as it did in its heyday so that Natalie can continue to use it. Pete must repair the pads, fix a missing key guard, and spruce up the old brass to get Natalie playing the saxophone in front of an audience of experts.\n\nBringing some special footwear for cobbler Dean Westmoreland to tackle is Gill from Merseyside. Her treasured rugby boots, which she wore back in 1994 to help win the Women’s World Cup, have seen better days. Back when Gill was climbing the rugby ranks, there were no administrators - the players organised their own games. Gill was heavily involved and was eventually chosen to play for her country. During the 1994/95 season, she was made England captain, and her team reached the final of the Women’s World Cup. It was her beloved boots that carried the ball over the try line, winning the match for England.\n\nAfter a few more seasons and plenty of wear and tear, Gill put them away for safekeeping before hanging up her boots for good in 2002. Since then, she’s been awarded an MBE from the Queen for her services to the women’s game. Now, she’s keen to get her boots repaired so she can treasure them before donating them to the Rugby Museum in Twickenham to inspire other young women interested in the sport. Dean’s got some 'sole-searching' to do in order to revive the boots, but his Midas touch leaves Gill floored.

Source: BBC 2