
It's the return of smoke and mirrors from times past as Camilla arrives with a groundbreaking form of Victorian entertainment she’d like to see back in action. Her revolving zoetrope is a candlelit, animation device that laid the foundations for the development of moving film.\n\nCamilla’s great-great-great-grandfather made the device back in the 1850s. A chief draftsman of the Darlington Railway, he often did technical drawings of trains, and his eye for detail can be seen in the construction of her zoetrope. Passed down to her grandma, Camilla recalls playing with it as a child, and now that it is in her care, she’d love to see it restored to working order.\n\nAngelina Bakalarou has clocked up nearly 20 years of paper conservation experience, which she can use to restore the picture scrolls, whilst expert Dominic Chinea takes on the missing metal prongs that hold the scrolls in place. Will Kirk uses traditional techniques to make a stand. Their combined hard work leaves Camilla completely animated over her now fully usable zoetrope.\n\nThe barn’s next project is a pair of furniture designer classics. The forlorn pair of chairs belong to Roger, who inherited them from his twin brother Chris when he immigrated to Florida in the 1990s. Unbeknownst to Roger, upholstery expert Sonnaz Nooranvary reveals that his brother Chris had very good taste, as the chairs are vintage ercol. Not realising how important they would become after the loss of his brother, Roger kept the chairs stored in a damp storage space for many years and is now ashamed they’ve ended up in such a sorry state. Sonnaz sets to work revamping the upholstery, whilst carpenter Will Kirk tackles the water-damaged wood. Their combined efforts pay off as Roger takes a seat on his beautifully restored keepsakes.\n\nNext, hoping for the healing hands of ceramics conservator Kirsten Ramsay, Janaki enters the barn with a precious link to her Sri Lankan heritage. Her ceramic statue of the Buddha has been in her family for over 70 years and was passed down by her mum. Back in Sri Lanka, her mother left the family home and started work as a nanny for a wealthy family, which was unusual for the times. After a few years, the family decided to immigrate to the UK and asked Janaki’s mum if she’d like to go with them. Quite the adventurer, she jumped at the chance. Once settled in London, she married and had children of her own. Times were tight, but she remained a devout Buddhist, and Janaki remembers that the statue was always the centrepiece of her mother’s shrine at home. But time has not been kind to the little statue. With damage to the all-important gesture of the Buddha and a broken base, Kirsten must undertake some delicate repairs to restore this beautiful, dainty piece.\n\nFinally, Fiona brings in a pair of her dad’s boots from the 1960s. She explains that these are no ordinary Chelsea boots but traditional step-dancing boots. Her father, a Norfolk fisherman and lifeboat worker, used this freestyle form of tap dancing to relax at the end of a hard day’s work. Keen to continue the tradition, Fiona returns to the barn accompanied by a musician in the hope of dancing in her father’s step-boots once again.
Source: BBC 2
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 ...
15-04-2026
BBC 2
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Favourite Fixes: Episode 3
First through the workshop doors is Vanessa with a World War II memento for the attention of toy restorers Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch. Vanessa’s mother joined t ...
09-07-2025
BBC 2
Series 8: Episode 13
Jay Blades and the team bring four treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life.\n\nFirst through the workshop doors today is Minty Barlow, with a miniat ...
08-01-2024
BBC 2
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
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