Catch up TV

Series 14: Episode 11

First into the barn is Zelda, with her most precious possession, a ring bought by her father on a day out together when she was a teenager. But the ring looks nothing like it originally did when it had an onyx stone as the centrepiece with the letter p on top. Unfortunately, the stone fell out. Zelda’s stepmum had it fixed, but the black onyx was replaced by a purple amethyst which, though beautiful, isn’t the ring Zelda remembers. Now that her dad has passed away, Zelda is keen to get it back to its original best.\n\nIt’s a challenging fix for master goldsmith Richard Talman, and he enlists the help of Sonnaz Nooranvary to drip water while he drills into the onyx stone. The intricate repair work does the job, and Zelda is transported to her childhood when the cloth comes off.\n\nNext, a severely cracked mechanical doll needs the expert skills of toy restorers Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch. For Ian, the doll is a painful reminder of his sister Denise, who he lost in a road traffic accident, aged just 24. After she died, his parents stored the doll in the loft, and Ian has only recently rediscovered it. While Julie and Amanda crack on with filling the doll’s fractures, creating new digits for her missing fingers and making a new outfit, mechanical whiz David Burville gets her walking and moving her head again. When Ian sees the newly restored doll, he can’t believe the transformation.\n\nThe third visitor is Kevin, with a 1920s banner that has seen better days. The large textile was owned by the Milburn Toffs Jazz Band, who along with other groups used to take part in carnivals around the north east of England. The Toffs came from a working-class area but dressed ironically in posh top hats and tails. At the centre of the banner is a little boy – Kevin’s father as a young child, the mascot of the band. Art conservator Lucia Scalisi and textile conservator Rebecca Bissonnet join forces to make the banner parade ready once again.\n\nThe barn’s final visitor is Dylan, with a wooden whirligig – a garden ornament that spins in the wind – made by his beloved grandfather. The whirligig was damaged in a storm and requires the skills of woodworker Will Kirk. Dylan’s grandfather was a great support to Dylan as he learned to live with MDP syndrome and to gradually grow in confidence. Dylan has received an award for spreading positivity on social media and attributes his grandad to helping him ‘have a voice’. The whirligig is a fun reminder of how his grandad wanted to bring a smile to his face. It’s a labour of love for Will to get the precious ornament spinning again in time for Dylan’s return.

Source: BBC 2