Catch up TV

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 joining the group as a child. They’ve brought along a beautiful but broken baby lion, a costume that has trained generations of young performers in the traditional art. But with its bamboo frame weakened, its fabric tattered and its paintwork faded, it will take the combined talents of David Burville, Lucia Scalisi and Rebecca Bissonnet to revive this magnificent ceremonial piece so that it can be ready for many more dragon and lion dance performances.\n\nNext through the doors are Anne and Colin Draycott from Staffordshire. They’ve brought with them a pair of heavenly figures created by Anne’s brother, celebrated artist Leonard McComb. These two stunning angels are scale models – known as maquettes – made before larger sculptures based on them are created. In this case, Leonard never actually produced the full-size versions, but he cherished and displayed these models in his home studio until his death in 2018. Anne and Colin were proud to have inherited these glorious pieces but were left devastated when the maquettes were damaged by Colin while he was packing them up for transportation. They’re now desperately hoping ceramics expert Kirsten Ramsay can restore the crumbling legs and missing feet as a fitting tribute to Leonard’s legacy.\n\nFrom Sussex comes Sally O’Connor, carrying something small but filled with significant memories. Sally’s mother died when she was young, and on Sally’s own wedding day, her father presented her with her mother’s diamond engagement ring. This precious piece hasn’t left her hand ever since, but it is sadly no longer fit for purpose. The diamond has slipped its moorings and was nearly lost for ever, only being found thanks to a huge stroke of luck, while the ring itself is stuck fast on Sally’s finger – she’s tried everything she can to remove it but without success. Fortunately, master goldsmith Richard Talman is on hand to carefully cut the ring free, then restore it and reunite it with its missing diamond so that Sally can once again rejoice in this daily reminder of her much-loved mum.\n\nLastly, from Buxton in Derbyshire, comes Adam Crowe, with a pair of traditional beer pumps for the attention of Will Kirk and Dominic Chinea. These pumps belonged to Adam’s much-loved dad and were the centrepiece of many a party, where his father would proudly dispense his prized home brews. Now riddled with woodworm and with its mechanisms and pipes clogged and jammed, it’s over to Dom and Will to restore them to full working order so that Adam can pour their first pint in over 30 years and raise a toast to celebrate his late father.

Source: BBC 2