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Beyond the Barn: Episode 5

First into the barn are siblings Paul Murray and Josette Sellings with a fountain pen that played a remarkable role in their parents' wartime love story. Their father, Frank Murray, bought the pen in Singapore before becoming a prisoner of war following the Japanese capture of the city. Over 42 months in captivity, Frank used the pen to write a secret diary in the form of love letters to his sweetheart Eileen, the woman he would later marry on his return from the war. Decades later, the pen is damaged, incomplete and no longer functional. Making his debut in the barn, pen restoration expert Ray Walters undertakes the delicate task of returning this powerful symbol of devotion back to full working order.\n\nNext to arrive is Doug Thwaites with an unusual stuffed Scottish terrier gifted to him by Princess Elizabeth before she became Queen. Doug's father worked for Lord Mountbatten and drove Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip during their time in Malta. As a thank you, the future Queen sent Doug the toy dog, which has remained in the family ever since. Years of storage, family handling and the loss of key features have left the treasured keepsake looking tired and fragile. Teddy bear experts Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch, with help from leather specialist Suzie Fletcher, set out to restore the royal gift and ensure it can continue its journey through future generations of Doug's family.\n\nJackie and Steve from Stratford-upon-Avon bring in their late father Chas's first guitar, purchased in Liverpool during the 1950s. Chas played in local bands at the dawn of the Merseybeat era and even shared stages with a fledgling Beatles, before pursuing a career in chemistry. Discovered broken and neglected in a loft after his death, the guitar is now in pieces, with a detached neck, damaged frets and missing components. Luthier Julyan Wallis takes on the challenge of restoring the instrument before visiting the family at a recording studio to witness how the next generation are benefiting from Chas’s beautifully restored guitar.\n\nFinally, Brenton West restores the Donald Melville Trophy, awarded each year at the World Stone Skimming Championships on the Scottish island of Easdale. Organiser Kyle Matthews is custodian of the battered silverware, which has become worn and overcrowded after decades of competition. The quirky event attracts competitors from around the world, all hoping to claim the title in the home of stone skimming. Brenton, assisted by master engraver Sam Marsden, redesigns and expands the trophy while preserving its history, creating a showpiece worthy of one of Britain's most unusual sporting contests.

Source: BBC 2