大象传媒

As part of 大象传媒 100 celebrations to mark the 大象传媒鈥檚 centenary, this special episode of The Repair Shop sees Jay Blades and the expert team of Repair Shop craftspeople visit Dumfries House in Scotland.

Recorded between autumn 2021 and spring 2022, the episode follows the team as they are invited to meet Charles, Prince of Wales, before his accession to the throne, and some of the students on The Prince鈥檚 Foundation鈥檚 building craft programme - a training initiative that teaches traditional skills such as blacksmithing, stonemasonry and wood carving. Once the students graduate from the course, they go on to forge careers in their chosen craft, using their much-needed talents out in the real world.

Preserving heritage craft skills and ensuring the training of a new generation is a passion both the prince and Jay share, and a skills swap ensues. Jay and the Repair Shop team of expert craftspeople (Kirsten, Steve and Will) pledge to restore two pieces that Charles has selected: an 18th-century bracket clock from the collection at The Prince's Foundation's Dumfries House headquarters, and a piece of Wemyss Ware made for Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. The team take these precious items back to the barn to fix them.

But it鈥檚 not the only thing they take with them. They also borrow Jeremy, a graduate from the Dumfries House building craft programme, to help back at the barn with a third repair: a fire set in the shape of a soldier that visitor Nicola has brought in. The fireside soldier belonged to her late husband Ewan and stood guard on the hearth of the home he lovingly renovated by hand. Metal expert Dom joins forces with Jeremy to restore the keepsake.

Jeremy isn鈥檛 the only apprentice in the Repair Shop. Steve鈥檚 21-year-old son Fred has been his dad鈥檚 apprentice for three years and is brought on board to help his dad restore the Dumfries House clock. Fred creates a new suspension for the clock, while Steve focuses on stripping down and rebuilding the mechanism in the hope he can restore the clock鈥檚 chime.

Meanwhile, ceramics restorer Kirsten's task is to consolidate the very fragile surface of the commemorative vase, reuniting the two broken halves and meticulously recreating the distinctive coloured design.

Then, Jay and the team are delighted to welcome the prince to the barn to be reunited with the items.

This programme was filmed between autumn 2021 and March 2022, before His Majesty became King Charles III.