´óÏó´«Ã½

Jay Blades and the Repair Shop team bring three treasured family heirlooms, and the stories they hold, back to life.

The barn’s first visitors are here to see conservator Suzie Fletcher. Barbara and her daughter Zeffy have a delicate and very fragile coil purse that was gifted to Barbara by her granny when she was a little girl. The outer casing is made from engraved mother of pearl and the coin sections from red silk and leather. Barbara’s three young daughters were just as enamoured with it as she was, especially Zeffy.

Barbara’s dream is for Zeffy to carry it down the aisle, as her ’something borrowed’, at her wedding later in the year but it’s currently far too frail. The family have had a difficult time recently, as Zeffy has had to endure cancer treatment, which is another reason why having the precious purse restored now is so significant. The women are banking on Suzie being able to refurbish and preserve this pretty item.

Luthier Julyan Wallis takes on a damaged flamenco guitar that represents the proud owner’s Spanish heritage. Josefina has spent much of her life making music and as a young woman performed in a flamenco group travelling the world. Her father Jose bought the guitar decades ago, with great intentions of learning to play his favourite flamenco music. He escaped the Spanish Civil War in the 1950s and set up a new life in UK and was delighted when Josefina showed interest in his nation’s music and encouraged her to play.

Jose passed away several years ago and Josefina recently discovered his old flamenco guitar. She’d love to play it again but with no strings, a crack down the front and a broken bridge, she really needs Julyan’s help in order to hear its sweet sound again.

Mother and son Jean and Ian are next to make their way to the barn. They are excited to be handing over a seized-up, scuffed taxi meter machine into Steve Fletcher’s capable hands. The meter was indispensable for Ian’s dad and Jean’s husband Cyril, who was a London cabbie for years. He drove a distinctive FX3 cab, famous in the 1950s for its missing front door on the passenger side. When he retired, a young Ian and his friends would play taxi drivers with the meter. Ian and his mother would love to display the clever device, complete with bell and ‘for hire’ flag and use it as a talking point for family and friends who remember the lovely man that Cyril was.