Episode 20

Four more treasured items arrive at the barn, each with emotional and historical weight, and all requiring careful restoration.

First through the doors are Thomas and his grandfather Roger, who bring a diary from the Channel Islands with a powerful wartime story. Written by Roger's grandmother Lillian, the pocket-sized book captures her experiences living on Guernsey under Nazi occupation during the Second World War. With its delicate paper hanging by a thread and the spine completely gone, bookbinder Chris Shaw faces a challenging task to preserve its contents.

Metalworkers Dom Chinea and Brenton West take on a rust-covered railway lantern with deep family connections. Brought in by Jenny from Northern Ireland, the lamp once belonged to her grandmother Margaret, the last station master of Donemana station. A pioneering woman in a male-dominated role, Margaret used the paraffin lamp to signal trains and secure the crossing gates on the nearby road. But time has not been kind to the lantern. Its chimney is crumbling, the lens housing has rotted, and layers of paint have flaked away. Dom and Brenton's first inspection of the lamp reveals far more damage than they had anticipated. The rust has ravaged the bodywork, so it takes all their combined skills to bring the lamp back to life.

Cub scout leader Akela Helen arrives, along with three of her pack and their unique mascot: a large ceremonial wolf's head, believed to be dated from the 1950s. This paint-cracked, ear-wobbled prop has led the pack's grand howl for decades, but the passing years have left it unfit for proud display. With a little help from woodworker Will Kirk, ceramics expert Kirsten Ramsay gets to work on an unfamiliar material, stabilising the ears, filling the deepest cracks and delicately retouching its fierce features. Reunited with their restored wolf, the pack is thrilled and ready to howl with pride.

Finally, plastics expert Charlotte Abbott welcomes Audrija, who has brought in a cherished doll's house, a retro treasure from the 1980s, gifted to her elder sister before Audrija was even born. The two sisters spent countless happy hours playing with it, but after years of joyful use, it was badly damaged in an accident and left with an enormous hole in the roof. With her own daughters growing up, Audrija hopes to see it rebuilt, not just as a toy but as a tribute to her beloved sister, who sadly passed away in 2020. Can Charlotte rebuild the shattered structure and restore it for a new generation of children to enjoy once again?