Episode 26

A seized-up ventriloquist's dummy that's over 100 years old receives a much-needed makeover, while a revived cornet brings back precious memories. Also undergoing triumphant transformations are a Roman-style leather chair and a one-off, handmade notebook recording information gathered whilst birdwatching.

Getting to work first is organ restorer David Burville, who has an appointment with George, an 1890s ventriloquist's puppet, one of the barn's more idiosyncratic visitors, accompanied by his owner Alison. Alison has brought George to see David with a request that this once dapper young gent can be transformed from his now rather worn and tatty state. Alison has had George since she was an 11-year-old girl struggling at school due to undiagnosed dyslexia. George gave Alison an outlet for her creativity and personality that she credits with helping her grow in confidence as a child. But now George is broken, both on the outside and the inside. His face is scuffed and chipped, the inner workings that move his eyes and mouth have seized up, and his once snazzy suit is ripped and moth-eaten. It's clear George needs a lot of attention, so both Kirsten and the teddy bear ladies come to David's aid, offering to fix up George's face and outfit while David delves inside to restore George's expressive face and mouth movements.

Next to arrive is Lewys from south east Wales, who has brought with him a very precious instrument handed down from his grandfather. A brass cornet, dating from 1897, belonged to Keith, a bandleader in a small Welsh village, and was inherited by Lewys after his grandfather passed away on Boxing Day 2021. Lewys spent hours learning the instrument under the tuition of his grandfather, and the cornet holds incredibly precious memories of his grandpa Keith filling the house with music. But in his later years, Keith was unable to play the instrument, and its once vibrant exterior is now dull and dented. Lewys is hoping that musical instrument expert Pete Woods can get the cornet back into the perfect condition for it to be proudly played once again.

Arriving for an appointment with skilled upholsterer Sonnaz Nooranvary is Nick from Somerset, who has brought along the broken remains of a Roman-style chair that belonged to his late father Richard. With the ornate leather and timber chair in pieces on the table, it's clear Sonnaz has her work cut out. Nick explains that he grew up on a farm, largely raised by his dad after losing his mother at the age of just six. Nick's father was a hard-working man who still made time for his family, and Nick has fond memories of sitting on his father's lap in the Roman chair after Sunday lunch and listening to him tell stories and entertain the family. Sadly, Nick's father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away whilst Nick was at boarding school aged 11. The chair is a poignant reminder of the beloved father who taught Nick so much about life, but now it's in several pieces, with badly worn leather and a missing leg. Sonnaz commandeers furniture restorer Will Kirk to recreate a new leg and fit the unique X-shaped chair-frame back together whilst she painstakingly removes the original leather and stud work, retaining as much of the original as possible.

The last visitor to the shop is Kat, who hopes that book restorer Chris Shaw can bring his considerable talents to the restoration of a handwritten notebook that once belonged to her grandmother Mildred. The notebook, which Mildred started in the 1940s, is a catalogue of local wildlife and birds, complete with her own drawings and even feathers she collected. Kat credits her grandmother with instilling in her the same love of nature, and the two would often spend hours wandering Kew Gardens spotting birds and enjoying the outdoors. It was a pastime that Kat enjoyed up until her grandmother's death in 2020. When Mildred passed away, Kat found it hard to find the enthusiasm for birdwatching, until the notebook was discovered amongst Mildred's belongings. Now Kat would like Chris to strengthen the book, which is falling apart, so that she can reconnect with the memories of her grandmother and maybe even add some of her own bird sightings to the notebook to continue her grandmother's legacy.