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00:00Here at The Repair Shop, countless treasures have been brought back to life.
00:07Deep breath.
00:08Oh, gosh.
00:10That reveal so much about who we are.
00:12It is.
00:13And where we're from.
00:15It's perfect.
00:16But there's so much more out there.
00:18Let's do it.
00:19That's not yet made it to the barn.
00:22Beautiful, isn't it?
00:23Absolutely beautiful.
00:24So the team are hitting the road.
00:26This is the perfect opportunity to meet some new people, learn some new skills, and maybe fix a few things on the way.
00:32Yeah, I'm up for that.
00:35On a unique adventure.
00:37Whoa!
00:39We're going to get some looks on the way back to the barn.
00:41To join forces with expert craftspeople.
00:44We're putting 130 hours just hanging on the hazels.
00:48On their most ambitious restorations yet.
00:50They all need replacing.
00:51Yes, hundreds of pieces of stone.
00:53Wow.
00:54Keeping heritage crafts alive.
00:56Keep it up with friends.
00:57I know, isn't it?
00:58And passing precious skills to future generations.
01:01Is he a good student?
01:02He is, yes.
01:03Does he listen to you?
01:04He does, for the most part.
01:06Sparking restorations across the country.
01:08You're part of the history of this now as well.
01:18Today, the boys are rescuing a cow in distress.
01:23Come on.
01:24Are you OK?
01:24No.
01:26Dom is getting friendly with an ornamental glass artist.
01:30Good job of friends.
01:31I know, isn't it?
01:33And Luthier Julian gets his hands on a very special musical instrument.
01:38That's a little work of art.
01:40I love seeing someone else's work.
01:41The cliffs and beaches of Devon are world famous.
01:48But it's also dotted with historic market towns, set in its rolling hills and moorland national parks.
01:59I think that we have lucked out because everyone is down there at the barn, beavering away.
02:05And there's us just driving around, meeting wonderful, like-minded craftspeople, learning a few things on the way.
02:12Even better when the sun's shining.
02:14I know.
02:15Farms cover much of the land here.
02:17And it's to a small farming village that Will and Dom are heading.
02:22Hemyock is home to an annual lantern parade.
02:25And the star of the show is Daisy, the Devonshire cow.
02:31Lovingly crafted by the villagers almost a decade ago, in the years since, she has stolen the hearts of the community.
02:38This is going to be quite a journey we're on here, to see a fibreglass cow, a giant fibreglass cow, that lights up, apparently.
02:49How big are we talking?
02:50I don't really know.
02:51I think it's bigger than life size.
02:53Depends on the type of cow, I guess.
02:55To be fair, you get big cows and small cows.
02:57You do.
02:59Whatever her size, Daisy is in dire need of help.
03:03The years have taken their toll on her fibreglass shell, and it's not certain she'll make it to this year's parade.
03:11You've worked with fibreglass before.
03:14Yes.
03:14Tricky stuff to work with.
03:15It's...
03:16Yes.
03:16Old fibreglass can be tricky.
03:20The villagers have asked the repair shop team to save her.
03:24So Will and Dom are here to meet Daisy.
03:27OK, this is it.
03:28And find out more about her from Hem York resident, Mitch.
03:34Ah, there she is.
03:35There she is.
03:36Daisy.
03:37She's out grazing.
03:38Oh, Mitch is up there as well.
03:41Where have her front hooves gone?
03:43It's huge.
03:45Hello, Mitch.
03:46Hi.
03:47You can't really miss Daisy in the field, can you?
03:48No, she's big, isn't she?
03:49So many questions.
03:51Why?
03:51Where?
03:51Where do we start?
03:53OK.
03:54We have a parade in our village every Christmas, and she led the first parade that we ever did.
04:00She was willow with tissue with lights inside.
04:03So it's like a big old big lantern where you see these, you've seen processions like that,
04:06where all these things are lit up, and this would, I'm assuming, have been up in the air then.
04:09Yeah, well, she had sticks up into her legs, and we, you know, carried her up through the village.
04:13And one of the parades, she was lifted on a crane and jumped over a moon, so...
04:18What?
04:18Sorry.
04:19What?
04:19Don't just scat past her.
04:21Oh, yeah, that's on the crane.
04:22Jumped on the moon.
04:23Really?
04:23Yeah.
04:24I can't believe that it used to be paper and willow, and now she has this exoskeleton.
04:28That was her longevity.
04:29OK.
04:30We were just going to use her for one year, and we all loved her so much that we then decided
04:34to varnish her, and then we loved her still more, and so we decided to fibreglass her.
04:38So what's wrong with her?
04:39I mean, I can see that she's had her ear replaced at some point, and she's missing the hooves.
04:43This was a temporary...
04:44Yeah, that got snapped off, possibly with some revelry on the way home one night, I don't know.
04:49Yeah.
04:50And the udders are in a state of disrepair, and so's her coat.
04:54Bless her.
04:55So...
04:55She's still kind of smiling.
04:56Yeah, she's happy.
04:57She's happy, Karen.
04:58Very happy.
04:59But surely her lantern days are over now.
05:00Now she's fibreglass, you're not going to see through it.
05:03Well, we put big lights inside, and that's part of the problem.
05:05She's getting a bit mouldy inside.
05:07And when you put the big up lighters inside her, she actually looks a bit ill.
05:11Oh, bless her.
05:12So if you could make her robust enough to carry on and not need to be scrapped, she could
05:19glow again.
05:20Because the idea of her being destroyed is just too upsetting to contemplate, really.
05:24You know what?
05:24This is a first for me.
05:25This is a first for me.
05:26Giant white glass cow.
05:27Really?
05:27You've never seen one of these before?
05:29Well, she's very unique, and, yeah, definitely worthwhile getting her back onto all four
05:35hooves again.
05:38Right, Dom, you're going to take Daisy to meet Simon, fibreglass expert.
05:42Well, you say, oh, I'm going to take Daisy.
05:43We are going to take Daisy.
05:45Come on.
05:46Go round the other side.
05:46Give me a hand.
05:47And Mitch, we will be back soon to chat.
05:49Brilliant.
05:49Yeah, I will be.
05:50I don't know how long.
05:52There we go.
05:53Oh, she's taking off.
05:54OK, you're OK?
05:55All right.
05:55See you.
05:55Come on, Daisy.
05:56See you.
05:56Come on, Daisy.
05:58There we go.
05:59It'll be OK.
06:00She's gorgeous, isn't she?
06:01She's lovely.
06:04Although Dom has some experience with fibreglass, he's invited composite specialist Simon along
06:11to help with the unique challenge ahead.
06:14Are you OK?
06:15No.
06:16She's very heavy.
06:18Oh, Simon, how are you doing?
06:20You OK?
06:20The repair shop experts are used to adapting their skills to work on unusual items.
06:26Up at the back.
06:27And it's no exception here.
06:29OK.
06:30Oh, my gosh.
06:31Simon's talents are totally transferable to a giant co.
06:35Hi, Simon.
06:36Hi.
06:37Nice to meet you.
06:38Hello.
06:40Um, wow.
06:41Right, I'll leave you guys to have some cow chat.
06:45Yeah.
06:45And I'm going to catch up with Mitch inside the field.
06:46Catch a breath, more like.
06:47Catch my breath.
06:48Thanks a lot.
06:49I'll catch you guys in a bit.
06:49I'll catch you guys in a bit.
06:54Poor Daisy.
06:55She needs a bit of help.
06:56You know a bit more about fibreglass than me.
07:00I'm more from the boat building world than composite cows, but I think we can probably work with this.
07:05Good.
07:06Well, I'm so glad to see that you've got Daisy's hooves.
07:08They exist.
07:09Which we know we're missing.
07:09That's brilliant.
07:10Do you think we can get those reattached?
07:12I think so.
07:12That's not too much of a problem, actually.
07:14Good.
07:14The list is growing, though, because she's missing an ear.
07:17A temporary one has been put in place.
07:19You know, someone's made a good effort, but we can do better than that.
07:22Yes.
07:23And then the more I'm sort of running my hand over her and looking around, there's bits of inner structure poking out.
07:28Yep.
07:29I've got a hole, various holes, to be honest, all over her.
07:33It's so thin.
07:34She's seen the wars a little bit, hasn't she?
07:36Yeah.
07:36Is it fixable, fibreglass, a material like this that you can repair?
07:40Yeah, I think if we use some lightweight glass and some epoxy, which is stronger than the original composite,
07:46we can use some really lightweight tissues to put her back together.
07:50And then also, when she's lit up from inside, they won't make dark patches, because that's the tricky bit, of course.
07:56That's the problem.
07:56She's already got all of the mould and bits of whatever's inside, dirt, is all showing up when she's illuminated.
08:03With many of Daisy's issues being inside, Dom decides to get a closer look.
08:10Is it nice and comfortable in there?
08:11It's lovely in here.
08:13I can see all the mould, all the dirt.
08:16I don't know if that's going to come off.
08:22Oh.
08:23Have you ever tried dry ice blasting?
08:27I've heard about it.
08:28I've never seen it.
08:29But you'd have to be really, really gentle on this.
08:31But it is really gentle.
08:32I've had some stuff blasted, dry ice.
08:34I mean, I know blasting, like media blasting, fan blasting, it's very aggressive.
08:38But dry ice is really gentle.
08:40It might work.
08:41God, this is going to be tricky.
08:42Yeah.
08:43But I think with your help inside on the structure and some cosmetic work, we'll get her ready
08:47for the parade.
08:48What do you reckon?
08:49I think so.
08:50I think she'll be lit up again.
08:52Glad to hear it.
08:53While Dom extricates himself from Daisy, Will is meeting Mitch to find out more about how
09:01Daisy was made and how she has won such a special place in the hearts of Hem York.
09:07Daisy is in safe hands.
09:09Good.
09:09She's very heavy and very sweaty now.
09:12How did she come to be in Hem York?
09:13So we decided we'd have a little lantern parade through the village.
09:17We brought in an artist and they got all the kids involved.
09:20We thought we'd have a big surprise lantern.
09:22And Daisy was born?
09:23Daisy was born, yeah.
09:24Did you actually help make her yourself?
09:26And so we all helped to make Daisy.
09:28She's very big.
09:29How come she went for such a big-sized cow?
09:32Impact.
09:33Yeah?
09:33The garage, when we made her, the door was of a certain width, so we just thought we'd go big.
09:38That's a big old cow.
09:40So the reason that you're having her fixed is because some other people think that she's too shabby.
09:44But you think that she's still got some spirit in her.
09:46There's a lot of people who think she's got a spirit in her.
09:48Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:49She was made in 2015, so this is her 10th parade.
09:52You can't take her out looking the way that she does now.
09:54No, no.
09:57Simon's assessment is complete and the diagnosis is in.
10:01He's going to take the lead on Daisy back at the barn.
10:05Right, Simon, come on then.
10:06Do you really think that we're going to get her on the top of the car?
10:08Will, I know we're going to.
10:10Famous last words.
10:11Come on.
10:12Positive attitudes we need.
10:13OK, here we go.
10:14Ready?
10:15Yeah.
10:15OK.
10:16OK.
10:16Oh, hang on.
10:17I've got to get around the stand.
10:18Hang on.
10:19Hang on.
10:20I think she needs to go on her back.
10:21No, if you just lift her hands up on there.
10:23I'm having second thoughts.
10:24I feel like you might be right, Will.
10:26Upside down might be the way.
10:29Oh.
10:30OK.
10:31He's not got a lot of weight now.
10:32There we go.
10:32We're going to get some looks on the way back to the barn.
10:38Yeah, we are.
10:42And she's off to get a five-star makeover.
10:46Don't touch the buttons.
10:47I haven't touched anything.
10:48I'll give my hands to myself.
10:50Back at the barn, where Simon is ready to oversee the work.
10:55Hey, Simon.
10:56Hey, Tom.
10:56You made it.
10:57Good to see you again.
10:58Have you had some time to make a bit of a plan?
11:01Yeah, I think so.
11:02I think if we do the competency repairs,
11:04lots of little tricky bits.
11:05I keep seeing more every time I look at it.
11:06Yes.
11:07I keep noticing.
11:09The more I'm looking, there's another bit there.
11:10There's another bit there.
11:11But you're confident?
11:13I think, yeah, I'm pretty confident.
11:14Got to get it cleaned up first, though.
11:16OK.
11:16You mentioned ice blasting last time we saw.
11:19Yes.
11:19And I think that's a great idea.
11:20I'm glad.
11:21Yeah, that'd be fun.
11:22Yeah.
11:22It should clean up all the inside really nicely.
11:24Yeah, then we can tackle all the repairs in one.
11:25Perfect.
11:28Simon has called in specialists Claire and Kim,
11:32whose dry ice blasting technique is just the thing
11:35to give Daisy a gentle but thorough clean.
11:40Oh.
11:41OK.
11:47This is the dry ice itself.
11:49They're little small pellets.
11:51It's got a surface temperature of minus 78.
11:52Well, I won't touch it then.
11:53No.
11:53No, best not to.
11:55You put it into the machine, you blast it, and effectively, it freezes the coating.
12:01The dry ice expands and releases the coating away from the surface.
12:04So it's very different from sandblasting, which traditionally people think about.
12:08We normally sort of do oak beam cleaning and restoration and things like that.
12:12Occasionally boats.
12:12But this is certainly a new one for us.
12:15It's not abrasive.
12:16It's not damaging at all.
12:18Being that she looks quite fragile, I think that's quite important.
12:22We'll start at the lowest pressure.
12:24OK.
12:24And as we go through, we can maybe turn it up a little bit.
12:26And maybe the fragile areas will just keep it to the lowest.
12:30As we go along, you should start to see the clean happen.
12:33And then when she's illuminated, I hope she'll have a nice, clean finish.
12:36That sounds amazing.
12:47Will is back on the south coast, this time in Bournemouth in Dorset.
12:52He's meeting Ronnie, who wants to restore an unusual musical instrument
12:57that holds a unique place in his heart.
13:01So this is it, then, is it?
13:02This is it.
13:03Your banjoleli.
13:04Banjoleli.
13:05This is my father's banjoleli.
13:06He bought it back from Jamaica when he came over with the Windrush Generation.
13:15The Windrush Generation were British Caribbean citizens
13:18who travelled to the UK from the late 1940s onwards.
13:23They settled all over the country,
13:26working for the National Health Service
13:27and in the many industries experiencing post-war labour shortages.
13:36I've heard stories of people coming over on the Windrush within that generation.
13:40Yes.
13:41And not everyone was able to bring all of their belongings with them.
13:44No.
13:44So the fact that he brought this over with him must mean it's quite special.
13:47Very much so, yeah.
13:48He cherished it and he used to play as a teenager,
13:51busking in bars and making a few pennies.
13:54I mean, it is quite an interesting instrument.
13:56So banjoleli, that's a mixture of banjo and...
13:59And ukulele.
13:59Ukulele, yeah.
14:00Yeah.
14:01It's got some weight to it.
14:02It has.
14:02It's a heavy beast.
14:04Not quite sure what it is, but...
14:06I love it.
14:10We used to sit in the lounge, cross-legged in front of him
14:12and he'd play us little tunes.
14:13Yeah, it was good fun.
14:14So he could actually play something.
14:16He didn't just sort of...
14:17Oh, no, he could play, you know, the whole nine yards
14:20and used to sing along with it as well.
14:23Has that inspired you to pick it up yourself and give it a go?
14:25I'd like to learn how to play it once, you know, once it's in good order.
14:28When I'm cleaning windows.
14:30When I'm cleaning windows.
14:32What was your dad's name?
14:33Dad's name is Victor, Victor Watson.
14:35He played this for many years until he had a crush injury to his fingers.
14:40He then had to stick to guitar because he couldn't hold the strings on the frets.
14:43So when did you inherit this?
14:462020.
14:47My father passed away.
14:48He was 93.
14:49He was very much a character.
14:51Loved cricket.
14:52The West Indies.
14:54Loved life in the UK.
14:57Yeah.
14:57So this banjo-lay league, what exactly is wrong with it?
15:00Because it's got four strings to it.
15:02You've had the skin replaced.
15:03I mean, it looks like it's in normal playing condition.
15:06Yeah.
15:07The repair's not great.
15:09One of these tension bars, which I believe they sort of go on the back there.
15:14That one's missing.
15:16Beading around the outside has chipped away.
15:19And then on the opposite side, then, we've got quite a few dents in the veneer.
15:23They're going around and a big chunk of the beading's missing there.
15:26And, obviously, it's general repair, you know, with the machine heads and the woodwork around the sides, really.
15:33This banjo-lay league for you, I suppose, you know, not everyone has an item like this in their family.
15:38It's kind of like a touchstone to the past.
15:41Yes.
15:41I'm going to have great pleasure in taking this down to the barn.
15:48I can't wait to hear it playing properly.
15:50Yeah, whatever you can do.
15:52And hopefully it won't be long before Ronnie can hear his dad's banjo-lay league back in full song.
15:58Repair shop luthier, Julian, loves the huge variety of instruments he's been tasked with restoring at the barn.
16:18And this banjo-lay league is no exception.
16:21What a lovely old thing it is for over 100 years old.
16:28It's not looking too bad.
16:30So I'm just taking the strings off Ronnie's banjo-lay league.
16:34The strings are the last thing on, so they've got to be the first thing off.
16:37I'm using a little hooky tool there to free them from the capstan,
16:42which is the part the string wraps around of the tuner.
16:46Structurally-wise, there's a few things going on.
16:49So it has a missing tension hook, which is here.
16:54So these are the hooks that keep the pot together and the skin in place, the vellum as it's known.
17:01Now the vellum, this is interesting because it's been replaced at some point,
17:05but it's actually quite loose, so the bridge is pressing it down.
17:10We have got one hook here and it's completely snapped off,
17:15but the aesthetics, there's just a couple of bits of wood missing and patching up to be done,
17:21a little bit of colouring in.
17:22Now the strings are off, I'm just beginning to release the screws, or are they bolts,
17:40that keep the pot in the wooden round body.
17:44So I need to take that out as well, so I can have a good rummage around and see what's going on.
17:54Beautiful, look at that, that's a little work of art.
17:57I love seeing someone else's work.
17:59I've managed to get the pot out of the body and all of these are loose,
18:10so that's the main reason why the skin is so saggy.
18:13But what I've also noticed is that on tightening them up, one of them, the thread's gone.
18:20We've got the one that's already broken and we've got another one here that's about to break,
18:25so there's no point in me tightening this up just yet.
18:28I think I've got to replace the whole set and then I can look at getting it all together again.
18:37Hem York village mascot Daisy has been ice blasted to remove a decade of internal debris.
18:45Now is where Simon's expertise comes in.
18:48He's using modern composites to patch the holes in her fibreglass shell
18:53to make her stronger without adding any weight.
18:59Put a mask on, get the epoxy out and we'll start laminating.
19:04Laminating is the process of adding resin to fabric made up of bits of glass.
19:10We're making sure that all the epoxy's mixed, there's a few parts in there,
19:13so I want to make sure I get all the way around the edges of the cup and down into the bottom.
19:18And then just going to pour it over the area.
19:22So this is a general purpose epoxy, so I can do lots of things with it,
19:26but it's really, really strong, but it will also go really quite clear.
19:30And this is important for Daisy because, of course, she's a lantern.
19:34It's a lot stronger than the material Daisy was originally made out of,
19:38so I can use less material to repair her, leaving her more see-through.
19:43We've taken some small templates off all the little repairs.
19:47I've numbered them, so they go back in the right place.
19:50But now, as I bring my templates back over,
19:55I am going to cut out each repair one at a time,
19:58take it to Daisy and put it on.
20:04Number 15, there it is.
20:06Okay, I'm just going to put some neat epoxy around the repair.
20:10Here comes the tricky bit with gloves on,
20:12because I've got to take the bit of plastic off the back, first of all,
20:16and then I can put her in place.
20:20But now I've got to get the last bit.
20:23Oh, here we go.
20:27Oh.
20:28And I get my little brush,
20:31and I can just tap her into place.
20:34That's number 15 done, so we're a little over halfway.
20:37Plenty more to go.
20:40Once hardened, in about 24 hours,
20:43all of Daisy's 37 imperfections will be stronger,
20:47lighter, and just as transparent as before.
20:56As Simon carries on with his repairs,
20:59Dom has travelled to Torquay.
21:03He's here to spend time with an old friend,
21:06learning some new skills.
21:08Dave, how's it going?
21:10Dom, Dom, you're here.
21:11How's it going?
21:11Ah, it's so nice to see you again.
21:12So nice to see you again, buddy.
21:14Ah, here we are.
21:17Dave Smith is a world leader
21:18in the creation of antique-style mirrors and glass signs.
21:23He's crafted them for Disney
21:25and David Beckham's Into Miami, among others,
21:28using heritage techniques,
21:31like brilliant cutting,
21:33French embossing, and gilding,
21:34which have been vital
21:36in making intricate decorative signs
21:38for hundreds of years.
21:43This one here, absolutely beautiful piece.
21:45This is really lovely.
21:47It was in a doorway somewhere in somebody's bar.
21:50You look around the edges there,
21:51how they've nipped it out.
21:52I think that's potentially over 100 years old.
21:54125 years old, this panel.
21:55You've dedicated a lot of your time
21:58to the teaching.
21:59Yeah, I have, yeah.
22:00Which is why you've rightly got an MBE for it.
22:03Oh, thanks.
22:03Yeah, I can't believe that.
22:04That was just really, really nice
22:06to get that in 2019.
22:07Honestly, very well-deserved
22:08because the work you're doing,
22:10without people like yourself
22:11that are willing to share these skills
22:12and pass them on,
22:14there would be nobody doing this.
22:15It's a dying craft done, exactly, yeah.
22:16Do I need to call you sir?
22:18No, no, no, no, no.
22:19I'm just still Dave Smith.
22:20I'm all right.
22:21I'll be fine with Dave Smith.
22:22Lord?
22:23Wouldn't that be nice, though, wouldn't it?
22:24Lord Smith, actually.
22:24Yeah, I'd be nice, actually.
22:25Yeah, why not?
22:26Dom has spent time learning from Dave before.
22:30Now he's going to help him
22:31make a beautifully decorated mirror
22:33from a flat, plain piece of glass.
22:37Dave's made a start
22:38by sketching on the design.
22:41I'm doing a little sample product here.
22:42Oh, what are you working on?
22:43Oh, I'm getting ready
22:44with a bit of cut glass here.
22:45Kind of an Art Laveau,
22:47Victorian sort of feel to it.
22:48That is brilliant.
22:49That piece, it will end up looking
22:50a bit like this.
22:50It's a Victorian, this piece, yeah.
22:51So this is the style
22:52of what I'm trying to achieve.
22:54Wow.
22:54Next, creating a scalloped edge
22:58by nibbling the glass.
23:00Again, this.
23:01That's exactly it, yeah.
23:02This is what we're aiming for.
23:04So we'll crack on and...
23:05Not crack on, Dave, don't say that.
23:08We don't be doing that.
23:09No.
23:12So who would use a tool like this, then?
23:14Well, glass guys, I mean, sign painters,
23:16the people that want to make something decorative.
23:18This is all it does?
23:18That's all it does, yeah.
23:19Just nibbles the edge of the glass.
23:20Absolutely, yeah.
23:22Is it a sharp movement or gentle?
23:24Yeah, straight down.
23:25Here we go.
23:26There we go.
23:27Oh!
23:27That's your first nip there.
23:28That's really scary.
23:29Look at that.
23:30That's perfect.
23:30Why don't you've done this before?
23:32Honestly, I've not.
23:33Look at this.
23:34That's brilliant.
23:35Really cool.
23:36I'm keeping pressure down.
23:39There we go.
23:40Oh, that was...
23:40Well done.
23:41And it went in a bit.
23:41Oh, that's lovely.
23:42You know what, Dave?
23:42I knew it would be dangerous coming here.
23:44Now I've got a new tool to add to my toolbox.
23:47You've got to get one of these.
23:49That's a good one.
23:55Perfect.
23:56Look at that.
23:56OK.
23:57All we need to do now is just sand those edges,
23:58because that's the sharp...
23:59That's sharp.
24:00Oh, Dave, it's looking good already.
24:01Doesn't it look good at that, doesn't it?
24:02I mean, just doing that,
24:03I'm already quite emotionally attached to this piece.
24:05Yes, I am.
24:06I feel like, you know, I've done that.
24:09The next stage in creating a delicate mirror
24:11is distinctly industrial-looking.
24:15Brilliant cutting.
24:16OK, so this is the brilliant cutting wheel.
24:19This is the brilliant cutting machine.
24:20This is kind of a replica of the ones
24:21that were kind of first designed in 1850 by James Bowden.
24:25Brilliant cutting involves carving into flat glass
24:28using a stone wheel.
24:30So this is an Alexite wheel.
24:31OK.
24:32And this is going to grind away the glass
24:34and give us these faceted shapes.
24:36So if you held it in one place for too long,
24:38it would make a hole?
24:38You could go through it.
24:39Yeah, exactly.
24:40You're having to go on this in a minute.
24:41Oh, Dave, I don't want to ruin it now.
24:42It's a sandball piece.
24:43We're all right.
24:43Are you sure?
24:44Absolutely.
24:45But if I slip, I'm going to...
24:46No, you'll be fine.
24:46Oh, Dave.
24:47I can polish it out.
24:52OK, I'll watch my head.
24:53Dave, I didn't realise it was going to get intimate.
24:55We're going to get cosy.
24:56So if I come there, lean over your right shoulder.
25:00Dave, good job with friends.
25:01I know, isn't it?
25:02And you can feel it.
25:03If I do the cutting, you can feel it for the first one then.
25:05You can see exactly what I'm doing.
25:06I'm going to come up to about here.
25:08I've got a slight angle there.
25:10You see that?
25:11Yeah.
25:11And I'm just going to stay there.
25:14I'm going to make that cut go wider.
25:16So now I'm nearly at the full width.
25:18Do you see that?
25:18Yeah.
25:19And now I'm going to start to just work my way up slowly.
25:22Do you feel that?
25:23And then I'm going to come back down, keep the cut going.
25:26Come on, Dave.
25:27We've got it.
25:27We've got it.
25:27Here we go.
25:28We're nearly there.
25:28And we're going to lift it off in a minute.
25:30Oh, my.
25:31Come right away to the point there down the bottom.
25:32And we lift off there.
25:33Now.
25:34Oh.
25:34Yeah, look at that beautiful cut, Dom.
25:35Oh, that was tense.
25:36Look at that.
25:37Goodness me.
25:38I'm glad you were there.
25:39You did great.
25:40Look at that.
25:41Well, I think you did.
25:42I think you did great, Dave.
25:43No, you were holding it.
25:44I can feel you there holding that glass.
25:45I was steering it around.
25:46I was trying.
25:47I can see how that takes years and years for the muscle memory.
25:50Of the practice, that's all it is.
25:51Of the angles and the just, yeah.
25:52Absolutely.
25:55A final polish with a felt wheel and fine powder makes those cuts gleam.
26:01There it is, Dom.
26:01Look at that.
26:03Isn't that beautiful?
26:04Incredible.
26:05It's a beautiful finish.
26:06Even without any mirroring on it, it just looks beautiful.
26:10This is it, Dom.
26:12So this is where I make my small mirrors on this one.
26:15Two pieces of timber across the top.
26:16Put some gloves on.
26:17And we can start pouring the mirror.
26:19Did you say pouring a mirror?
26:23Silvering a mirror might have all the mystery and wonder of magic.
26:27Wow.
26:27But it's pure science.
26:29A mixture of chemicals react to leave a layer of reflective metal stuck to the glass.
26:36Goodness me.
26:37Here we go.
26:37Ready?
26:39OK.
26:40I'm just going to shake this onto here like this.
26:42And you're going to see a mirror form.
26:44Nothing's happening, Dave.
26:45See it coming?
26:46Nothing's happening.
26:47You look at the reflection on the glass.
26:48Oh, yeah.
26:49It's getting shiny.
26:50There's enough in there now.
26:52Just let that sink down for a second.
26:54I can't get any more on there.
26:56Let's just see what this is doing.
26:58So there's metal in there that's sinking.
27:00Exactly that.
27:01But that's a chemical reaction.
27:02Yeah, absolutely.
27:03And it just sticks to the glass.
27:04That is mad.
27:05It's really cool.
27:06If you grab the water, pour it here just gently and you won't see the silver underneath.
27:11Get in there.
27:11That's it.
27:12Here I go.
27:14There you go.
27:14So that's good.
27:15That's it.
27:16Oh, Dave.
27:21You know, doesn't that look great?
27:23That is absolutely brilliant.
27:25It's perfect.
27:28Job done.
27:29Proof of how vital it is that people like Dave continue to share their knowledge to keep
27:35these skills alive.
27:38Hey, come here.
27:40Take me to the bath.
27:41Yeah, it's brilliant.
27:41Thank you very much.
27:43See you soon.
27:43Cheers, Tom.
27:48Back at the barn, Luthier Julian is making the wooden case on Ronnie's banjolele shine again.
27:56So I've taken the pieces of the banjolele apart and now I just need to focus on patching
28:01these little pieces of veneer up.
28:02So, for example, this little bit here is loose and it could just flake off.
28:09So the best thing to do is to glue it back down.
28:12So I have a very, very runny glue and I put it onto this little blade.
28:18She's got a hole in it and that allows me to put the correct amount of one in the exact
28:24place.
28:27So it's gone underneath the lifting veneer.
28:30So I'm just going to give it a little spray of accelerator.
28:36Just give it a little wipe.
28:40Yeah, that's not bouncing now.
28:42So that's solid.
28:43I just need to do that to all these other little bits.
28:46Take back a few years and get it back as it was again.
28:49And they're going to take a, it's almost like a crayon and it's just to go in and fill these
28:57loose areas.
28:59And when that's filled, I've got this little tool that runs over and flattens it.
29:08That's really good.
29:09Look at that.
29:10That's almost invisible.
29:11It's much, much more sophisticated than a crayon.
29:16It looks like I'm just colouring in at school.
29:19I'm sure you're not.
29:21I think I've got the right base colour.
29:23I'm just going to rub it over again and flatten these areas.
29:28As perfecto, that is.
29:30I can't even feel that that was broken.
29:36Luthui is full of odd things.
29:38It isn't just putting strings on and making guitars play and sound good.
29:45It's also all these little touch-ups and things that hopefully make it look better.
29:51Ronnie doesn't want this to look brand spanking new.
29:55But I think it's pretty important to return it to its state.
29:58It was in when his dad, Victor, was playing it.
30:15So I've got some replacement tension hooks and I've put them on.
30:20And because this vellum is slightly distorted still and the tension hooks aren't really pulling
30:25it in enough, I think even at the tension I want them at, there's still going to be some
30:30sagginess.
30:30So to help the vellum, it's like I'm going to revive it.
30:33I'm just going to spritz some water.
30:38Just like that.
30:39This vellum is actually an animal skin and it will soften with the water.
30:47And even now it's gone really bumpy already.
30:51So immediately I need to tighten up these tension hooks.
30:54And I want to do them end to end, like 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock, so all of
31:03the hooks end up being the same sort of tension and evenly pull the vellum nice and tight.
31:11So that, that's nice and flat there.
31:16Now I can't even feel any bumps.
31:20And that's beginning to sound nice and tight.
31:23And that's what helps give it its tone.
31:29Meanwhile outside, composites expert Simon has been working hard on Daisy, the giant cowl lantern.
31:37We've got all the big holes patched up, the hooves at the front have been glued back on,
31:42and she now has two ears.
31:44Now it's the final stage.
31:46Give her colour back.
31:49Soon she'll be ready to lead the villagers of Hemjörg for her 10th annual Christmas parade.
32:07There he is.
32:08Hello.
32:09Hello, Simon.
32:10There she is.
32:11There she is.
32:11Daisy's looking good.
32:13Do you like her?
32:13Yeah.
32:13Fresh coat of paint.
32:14Brilliant.
32:15A lot of repairs as well.
32:16Yes, yeah, we've got, she's not so holy as she was.
32:20She's, and she's packed together as well.
32:22It's amazing what a difference it's made, isn't it?
32:23Yeah.
32:24Hooves, others.
32:26She's looking good.
32:27Yeah.
32:27Once you get the pink on, she's going to come to life.
32:29Yeah.
32:30And she's a lot cleaner than she was.
32:32Is she clean on the inside?
32:33She's a lot cleaner than she was, yeah.
32:35She shouldn't get that mould shining through when they light her up.
32:37I can sort of imagine her now as a lantern.
32:40You can sort of see her lit up at night with all the village around.
32:44I think it's been brilliant.
32:45She is great.
32:45She's like a whole new cow.
32:47So, Simon, it sounds like once you open that can of pink paint, you're almost ready.
32:51Yeah, I'll get the pink on, and you guys can take her back to Devon.
32:55Yeah.
32:56Well done, Simon.
32:57See you soon, Simon.
32:57Cheers.
33:00Inside the barn, Julian has almost finished restoring the beloved banjolalia,
33:15replacing the broken and missing tension rods, and fixing the damaged woodwork.
33:20There's just one last thing to do.
33:23Knock, knock.
33:24Hi, Kirsten.
33:25Hey, I thought you could do with a nice cup of tea.
33:28Yeah, thank you very much.
33:30I could really deal with that.
33:31Where's it going?
33:32I've finished.
33:32I've just basically tuned it up.
33:34Play a little tune.
33:38I'm not very good on a banjolalia, but it's a lovely little thing.
33:42It looks absolutely beautiful.
33:44And it's ready to see Ronnie again.
33:45I'm sure he's going to absolutely love that.
33:47Yeah, I hope so.
33:47Amazing job.
33:55Now that the banjolalia is back on song, Will has invited Ronnie down to the barn to collect
34:03this very special piece of family history.
34:06Hey, there he is.
34:14Good to see you again.
34:16Now, we all know what you've come to see today.
34:19Yeah, well, I've come to see my dad's old, very old banjolali.
34:24Bearing in mind, he bought it back from Jamaica in 1954.
34:29Yeah, it was just a connection to him.
34:31I mean, what a journey, going from Jamaica in the Windrush generation, bringing a banjolali
34:36to the UK.
34:37Yeah, exactly.
34:38What are you hoping that Jules has managed to do with a banjolali?
34:41Well, I mean, when I left it, the skin wasn't great.
34:46The woodwork had some chips and knocks in.
34:50Yeah, it was just a bit of a mess.
34:52Would you like to see what Jules has managed to do?
34:54I would like to see, if you don't mind, Will.
34:55Yeah.
34:56That'd be great.
34:56OK.
35:00Hey.
35:01I'm going to pick it up, if that's all right.
35:10Yeah, of course.
35:14Fantastic.
35:19That's brilliant.
35:20There's a few of the tension bars that were snapped.
35:26Done a good job on that.
35:27That's brilliant.
35:29My flabber is gasted.
35:30Fantastic.
35:34Is that in tune?
35:35Well, knowing Jules, I'm sure you can make it in tune if not.
35:38We need to have a chat.
35:39Yeah.
35:40That is brilliant.
35:42Absolutely brilliant.
35:43The lovely thing about this is that he's managed to restore it, but not over-restore it, and keep lots of that character.
35:52So, if you look on the fretboard, you can actually see at the fretboard, you can actually see at the top the indentations where his fingers would have been used more.
36:00Yeah.
36:00It's a lovely thing to do.
36:01It's a lovely thing to have, isn't it?
36:02It is.
36:03Now, has this inspired you to start to learn how to play the punch later?
36:06I am going to have a go.
36:07Definitely.
36:08Yeah.
36:09I mean, I've got fat fingers, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do that.
36:12Yeah.
36:13We'll get that sorted.
36:14It's been great to see you again.
36:16Good luck with playing that, and I can't wait to hear your first album.
36:19I'm looking forward to playing it myself.
36:21I'll also pass your thanks on to Jules as well.
36:24He's done a fantastic job.
36:25Safe travels.
36:26Take care.
36:31I'm actually feeling quite elated about this.
36:35The memories of my father that this brings back is of laughter, of fun, and listening to a great musician.
37:05Dom is back on the road, heading to Devon to be reunited with a very special cow.
37:12I'm very excited to be heading back to Hemyok.
37:15I'm looking forward to meeting the community.
37:17This time, I'm not going to a field.
37:19We're actually going to the heart of the village, which is where Daisy belongs.
37:26Daisy has been delivered home, and all that's left to do is to reveal her to the people who adore her so much.
37:35The cow-shaped lantern is the star attraction at the annual parade here, and the village has come out in force to welcome her home.
37:52I had to make the udders, so I lay on the ground underneath her and built it out of willow and tissue,
37:58and it was so exciting because we'd never done anything like this before.
38:01She's really important to us.
38:11Well done! Thank you so much!
38:12Well, it's cow-shaped, so that's a good start. Actually, watching her go away was quite hard.
38:21You're thinking, oh, what's going to happen to Daisy?
38:23There were rumours that perhaps she'd lived a life, but she's too big a part of the community for that to happen, I think.
38:31Mitch, hi! Nice to see you again.
38:34It's so nice to be back, and I see you've brought half the village with you.
38:37Yeah.
38:39Why does she mean so much to the village?
38:41I mean, she's a spectacle for the staff, but also she heralds good times ahead, and every time Daisy comes out into the village,
38:49it's either for the spring dance or it's for the parade, and she stays out over Christmas.
38:54So, you know, when you see Daisy out and about, you know you've got a good time.
38:57Something good's about to happen.
38:58Yes, yeah, yeah.
38:59Oh, I feel like something good is about to happen today.
39:00Yeah.
39:01It's fair to say she maybe wasn't looking her best when you left her with us.
39:04She was quite shabby. We did need a makeover, I think.
39:08Yeah, missing body parts.
39:09Yes.
39:10So, what are you hoping to see, then, under this rather large blanket?
39:14Hopefully that her hooves are mended, her ears are mended, she's not quite so pitted.
39:19It'd be great if her colours are back, and also if we can put light in her, she'll glow again, and that would be lovely.
39:26Because that's the whole point of Daisy, isn't it? That she lights up, she's a lantern, essentially.
39:30Yeah, she was the first lantern we made, yeah, so she's ten in December.
39:33Oh, happy birthday, Daisy.
39:35Okay, well, Mitch, are you looking forward to seeing Daisy? I think it's about time.
39:39Yes.
39:40Yeah?
39:41Yes, very excited.
39:42Everybody else, you ready?
39:43Yes!
39:44Yeah? Excited?
39:45Yes!
39:46Come on then, Mitch, you might have to give me a hand.
39:48Three, two, one.
39:51Three, two, one.
39:57Brilliant!
39:58Look at her.
39:59How's that?
40:00Daisy!
40:03She's brilliant.
40:04Oh, yeah, it's Daisy.
40:05Yeah?
40:06Yes.
40:07The Daisy that you remember?
40:08Yes.
40:09Yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:10Come on in, come and have a closer look.
40:15What I was really impressed was inside, because I remember the amount of time that Liz tried to spray all the dirt and the grime off.
40:24I actually had a very unpleasant experience of going in with a pressure wash. So I had everything on waterproofs and wellies, and I went in, and within two seconds my wellies were completely full.
40:37Yeah.
40:38She's like a symbol of this village, I think. She represents the farming, everything around.
40:47She used to be sat at the end of our road. The kids used to go down and see her and say hi to her, and they very much miss her.
40:53We go to the lights every year. We bring our grandchildren down from the north of Bristol, and they have a wonderful time, and we carry the lanterns through and join the parade.
41:05I think she should be at the parade next year, and hopefully she'll be lit up, she'll be bright, and colourful again.
41:12She just brings so much joy. That's what's wonderful about her. She's wormed her way into our hearts, and everybody loves her.
41:23This is what it's all about. Taking the skills that we've got, and putting them into use, wherever they're needed. Literally, wherever they're needed. We'll be there.
41:31Dom and Will's work here is done, but one more Devon experience beckons, before they move on to their next adventure.
41:45Will. Hey. How are you doing?
41:48Very good. I've just made myself a cup of tea. Selfish tea for yourself. Selfish tea.
41:52Don't worry, I'll get my own. Well, there's some water in the kettle.
41:55I've got a treat in my bag for you, but I'm having a second thought about giving it to you now.
41:59Oh. This is always nice at the end of the day, isn't it?
42:01It is. Absolutely desperate for a cup of tea.
42:03Right, you mentioned something about treats. What's inside the bag? Go on.
42:07Right, okay, you ready? Please.
42:09Come on, we're in Devon. What do you think it's going to be?
42:13Scone. Scone? Well, I'm not sure. Scone or scone?
42:17Scone. It gets more complicated than that, because we're going to have to have this debate.
42:22Oh, come on.
42:29Devon's a great place, isn't it? I think it's quite inspirational.
42:37I've been down before with my watercolours. Stop.
42:41Painting bits of the countryside.
42:43Really? Yeah. Watercolour artist? I would never have thought.
42:46Well, there you go. I'm all for it. That's good.
42:48Yeah? Yeah, we'll have a little paint off one day.
42:50We should do. That's very cool. I'd love to do that.
42:52I'm going to do something now. Don't judge me.
42:55Oh, yeah. It's fine. Oh, no.
42:58Oh, no.
42:59Oh, no.
43:00Oh, no.
43:01Oh, no.
43:02Oh, no.
43:03Oh, no.
43:04Oh, no.
43:05Oh, no.
43:06Oh, no.
43:07Oh, no.
43:08Oh, no.
43:09Oh, no.
43:10Oh, no.
43:11Oh, no.
43:12Oh, no.
43:13Oh, no.
43:14Oh, no.
43:15Oh, no.
43:16Oh, no.
43:17Oh, no.
43:18Oh, no.
43:19Oh, no.
43:20Oh, no.
43:21Oh, no.
43:22Oh, no.
43:23Oh, no.
43:24Oh, no.
43:25Oh, no.
43:26Oh, no.
43:27Oh, no.
43:28Oh, no.
43:29Oh, no.
43:30Oh, no.
43:31Oh, no.
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