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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.
00:12Happy tears.
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? Absolutely 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 to 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 doing 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.
00:56Good job 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.
01:15Today, Will and Dom answer a May Day message from the menders fixing a commemorative Air Force treasure.
01:22It's split in different places.
01:23Yeah, it's got a few big cracks in it.
01:25You've certainly got your work out, haven't you?
01:27They're very much at home.
01:29It's like a mini repair shop, isn't it?
01:30It is.
01:32Dom finds a religious air loom in need of the gentlest of touches.
01:38And Will meets a craftsman who can weave wicker into beehives.
01:43Presume this is for all my protection.
01:44Yeah.
01:44We're really sensitive creatures, aren't we all?
01:46Yeah.
01:47Sitting 80 miles west of London, the county of Wiltshire.
01:54Do you know what?
01:54I've never been to Wiltshire.
01:55Same.
01:56Known for prehistoric monuments like Stonehenge and Avebury, and architectural wonders like
02:02Salisbury Cathedral.
02:03To the north-east, Swindon, synonymous with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the legendary engineer whose designs for trains, tunnels and bridges transformed industrial Britain.
02:16The train construction yards of Swindon were at the forefront of that revolution, but there is another side to the town's manufacturing past.
02:25Wiltshire has a big RAF history.
02:27Really?
02:28Yeah, a Second World War.
02:29They built a lot of planes.
02:31Across the county, that history is on display, if you know where to look.
02:35This pretty park in Roughton on the edge of Swindon is home to a collection of benches modelled on classic warplanes like the Spitfire.
02:45But one of them is in trouble.
02:48The fairy Barracuda was one of Britain's first all-metal bombers.
02:52None of the 2,500 built have survived intact, and even this charming wooden version has seen better days.
03:01I don't know how big this bench is going to be.
03:03Let's hope it's not life-size.
03:04Same size as a bomber, because that's a lot of wood.
03:08Taking the lead on restoring the damaged bench is a community craft project in Swindon.
03:13It's based on the worldwide Men's Shed movement, which tackles isolation among older men by creating craft hubs, where everyone comes together to share their skills and stories.
03:27We need to give them a hand.
03:28Do you know what? I put some tools in the boot as well.
03:30Is that what's rattling around back there?
03:31That's what's rattling around back there.
03:32Right, OK.
03:33Welcome to Will and Dom's happy place.
03:37Here we are.
03:39Ooh!
03:39Look at it.
03:40Tools.
03:41Look at all this.
03:42I love the organisation.
03:43Oh, do you know what?
03:43I could learn a thing or two from this.
03:45It's quite a shame, isn't it?
03:48Oh, work is going on in here.
03:50It's like a mini repair shop, isn't it?
03:52It is.
03:53Hello.
03:53Hi there.
03:54Chessboard?
03:55Good guess.
03:56Yes.
03:57Well, I mean, that's nearly a chessboard.
03:58The community shed is open to beginners and experts alike to work on their own builds.
04:05I like that.
04:05I like that.
04:06Yeah.
04:07Or to help with community projects.
04:09You must be Kevin.
04:10Yeah, I'm Kevin.
04:10Hey, Kevin.
04:11They've got rather a large job on their hands, so they've asked for Will and Dom's help.
04:16Big bit of wood?
04:17Yes.
04:18So, Kevin, this must be the bench.
04:20Yeah, this is the bench.
04:22This one's just fallen into disrepair because it was removed from the original site it was on.
04:28Yeah.
04:28And got chucked under a tarpaulin and has been deteriorating since.
04:34Well, it sounds like you've got your work cut out, Will.
04:36So, yeah.
04:36He's got a TLC.
04:37You'll be all right, won't you?
04:38I'll be fine.
04:39I'll leave you to it.
04:40Nice to meet you.
04:40Well, I'll see you in a bit.
04:41Good luck with that.
04:43Dom's off to find out what this bench and the others in the squadron mean to the local community,
04:48leaving Will and Kevin to get to work.
04:51Right, talk me through the damage.
04:53What's going on here?
04:54Well, so it's been rotted from the top.
04:57Yeah.
04:57The water's been seeping in and the other thing is the wings have rotted slightly on the edges.
05:03Look, that's all soft and chewy and needs to come out.
05:08The other bit is we could tackle this.
05:11The back seems really wobbly there and it looks like it's split in different places.
05:16Yeah, it's got a few big cracks in it.
05:17So maybe if we get the back off, we can then work out what's going on on the inside, clean it out, screw it back.
05:23Yeah, that's good.
05:24Screw it back together.
05:24Yeah?
05:25Easy as that, you see.
05:26We're already halfway there.
05:27Right, I can see a little plug at the front, so maybe if we get that out first, I can then unscrew that.
05:44Oh, there we are.
05:45I can see the head there.
05:46Look at that.
05:55Well, that's not ideal.
05:56No, there should be a thread on the end of it.
05:57There should be, yeah, exactly.
05:59There's like a rotten tooth.
06:00The rest of it is inside there.
06:02Well, you know, most of restoration is about problem solving.
06:06And we have a problem here.
06:07We just need to solve it.
06:08While Will and Kevin battled with the Barracuda, Dom's keen to get more details on Roughton's pro-Royal Air Force links from Community Officer Amanda.
06:19And here they are, the benches, the aeroplanes.
06:21Yeah, this one's a Spitfire.
06:23Brilliant.
06:24So this is where the bench that Will's working on used to be?
06:27Yeah.
06:29Roughton's got an amazing military history.
06:31We had RF Roughton here, which was a really key airbase in the Second World War.
06:35There's 7,000 planes went through there in the duration of the war.
06:397,000 planes.
06:40We had the military hospital at the top of the other hill.
06:43We had local factories making mountains for machine guns and things like that.
06:47So there is a really rich history here.
06:50OK.
06:51So all these aircraft came from around here.
06:53They were worked on.
06:54Yeah, they were worked on, maintained, assembled or repaired.
06:58And, of course, all of that means that all the work was done by the locals from here.
07:01Yeah, when I first moved here, in my front garden, used to sit there, and the Hercules planes used to go over all the time.
07:08Wow.
07:09Oh, goodness, man, now we can sit on them instead.
07:11Yeah, it's great.
07:11So why do you want to get the bench fixed?
07:13Well, it was part of the original three benches we had here.
07:16We didn't think we would be able to make it back into a bench seat because it's so rotten.
07:21Yeah.
07:21We thought maybe we might need to sort of fill it and put it in a flower bed or something.
07:24We wanted it to live on, but now you guys are involved, maybe you can make it a bench again.
07:29We will do our very best.
07:31I have to warn you, though, he is a bit of a slow worker.
07:35Something like this.
07:36Once it's been outside for a long time and water gets in there, it rusts the bolts, then it almost bonds with the wood itself.
07:43Yeah, it does look a bit rusty.
07:46I've heard of men's sheds.
07:49It's like the kind of space where people get together and you can talk and you can make.
07:54Yeah, mainly it's aimed at men that are retired.
07:56We're sort of a community shed ourselves here.
08:01So where people can come and it combats isolation, loneliness.
08:06And then you have a bit of company.
08:08Yeah, company, you drink lots of tea, you chat, you bathe, paint stuff, make stuff.
08:14If I wasn't so busy at work, I'd be down there every week.
08:17Oh, you'd love it.
08:17Yeah.
08:18Especially with all the cups of tea and the cake.
08:20Well, that's part of it, you see.
08:22That's the important part.
08:23So some people come and they want to be doing work all the time.
08:27Yeah.
08:27So no, you need to stop and chat to us.
08:29We want to find out about you.
08:32Yeah.
08:32That's important.
08:33So I'm going to try and jemmy it out carefully.
08:38I will.
08:39Kevin, you OK?
08:40How are you getting on?
08:41Oh, here he is.
08:41It looks literally the same as when I left.
08:44What have you been doing?
08:45Wow.
08:45The only thing that's changed is that plate of cake is now empty.
08:48Look at that.
08:48I've taken that out.
08:49Oh, no.
08:50Yeah.
08:51You snapped it.
08:51Snapped it.
08:52To be fair, that break looks so rusty.
08:55I think that's been broken for a while.
08:56See?
08:56So it wasn't me.
08:57Yeah.
08:57I've just taken it out.
08:59The problem is we've got all of that hidden somewhere in there.
09:03And we really need to get this apart so we can clean up the joints.
09:06Give me two seconds.
09:07I know exactly what you need.
09:08Really?
09:08Two seconds.
09:10Right.
09:11Is this one he made earlier?
09:13Hacksaw.
09:14I've just taken the blade out the hacksaw.
09:17Do you reckon you can slip that underneath?
09:18Do you want me to have a go?
09:19Yeah, you can't.
09:20Or do you want to do it?
09:20No, you go, you go, you go.
09:22In there.
09:23That's metal.
09:29That's it.
09:31Now, it's really thick what you need to sort with.
09:33Look how thick that metal is.
09:35That's right.
09:35I've been through that in no time.
09:39Well, when he said in no time...
09:43Well, that's the wrong way.
09:48Is that it?
09:48Is that it?
09:49There we are.
09:50Hey, look at that.
09:52Good job.
09:53Thanks, Dom.
09:54That's perfect timing.
09:55Shame there's not a bit of cake left for me.
09:58Right.
09:58Now that's off, what's left?
10:00Well, we've got a big chunk of the canopy that's rotting away there nicely.
10:05The wings.
10:06With Kevin on top of his to-do list and plenty to keep him busy...
10:11A new piece of wood in.
10:12It's time for Will and Dom to hit the road again.
10:15Oh, that was fun, wasn't it?
10:16That's good.
10:16Who's driving?
10:17I'll drive.
10:18I really love the idea of a community sort of shed.
10:25I know.
10:26Where people can come together, talk, fix stuff, make stuff.
10:30People can come to those places from so many different situations.
10:34Yeah.
10:34And we've different skills.
10:36That's what I quite like about it.
10:37Everybody can bring something to the party.
10:39Retired engineers, cabinet makers, woodworkers.
10:41Yeah.
10:42You know, it's like us.
10:43We're bonding over making stuff, fixing stuff.
10:45Yeah, exactly.
10:46There's still more to do in Swindon.
10:50Will is going in search of a sweet crafting treat, while Dom answers a call for help from
10:56a local family.
10:57They've asked him to collect an heirloom so fragile, they're no longer able to use it.
11:03Tulsi, hi.
11:04You OK?
11:04Hi.
11:04You found me.
11:05I did find you.
11:06What have you brought in for me today?
11:08So this is a Shiksha Bhattri.
11:10It's a Hindu religious scripture, and it's part of the Samanarayan sect of Hinduism.
11:17And Lord Samanarayan was the man who started this sect.
11:20And this book is full of his sort of teachings.
11:23OK.
11:24And that's just so as you sort of just piqued it open there, it's all handwritten.
11:27Everything is handwritten.
11:28It's in Sanskrit, which is an ancient Hindu language.
11:31So not many people would be able to read this.
11:34I mean, do you know how old this book is?
11:35It was given to my grandmother, and she was in her 80s when she passed away.
11:41It was given to her by her father.
11:43So I'm guessing within the regions of 100 years, probably.
11:48And only the originals were sort of handwritten like this.
11:51So these teachings and beliefs obviously meant a lot to your nan and potentially her father.
11:56Yes.
11:57They were devout followers, really practised, lived, breathed it.
12:02She obviously didn't read this book, because as I said, it's in Sanskrit.
12:05But because it is...
12:07So she couldn't read it either?
12:08No, she couldn't.
12:08Oh, my goodness.
12:09So she would have the Gujarati translation of that book.
12:13So to your nan, this was more of a, I guess, like a symbol.
12:16Exactly.
12:16This would be present while she's doing her prayers and then, you know, is with her.
12:20Yeah.
12:20Would you tell me a bit about your nan?
12:22Yeah.
12:22So she was born actually in East Africa, in Uganda.
12:25At the time, with the British Empire, a lot of Indians were migrated to East African countries.
12:32So that's where she was born.
12:34What brought them to the UK?
12:36Well, when Idi Amin, the dictator in Uganda, sort of took over, he mandated that Indians want
12:43to leave.
12:44So you either left or you lost your life.
12:45But my family that came here, they were in a refugee camp in Newbury, and the closest
12:51town was Swindon.
12:53So that's how they ended up in Swindon.
12:54Just imagining now, going through all of that, your nan just clutching at this is probably
12:58one of the only things that she had.
12:59What was nan's name?
13:01Uh, Madhu.
13:01So, she passed away in 2019, very sudden.
13:06We don't really feel like we had a chance to make our peace with it or say goodbye, because
13:12we weren't expecting her to go.
13:13So it would be absolutely amazing to have a piece of her back.
13:18I've got to get what you mean.
13:19It's here.
13:19A physical thing that we can see, touch, feel, and be that little bit closer to somebody
13:24who left too soon.
13:27Absolutely.
13:27So, it's clearly a very old, well-worn book, but what's actually wrong?
13:32What are you hoping we can do?
13:34So you can see, obviously, on the outside, this is, like, material, and it's kind of
13:38coming off.
13:39Silk or something, isn't it?
13:39Yeah.
13:40And I'll just try and open it so that you can, um, see.
13:44You can see some of the pages actually have completely come out here.
13:48It'd be great to have those sort of refixed so that it is still the book that it was.
13:52And then there's binding that's coming loose, so I'm hoping that we're able to at least
13:56repair it to an extent, but I don't want it to look like it's a brand new book.
14:01The fact that it's worn in places, I think it's part of its story.
14:04And as she used to have it present at any religious or cultural, uh, things that we
14:09would host, we would like to do the same moving forward, but it's just too delicate.
14:14The age of it and the history that it's got with your nan is so important, but it's also
14:17important that you can keep telling these stories.
14:19Exactly.
14:20This is the tool to help to do that.
14:21Exactly.
14:22Yeah.
14:22That's what we want.
14:23I'm not going to lie.
14:24This is going to be a challenge, but we've got a brilliant team of experts at the barn
14:28and I can't wait to get it back and show them.
14:43The repair shop has gathered an incredible cast of craftspeople over the years with expertise
14:49in all sorts of materials and methods.
14:51And a road trip is a great way to find even more.
14:55So while Dom has been collecting Tulsa's family prayer book, Will's gone to meet a local
15:01craft hero.
15:02Hey.
15:03Hey, Chris.
15:03I'm Will.
15:04Good to meet you.
15:05Will.
15:05Are you all the skep maker?
15:07Yeah.
15:07Yes.
15:08I do make skeps.
15:09Like an old school beehive, right?
15:11Exactly that, yeah.
15:12Chris is keeping alive the heritage skills needed to make beehouses or skeps out of coiled willow,
15:18straw or other natural materials.
15:20That's what I've come to see.
15:22He believes this natural law intervention method of beekeeping allows the hive to thrive.
15:28I do love a good skep because it's straw and it's insulated and it's round and it seems
15:31so in natural shape.
15:33Solid.
15:33Sturdy, yeah.
15:34I mean, a well-made skep will outlast its maker.
15:37You don't understand it, right?
15:38And you can see, you don't understand it, you can jump, jump, jump, jump.
15:41And that's just straw, you know, just straw and a bit of split material.
15:45With a hive full of bees, wax and honey weighing up to 60 pounds by summer's end, Chrissie's
15:51skeps could really take the strain.
15:53I'll get you working on this one.
15:56The straw bundle is kept in place by a thread of split willow or cane, known as lapping.
16:02This one spiral away from the top to the bottom, let's bring this one up.
16:05The secret lies in the special needle.
16:08You've got that V there and that makes a little valley if you turn to tuck it into.
16:11So I'll place it for you the first time.
16:15So you've got to kind of just recreate that angle to dangle and then the lapping comes
16:19over and in.
16:20Right, let's get a see.
16:21There you go.
16:22That comes over the top.
16:24That tucks into there.
16:25That's right.
16:27And you pull them both out.
16:29Pull that out and the needle out.
16:30And that, yeah, like that.
16:32Best place to put the needle.
16:34Put it back in.
16:35Yeah, put it where it needs to go next.
16:37You've got it.
16:38About that.
16:38Give it a wiggle, yeah.
16:39Come on.
16:39Go on, deep breaths.
16:41Now you're ready, just sort of take the slack up on these.
16:44Yeah.
16:45And you've got to give this a bit of a twist, like you're revving a motorbike.
16:48Put that on like that.
16:49Nice and tight.
16:50Yeah.
16:50Like that.
16:51And this one, I can see there's a bit of slack there, so bring that forward.
16:54Really.
16:55Bring all the slack to the front.
16:56And then tighten up that last one.
16:59Like that.
17:00And this one.
17:01Yeah, so there you go.
17:02You keep going.
17:03That's fine, isn't it?
17:04Yeah, it's really nice.
17:06That goes in there.
17:07Therapeutic, this work, you know.
17:08It is therapeutic.
17:09Now, how do we go from what I've done here to one of these?
17:13You just keep going.
17:14It's just one spiral all the way and you just keep progressing now until you've reached your
17:19desired diameter.
17:20Then you'd be drawing the wool straight up.
17:22Once you've made one of these, how do you get the bees inside?
17:25That's the easy bit.
17:26You've got like a little neon sign saying, open.
17:29Bees will swarm and they'll hang close by to their mother colony for a while.
17:34Yeah.
17:34So I'll just take the skep.
17:36And the ideal scenario is just, you know, a nice, easily reachable branch.
17:39Just give that branch one good shake.
17:42All the bees are in.
17:43Do you then turn that round?
17:44Yeah, and then you take them to where you want to keep them and I'll put them, you know,
17:48on their stand, put a shelter on top and away they go.
17:52Bees are happy with that?
17:53Yes.
17:53Yeah, we have a skep apiary here.
17:54Come and have a look.
17:55Yeah, I'd love it.
17:56Yeah, please, please, please, let's go.
17:57A visit to the walking skeps requires suiting and booting for Will and Chris.
18:03There we are, look.
18:05Presumably this is for all my protection.
18:07Yeah.
18:08You know, bees, they can react to people they don't know.
18:13They're really sensitive creatures.
18:15Aren't we all?
18:15Yeah.
18:17And a good blast of calming smoke for the bees.
18:22Okay.
18:26Right.
18:27Where are they?
18:28Okay, so we've got these.
18:29Oh, there they are.
18:30These are skeps here and these ones in the bee bowl.
18:32It's bee paradise, isn't it?
18:35There we go.
18:40Right, and these bees are going to be pretty cool with you doing this, right?
18:42Yeah, I mean, I have a relationship with the bees and I'm still going to do my veil up.
18:48Yeah.
18:48But yeah, but this is a lovely colony, touch wood.
18:54Wow.
18:55Look at them.
18:55Look at them.
18:56Isn't that gorgeous?
18:56Oh, my gosh.
18:58Look at that.
18:59Hello, bees.
19:01Try not to breathe on them too much.
19:02Okay.
19:03Where is the honey?
19:04Here.
19:05Yeah.
19:06That's honey.
19:07Okay, have a taste.
19:08Let's have a little taste of that.
19:11Fresh, warm honey straight from the hive.
19:13Oh, my word.
19:14Oh, my word.
19:15Oh, my gosh.
19:16That is beautiful.
19:18Chris, thank you for showing me about how skeps are made.
19:21And let me try some of the lovely honey.
19:24Yeah.
19:24It's really tasty.
19:25I definitely will be back with a few jars.
19:26Great, great.
19:27Great, great.
19:36Well.
19:37Hello, mate.
19:37You okay?
19:38Not bad.
19:39Very good.
19:40Just in time.
19:40I've got my kettle is absolutely raging hot.
19:43Is it raging hot?
19:43Ready to burn your mouth.
19:44Yeah.
19:44Highlight so far, the RAF plane.
19:49I mean, there's a lot of work that needs to be done on that.
19:50However, all for a good cause.
19:52Honestly, the pressure's on.
19:54They're planning a big event.
19:54They're going to get all the village down there.
19:56It's going to be good.
19:56It's going to be worthwhile doing.
19:58Yeah.
19:58Then it can join its aeroplane mates.
20:00Back in the park.
20:01Back in the park.
20:01Exactly.
20:02Yeah.
20:05While Will stays in Wiltshire to help with the RAF bench,
20:09Dom has travelled back to the barn with his precious cargo,
20:12Tulsi's hundred-year-old family heirloom.
20:16One of the great privileges of being here at the barn
20:19is having the opportunity to work on stories from all over the UK.
20:23These objects really are part of who we are,
20:26and I'm so glad that Angie is here to help fix this very special book.
20:31Often, the first step of rebuilding an item is taking it apart.
20:37This is quite terrifying.
20:40This book is super important to Tulsi,
20:42but in its current condition, it's not safe to handle.
20:46I can see there's a lot of separated pages,
20:48which is making it even more challenging.
20:50So I'm going to take it apart.
20:54There's a really big staple going right through the middle
20:57that's keeping all of the pages together,
20:59which I need to remove in order to start taking it apart.
21:02I have to be very, very careful because the pages are extremely brittle,
21:09so I need to not break any more of them.
21:15Staples, unfortunately, can cause a lot of issues on paper.
21:19As they age, they will rust, and this one is already rusty.
21:24I would have expected the binding to be a thread,
21:29but probably someone tried to put it back together.
21:35I'm going to have to cut it and slowly make my way through the paper.
21:39Okay, off we go.
21:51So I will go as slowly as possible.
21:56Moment of truth.
21:58I can see that there's more holes,
22:10which tells me that
22:11there have been other attempts of binding it before,
22:17and this was probably the last resort.
22:20Ah, there we go.
22:23This one is quite broken.
22:25I'm really worried about the paper
22:28that has been used as a little bridge in the middle
22:32because it has actually increased the thickness of the book itself,
22:38and, of course, it has made it extra rigid,
22:41and probably this is one of the main reasons
22:45why it has been so bent out of shape.
22:48The pages are really brittle,
22:50so I need to humidify the pages,
22:52which will then allow me to have them flat,
22:55and also it will allow the book to close properly.
23:01Placing the pages of the book in a humidifier
23:03will add moisture back into the paper,
23:06making them easier to handle
23:08and ready for the next stage of Angie's renovation.
23:11While she waits for the humidifier to work its magic,
23:16Will is back at the community shed
23:17to help out with the Air Force bench,
23:20and he's working with Susan,
23:22a Royal Air Force veteran
23:24who saw active service as a nurse medic.
23:27Susan.
23:28Oh, hi there.
23:29As you can see, this airplane has seen better days.
23:32Yes, lots of work required.
23:34Yes, definitely.
23:36Susan is a newcomer on the tools,
23:38so Will is giving her some tips.
23:41Well, I love wood,
23:42and it's a pity to see this in this condition.
23:44So my plan is the plane, the plane.
23:48Mm-hm.
23:48I'm going to try to flatten the top down
23:50and get on a new piece of wood.
23:52Have you ever used one of these before?
23:53I haven't used a plane.
23:55This is a great tool
23:57because it has this little blade on the underside there,
24:00and then as you run this flat surface against a piece of wood,
24:04it slowly starts to shave down any of the imperfections.
24:08Yeah.
24:08You should end up with a nice, flat, even surface.
24:17Exposes the grain of the wood as well.
24:19Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:20Yeah, I used to watch my father using a Stanley plane.
24:23Stanley plane, yeah.
24:23Because he did lots of woodwork,
24:26and as kids he built us a rocking horse out of wood.
24:31Really?
24:31For Christmas, yeah.
24:32It's lovely having something handmade.
24:34Yes.
24:34Whilst he was working,
24:36he would give me a hammer and nails,
24:39and he'd give me a block of wood.
24:41And so I think that this is why
24:43coming to the sessions here,
24:48I've reconnected with my childhood almost,
24:51and with my father.
24:52It's almost come full circle.
24:54It's come back down to wood.
24:55That's exactly how it feels.
24:56Yeah.
24:56Would you say that places like this
24:58are important to veterans?
24:59Oh, yes, very much so.
25:01We just like to get together and just exchange stories.
25:04And you're all working towards a common goal as well.
25:06Absolutely, absolutely, yeah.
25:08That's good, I like that.
25:11This is making me break a sweat.
25:20And as soon as you haven't done much planing,
25:22would you like to give this a go?
25:23I'll have a go.
25:24I'll have a go.
25:29There you go.
25:33See, there is something quite satisfying about this.
25:36Absolutely, yeah.
25:37You can just be immersed into that.
25:39Yeah.
25:40And just forget about everything else that's happening.
25:42And I think that's why places like this are so successful,
25:45because actually doing stuff with your hands
25:47can be quite therapeutic
25:48and take your mind off of things.
25:50And it can also open up conversations with people,
25:53because there might be someone here
25:54that might not know anyone,
25:55so it's like a common thing to bond over.
25:58Definitely.
25:59How are you getting on with that?
26:00It's hard work, I can tell you.
26:04It's hard work.
26:05But still so much left to be done.
26:07Absolutely.
26:07You need to fix the back,
26:09the wings,
26:09the cracks,
26:11the sanding,
26:12the varnishing.
26:12This is just the beginning.
26:13This is just the tip of the plane.
26:16Yes.
26:16And since you're doing so well at planing,
26:18I'm going to let you carry on planing.
26:20The pages of Tulsi's book
26:30are out of the humidifier.
26:34Well,
26:35I think everybody looks much happier now.
26:40The humidification,
26:42even though it was quite brief,
26:43I think it gave the pages
26:46a bit more flexibility back,
26:48which gives me far more confidence
26:50to handle them.
26:52But there's still plenty to do
26:53at Angie's workbench,
26:55unpicking some previous
26:56unsuccessful attempts at repair.
26:59The old repairs
27:00are not really compatible
27:01with this paper.
27:04This is a far more modern paper
27:06that is really, really stiff.
27:08So compared to this movement
27:10that the page does here,
27:13this is not even moving,
27:15causing then damages and tears
27:18along this exact seam.
27:20So I will need to remove
27:22these old repairs.
27:23Otherwise,
27:23the pages are going to keep
27:25breaking off.
27:32I'm hoping that water
27:34will just do the job that I need
27:37because these seem to be
27:38quite old repairs.
27:39It would probably have been done
27:41with an animal glue
27:42or another water-soluble glue
27:45like that.
27:47So hopefully,
27:48just by getting the paper wet,
27:50I can slowly soften it up,
27:52which then will allow me
27:54to start scraping it off.
27:56The first layers of the paper
27:57are already coming off,
27:59which is really good.
28:00So I just need to go slowly
28:02just to make sure
28:03that I don't start scraping off
28:04the original paper.
28:06I have finally managed
28:15to repair all of the pages
28:17of the book,
28:18and I also have made holes
28:21on each page
28:22to start the binding.
28:24I am also very pleased
28:26of deciding to remove
28:28at least part of the repairs
28:29because the book is now
28:31staying really, really flat.
28:34it's finally starting
28:36to look like a book.
28:38The stitch that I will be making
28:40is quite a simple one,
28:42but it will be good enough
28:44to keep everything together
28:46and nice and stable.
28:56In the areas where pages
28:58were missing,
29:00I have added an extra page myself.
29:03It's just blank.
29:04But it's just so the book
29:06is balanced on both sides.
29:08I would not want to have
29:09less pages on one side
29:11and more pages on the other
29:12because that's how
29:14distortions start happening.
29:17I've used different
29:19Japanese tissues
29:20for the repair of the pages.
29:23I used a very thin one
29:25on the edges
29:27where the paper
29:28was really, really fragile.
29:29and I've used a toned tissue
29:31that is closer to the page
29:33in areas where there were big losses.
29:37I still need to be extremely careful
29:39as I'm binding the book.
29:42I'm not entirely out of the woods
29:43and I've got over 60 pages to thread.
29:46so this is going to be a long process.
29:54Work continues on the RAF tribute bench
29:57in Swindon
29:58and Will's only too happy
30:00to offer his help and expertise
30:01to Kevin and the team.
30:03I've got a call from Kevin
30:05who's having a bit of a problem
30:07with the bench.
30:07So I'm delighted
30:08to come up and lend a hand.
30:17Hey Will.
30:18Wow.
30:19Thanks for coming.
30:20You've made some progress.
30:21Yeah, we've been trying to fill in
30:22some of the cracks
30:23down the side there
30:24and some quite deep splits
30:26we've filled up.
30:27And on the top
30:28there used to be
30:28a huge crack in the top there.
30:30Yeah, we've filled that
30:31and we've tried to level it off
30:32as best we can.
30:33Might need some hell
30:33with that bit.
30:35That's why you called me.
30:36Right.
30:36Yeah.
30:37At the moment
30:37we're missing the canopy, right?
30:39Is this going spare?
30:40Yeah.
30:41Yeah?
30:41Maybe something like that
30:43we could smooth down
30:46and possibly glue on the top.
30:48I don't think that you need
30:49to use any screws.
30:50I mean once it's glued
30:51and clamped in place
30:52and shaped in
30:53it's not really going to go anywhere.
30:55The only thing really is
30:56it's straight
30:58but it's not perfectly straight.
31:00And in order to get
31:00a nice glue joint
31:01we need to have
31:02two nice smooth surfaces
31:04so if we can somehow
31:05plane this down.
31:07Yeah, we've got our thickness
31:08so we can run that through.
31:09Yeah, shall we give a go?
31:10Yeah.
31:11Tidy.
31:16Nice bit of hit.
31:18Yeah.
31:18Really good.
31:19Hopefully that'll do the job.
31:20So this is going to help us
31:21to lightly trim off
31:23the surface on either side
31:25so we'll get a nice flat piece.
31:25Yeah, we're going to skim it off
31:26and hopefully it'll be flat.
31:28I'll let you feed it through
31:29and I'll get it from the other side.
31:30Get this step on.
31:39A thicknesser
31:40takes planing
31:41to the next level
31:42removing surface imperfections
31:44to produce a perfectly flat
31:46even piece of wood.
31:48something that looks nice.
31:59That's so much better, isn't it?
32:01Yeah.
32:01And if I can look down the surface
32:03it looks a lot smoother.
32:05We're good to go.
32:06Let's do it.
32:06Now that we've got a flat
32:09even surface
32:10we can glue that on
32:12but actually before we do that
32:14it'd be a good idea
32:15to mark off
32:16with a pencil
32:17the underside
32:18where that excess wood is
32:20and get it cut off
32:21and burned the soil before.
32:22Okay.
32:22Yeah.
32:40Anywhere here?
32:41All over.
32:42Now the top of that
32:47should go to the top
32:48of
32:50there.
32:51That's it.
32:52Right.
32:55That's it.
32:56So we've got some clamps.
33:03All clamps in position
33:04even pressure
33:05so we need to leave
33:06that some time to dry
33:07and when it has
33:09we can then start shaping.
33:10Time for a cup of tea.
33:11Time for a cup of tea?
33:12Yeah.
33:12I thought you'd never ask.
33:18Back at the barn
33:20Angie is nearing the end
33:21of her restoration
33:22of Tulsi's
33:23tiny ancient prayer book.
33:25I finally managed
33:27to finish
33:28rebinding the book
33:29and I
33:31I am really
33:32really happy.
33:33So now
33:34I can draw my attention
33:36to the aesthetics
33:37of the cover.
33:39There's a few
33:40little threads
33:41that have come loose
33:42which I do need
33:43to consolidate
33:45but the first thing
33:46that I would like
33:47to tackle
33:47is the silk outline
33:49because this
33:50has come loose.
33:52The best way
33:52that I know
33:53how to bond
33:54paper with textile
33:56is by using
33:57methyl cellulose
33:58and I'll just be
34:00applying it
34:00under
34:01in between
34:01the layers
34:02with my brush.
34:06It's very
34:07very flexible
34:08and after
34:10drying
34:11it will still
34:11allow the textile
34:13and the paper
34:13to move in harmony.
34:16Once the cover
34:17is nice and tidy
34:18then I can continue
34:19to attach the book
34:20into the cover
34:21and then
34:22give it back
34:23to Tulsi
34:24and hopefully
34:25she will be able
34:26to continue
34:26honouring her
34:27grandmother's legacy.
34:28With the pages
34:29of Tulsi's book
34:30almost back
34:31together again
34:32in Swindon
34:33the Barracuda
34:35is also
34:35taking shape.
34:37So we've got
34:37a new block
34:38of wood
34:38on the top.
34:39What did
34:39the original
34:40canopy look like?
34:41Well I have a picture
34:42here of the original
34:43plane in its site.
34:46I see
34:46so it's slightly
34:47higher at the front
34:48then and it
34:49kind of tables
34:49down at the back.
34:50That's right
34:50yeah.
34:51Okay well
34:51the good thing
34:52is we've got
34:52enough wood
34:53here to recreate
34:53that.
34:54We should be
34:55able to pencil
34:56off any areas
34:57that we can
34:57remove and
34:59then slowly
34:59shape in that
35:00new canopy.
35:05You might think
35:06it'd be a lot
35:06faster to use
35:08an electric plane
35:08but you'll be
35:10here for hours
35:10taking this down
35:11so we can start
35:12off with the
35:13chisels then we
35:14can use a plane
35:14or something like
35:15that to start
35:16getting that nice
35:16rounded shape.
35:26What do you think?
35:50You happy?
35:51Yeah very pleased
35:51yeah.
35:52Very pleased?
35:53We've been sweating
35:53over this for ages.
35:54Look at that
35:55transformation.
35:56Wonderful job.
35:57Well it wasn't
35:58just me it was
35:58the two of us.
35:59Yeah well.
36:00And I suppose
36:01that's kind of
36:01what this place
36:02is all about.
36:02People coming
36:03together,
36:04helping each
36:04other,
36:05sharing skills
36:06along the way.
36:06That's right yeah.
36:07It's a lovely
36:08thing to be part
36:09of.
36:09With its canopy
36:10in place the
36:11barracuda is
36:12starting to look
36:13like a plane
36:14once more.
36:15Now it just
36:16needs wings and
36:18a tail.
36:24How is it
36:30going Angie?
36:32It's done.
36:33Yes it is done.
36:35It is done.
36:35I am so excited.
36:37It's quite a job.
36:39So nice that it's
36:39actually a book
36:40again.
36:41Absolutely.
36:42I think it has
36:43gone such a massive
36:45trip and journey
36:47so I'm so ready
36:48for it to go home.
36:49Hi Tulsi.
37:01Come on in.
37:01Welcome to the bar.
37:02Hi how are you?
37:03Nice to meet you.
37:04This is Angie.
37:05Nice to meet you Tulsi.
37:06Nice to meet you.
37:07How have you been?
37:08Yeah not bad.
37:09Been waiting to see
37:10how this has turned
37:12out to be honest.
37:13Yeah it's the first
37:13time it's kind of
37:14left our family.
37:15Oh that's true.
37:16Yeah everyone's
37:17waiting for it to
37:18come back.
37:18It may be a small
37:19book but it's a
37:20very special book
37:20isn't it?
37:21What are you hoping
37:22to see then?
37:23I'm hoping that it's
37:24in a usable condition
37:25but I don't want it
37:26to look like a
37:26brand new book.
37:27I mean it's been in
37:28my family for
37:28generations and that's
37:30part of its story
37:31but hopefully we'll
37:31be able to actually
37:32open it and not be
37:34so nervous about using
37:35it.
37:37Go on Angie.
37:38Right.
37:39Ready?
37:39Yes.
37:40Okay.
37:40Well am I like
37:48can I open it?
37:49Please.
37:52Oh my god it's
37:53actually attached.
37:58Wow.
37:59I mean I actually
38:03can't believe that
38:04you've managed to
38:04fix it back together
38:06and you can't see
38:07where it was destroyed
38:08before but it still
38:09looks genuine.
38:11This is more than
38:13what we would have
38:13expected like honestly
38:15so thank you.
38:16Okay good.
38:18That means a lot.
38:19Thank you very much
38:19because I know how much
38:20this book means to you
38:21and the rest of your
38:22family so.
38:23Yeah I think for my
38:24parents as well like
38:25ever since my grandma
38:26passed away it's not
38:27something they've been
38:28able to open or use
38:30and I think they're
38:31going to be really
38:32really pleasantly
38:32surprised with how
38:34you've managed to
38:35sort of keep the
38:36essence of the book
38:37because it is kind of
38:39an embodiment of her
38:40and all we really
38:41have left of her.
38:42But yeah just
38:43genuinely so grateful
38:44to you and to the
38:45team for doing this
38:47for us and beyond
38:48what we thought was
38:49actually possible.
38:49Honestly I'm always
38:50blown away by the
38:51work that Angie does
38:51it's we literally
38:52handed you a pile of
38:54paper and you've
38:56managed to make this
38:56it's not been
38:57straightforward has it?
38:58It was very
38:58challenging but it
39:00was a pleasure to
39:01work with it and
39:02just see it actually
39:04become a book again
39:05in front of my eyes.
39:06Yeah.
39:06I think it's an
39:07amazing thing that
39:07you've done in
39:08trusting us with it
39:09because it's now been
39:10preserved for the
39:11future and it's been
39:12in your family for
39:13years already and that
39:15can now carry on.
39:17Yeah for sure and
39:17especially for us
39:18obviously we're Indian
39:20so being in the
39:21UK a lot of things
39:22about your culture
39:23are very different
39:24probably what they
39:25were like for my
39:26grandma and
39:27certainly for her
39:28father so at least
39:29this is something
39:30that's sort of
39:30preserved from a
39:31really long time
39:32ago.
39:32Your family
39:33heritage.
39:33Yeah exactly.
39:34Absolutely.
39:35Lovely thing.
39:42Thank you so much.
39:44Hey you're welcome
39:44this is all Angie.
39:46Well done.
39:47You're welcome.
39:47I'm so relieved.
39:52Well done.
39:55I think Angie's done
39:55an incredible job with
39:56the restoration.
39:58It looks like how it
39:59probably looked when my
40:00grandma first would have
40:01received it from her
40:03father.
40:04I think for us what
40:05Angie's been able to do
40:05is actually preserve a
40:06piece of her so I'm really
40:08grateful.
40:08In Roughton Kevin and
40:12his community shed team
40:13have finished the
40:14restoration of the
40:15fairy barracuda bench.
40:17It's had quite an
40:18extensive repair job.
40:20I'm really proud of the
40:21community shedders and
40:23the work they put into
40:24it.
40:24We've been able to
40:25hopefully make it look
40:27nice.
40:28Kevin has the honour of
40:29unveiling the restored
40:30bench as the community
40:32gather to pay their
40:33respects to the town's
40:35RAF heritage.
40:36To have the damaged
40:38airplane repaired and
40:40replaced in Willowbrook
40:41Gardens would have
40:42been brilliant.
40:43When it's uncovered I'm
40:44very pleased to see
40:46what's been done.
40:47I was actually in the
40:48Air Force for 31 years
40:49myself so you're very
40:51proud of the association
40:52that Roughton has with
40:54the Air Force.
40:55I saw it when it came
40:56from under the bushes and
40:58there is no way that I
41:00could think that anyone
41:01could bring it back to
41:03life so I'm really
41:05excited.
41:06Community Officer Amanda
41:08has joined Kevin at what
41:10will be the bench's new
41:11home.
41:13You've got a great
41:14turnout today haven't
41:15you?
41:15Yeah this is quite an
41:16exciting day isn't it?
41:17Yeah.
41:17You know what this
41:18bench was like when it
41:19was dropped off to you
41:20it was kind of a heap it
41:21was rotten the wings
41:22weren't on there it was
41:23unrecognisable really.
41:25Yes it did present a few
41:26challenges.
41:27Are you ready to see the
41:29plane?
41:29I can't wait let's have a
41:30look at it.
41:31Are you all ready to have
41:35a look?
41:36Let's have a look.
41:42Wow look at that that's
41:43amazing.
41:44It's amazing to see what
41:53they've done to get it back
41:55to what it looked like way
41:56back.
41:57Kevin and the team have
41:59done an amazing job I can't
42:00really believe it they've
42:01really worked miracles what a
42:02job.
42:04Well he sits back with his
42:05squadron in Roughton.
42:07Yeah it is indeed so the plan
42:09is we need to put a sub base
42:10in so that we can install the
42:12bench safely and and then the
42:14kids will be able to play on
42:15there too.
42:16So now we've got four planes
42:18and that seems like a good
42:21number to me.
42:21You don't get any more are
42:22you?
42:25With the bench back in Roughton
42:27Will and Dom are on the road
42:29once again in search of more
42:31treasures in need of a little
42:33tender loving care.
42:35I bet you were that kid in
42:36school making the paper
42:38aeroplanes at the back of
42:39class and throwing them
42:39across the room.
42:40Yeah.
42:40Weren't you?
42:41Not paying attention.
42:42I bought a paper aeroplane
42:44book on how to make the best
42:46planes and I can do five
42:49different styles of paper
42:50aeroplane.
42:50Wow really?
42:51Yeah.
42:52Yeah yeah.
42:52Did you never have the
42:53little toys with the sort of
42:54foam?
42:54With the little blue
42:55propeller?
42:56Yeah yeah.
42:56And the little white bit of
42:57plastic you put on the front
42:58and you throw it.
42:58Yeah.
42:59Love those.
43:00We should have brought
43:00ours with us today.
43:09Thank you for joining us.
43:20We will see you next time.
43:21Bye.
43:22Bye.
43:23Bye.
43:24Bye.
43:24Bye.
43:29Bye.
43:30Bye.
43:31Bye.
43:32Bye.
43:32Bye.
43:33Bye.
43:33Bye.
43:36Bye.
43:36Bye.
43:37Bye.
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