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BRITCOM ONE
  • 2 days ago

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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 replating.
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.
01:19Today, the team are in sunny Sussex.
01:21You know I've got a fear of heights.
01:23Yeah, we're not going up there.
01:24Where some emergency repairs are required.
01:28Taking that out onto the road right now.
01:30Probably not roadworthy.
01:31Before Will asks the question on everyone's lips.
01:35How many gnomes are we talking about?
01:36I'd like to say pushing 100 kind of all over the garden.
01:39And Dom tries a craft that leaves him breathless.
01:43Keep flying.
01:44Keep flying.
01:44Keep flying.
01:45Beautiful.
01:46Well, Sussex, here we are.
01:55I love Sussex.
01:56Why?
01:57Because it kind of feels like home.
01:58Sussex is wonderful because you've got the South Downs.
02:02Being here is really taking me out into the countryside.
02:04And what a place to be, especially with weather like this as well.
02:08It's beautiful.
02:08The drive down, it just gets better and better, doesn't it?
02:11Bordering the English Channel, with around 140 miles of coastline, Sussex is famous for
02:24its seaside towns, rolling countryside and, of course, being home to the repair shop barn.
02:30So Will and Dom haven't far to travel, but that doesn't mean today won't be an adventure.
02:38We are off to Hove Fire Station today to meet some firefighters.
02:43Nice.
02:44Yeah.
02:44It's going to be fun.
02:45You know, I'm really hoping to fulfil a childhood dream of mine, dressing up like a firefighter.
02:51Sliding down the pole.
02:53No, they're never going to let you do that.
02:54I'm sure you need some sort of training to be able to do that.
02:57Do they still have the poles?
02:58Is that still a thing?
02:58Yeah, yeah, they've still got the poles.
02:59Yeah, yeah.
03:00I hope so.
03:01Well, I hope so too, because I want you to slide it down.
03:03Yeah.
03:06The boys are here to fix a cherished part of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Services history.
03:12God, that is tall.
03:14That is really tall.
03:15You know I've got a fear of heights.
03:17Yeah, so we're not going up there.
03:18So what is that then?
03:19That's the training tower.
03:22The repair shop's dynamic duo have answered the call to look at a fire engine.
03:27But not that one.
03:29This one.
03:31It's called Baby.
03:33And it's in the care of firefighters Zoe Bowman and Jane Thompson.
03:38Dying to know more about it.
03:39So Baby is a pram built for pram racing.
03:43A pram?
03:44Yeah, you can see the original pram wheels.
03:47Oh, I see.
03:49Yeah, the only bit of it that's a pram.
03:51You ever put a baby in there though?
03:52No, but there are photos of when they used to race it, the person that was in there was the baby.
03:59Race it.
04:00So this is a kind of soapbox car or pedal car or something.
04:03Fundraising pram races with frequent refreshing stops along the way have a long history in Sussex, where one such race has been going for over 70 years.
04:15It was a big thing in the 80s to do some pram racing.
04:20Red Watch all got together and bonded over making her and then ultimately racing her as well.
04:26And then raising a load of funds for the Benevolent Fund, which is the firefighter's charity now for sick and injured firefighters and their families.
04:35And I believe she won first prize.
04:37She won?
04:37Yeah.
04:38When does she last have her MOT in service?
04:40Because I'll tell you what, taking that out into the road right now, probably not really roadworthy.
04:45Any damage is hidden under that dented bodywork.
04:49But Baby is also missing some obvious firefighting tools.
04:53She had a ladder on the top, which unfortunately we don't have any more.
04:58And she also had hoses that sat round the sides where you can see the leather straps on.
05:02And she also had a brass bell.
05:04And some sort of handle.
05:06Yeah, to push the person inside it.
05:08Have you got all those pieces?
05:10Unfortunately not, no.
05:11You know what, I'm so pleased to say that I've got some friends up the road that are specialists in restoring classic cars.
05:17And they're going to love this.
05:18You're going to have to give me a hand to the fan.
05:19I was about to say, I don't know how you're going to get it there.
05:20Come on.
05:21Right, we'll see you soon.
05:23Thanks.
05:24Bye, Baby.
05:25Bye, Baby.
05:26Be careful.
05:27While Dom is taking Baby away to be repaired, Will wants to find out why fixing her is so important to generations of firefighters.
05:36So my dad was in the fire service and he used to go along to community events and support his crews.
05:44And I've got a picture of me taken beside Baby when I was maybe about eight.
05:50This year marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of East Sussex County Fire Brigade, who have spent decades serving the local community.
06:00Why do you want to have baby refurbished?
06:02Why do you want to have baby refurbished?
06:03I think it would be a nod to the firefighters of the past that, you know, have done us proud.
06:09It would be really nice for them to see that we still care about our history and what's gone before us.
06:15We'd like to have her done up so we can reuse her for charity events as she was used in the past.
06:23Who's dressed up as a baby?
06:24It won't be either of them.
06:25Before he goes, Will has a confession to make.
06:33I've always been interested, how does it feel to wear the kit?
06:35I mean, it must be really heavy.
06:37Do you want to try some on then?
06:38Yeah, please.
06:52Time to conquer that fear of heights.
06:56Coming down then, Will.
07:02Look at that!
07:03It's professional.
07:05I might keep the uniform just for one night, if that's fair.
07:08That's fine.
07:09While Will indulges his passion for dressing up, Dom is bringing baby to the Heritage Skills Academy at Brooklyn's Aviation and Motoring Museum.
07:19Here, master coach builder Mark Taylor trains the next generation of classic car restorers.
07:25They're used to testing their skills on the real thing, so baby presents an unusual challenge.
07:33Mark, Jamie, good to see you both.
07:35So, this has come from a fire station and hopefully, with your help, it's going to be going back there as a little bit of a memorial, reminder of its racing history.
07:45Kind of a car, but...
07:46A race car.
07:47Exactly.
07:47A race car, that's what I like.
07:49I mean, it might be made of a pram, but, you know, it's still a racing car.
07:52Yeah.
07:53And it's had a few knocks and bunts, shall we say?
07:56It's had a life, yes.
07:57It's got some racing history, though, and it's won some races.
08:00Won races as well.
08:01Yeah, it has, yeah.
08:02It would be lovely to see it looking how it should look.
08:04Yes.
08:05And not the lump and bunts, I'm sure, with a big fireman in there.
08:08Yeah.
08:08It took a few.
08:09Yeah, yeah.
08:10The wings are a bit bent, the bonnet is obviously dented, but it's got quite a nice patina.
08:15I quite like the history, the old scrape and scuff.
08:18I think it's part of its racing history.
08:20I'm sure we can straighten these bents out by taking these panels off.
08:24OK.
08:25And we've noticed there's a little bit of structural damage as well, which we'll need...
08:29Oh, really?
08:30...vector fine as well.
08:31What, inside?
08:32Inside.
08:32At the bottom here, there's a bend, and this is why this wing here is not sitting straight.
08:38It's not flat.
08:38So we think if we could get that out, this wing will sit straight.
08:42Is that a bit of a bang during a race, maybe?
08:44Yeah, I should imagine so, yeah.
08:45Where would you start, then, with something like this?
08:47So we're thinking if we can get this panel off...
08:49So that's riveted on, so should we just drill the rivets out?
08:52Just drill the rivets out, paint just a second.
08:53Have you got a drill to hand?
08:54We have a drill.
08:55Oh, indeed.
08:55Let's get going.
08:56Perfect.
08:57Let's get going.
08:57This is made of aluminium, it looks like, to me.
08:59Yeah, so...
09:00Yeah.
09:00It's quite a sort of soft material.
09:03Lightweight fire engine.
09:05Yeah.
09:06Bearing in mind this was made by the firefighters back in the 70s, I think it's quite...
09:10They've done quite a good job.
09:11I think they've done a very good job.
09:12Now apprentice Jamie has drilled out the heads, Mark can carefully remove the rivets.
09:23So hopefully, without doing too much damage to this panel here, we can use a chisel and just
09:29get underneath the rivets and they should just gently split without damaging the aluminium.
09:35And I think that one there, we'd just drill that out a bit more, could we please?
09:38It was spinning in there.
09:39Go on, Jamie, get the drill.
09:40Yeah.
09:41See if it will.
09:42Just get a bit more.
09:43So I've got to put that one there.
09:50OK.
09:51So Jamie, you're an apprentice here.
09:53I am, yeah.
09:53How are you finding that?
09:55Absolutely fantastic.
09:56Can't sing this place's praises enough.
09:57So what sort of things do you learn here?
09:59Everything from welding, wheeling, even to the grinding and actual cutting up of the vehicle
10:05in the first place.
10:06And there's a correct procedure to everything and that's what we learn here.
10:09All the traditional techniques of how these cars were built originally.
10:12Exactly that, yeah.
10:13Right, let's get this bonnet open.
10:15Let's get it going.
10:17That's it.
10:18There we go.
10:18Yes.
10:20How's it look under there?
10:21So this will give us a good view into the chassis damage where it's bent.
10:26I don't like the way you say chassis damage.
10:28Goodness me.
10:29Sorry, that's a technical term.
10:30I thought it was just a small cosmetic dent, but now it's turning into structural chassis damage.
10:36You see where from this point forward it's bent here?
10:38Oh, that's supposed to be straight.
10:39So this side's straight if you also look down.
10:42Here again.
10:43So that side's straight, whereas that side's bent.
10:45So that's where the majority of our damage will be.
10:53As Dom assesses the damage, Will, now out of uniform, has an errand a few miles along the
11:00coast on Brighton's seafront.
11:02There he's meeting PJ and husband Old with their rather weather-beaten friend.
11:09Hey, Will.
11:09Hi, guys.
11:11Who or what is this?
11:13This is a delightful garden gnome that belongs to my mum.
11:16Was she a gnome fancier then?
11:18She collected lots of gnomes?
11:19Yeah, just because she was just quite a connoisseur of gnomes.
11:21How many gnomes are we talking about?
11:24I'd like to say pushing a hundred, kind of all over the garden.
11:27Yeah.
11:28What's your mum's name?
11:29Her name was Anne.
11:30Yeah, she passed away last January.
11:31I'm sorry to hear that.
11:33Yeah.
11:33Even though she became very incapacitated, she became quite housebound, she wasn't really
11:36able to kind of, like, get out of the house, but she was still able to appreciate her garden.
11:40Yeah.
11:41So I just feel like, yeah, that was quite a big thing for her.
11:44Yeah.
11:44This is kind of what we've got to remember about, really.
11:46Do you know where your mum's love for collecting gnomes came from?
11:50I actually don't, really.
11:51She was just quite a silly person.
11:53Silly-natured.
11:54Just kind of quite warm and kind of really generous.
11:58Everything started with a hug.
11:59She was very sociable.
12:01The house was just always full of people.
12:03It's a front door open policy, so you'd have neighbours just walking in throughout
12:06the day.
12:06Really?
12:07And just sitting down for a cup of tea.
12:08Yeah.
12:09And there's your dad around?
12:10No, no, he passed away kind of when I was 16.
12:13Really?
12:14Yeah, so, yeah.
12:15And we haven't got, like, a fixture like this to kind of remember him by, which I think
12:20is quite sad, so it's kind of nice that we've got this, which is just so, so reflective
12:25of her personality and, like, her life.
12:28Okay, let's talk through the damage here.
12:30Yeah, I mean, that's not safe.
12:33No.
12:34His wee little plinth there.
12:35He's missing, what, some toes?
12:37Yeah.
12:38It's definitely had its glory days.
12:40Yeah.
12:40And it's faded before, and then mum's reconditioned it, and then family friends have reconditioned
12:44it.
12:44Oh, so people have, like, trusted themselves.
12:46Yeah, so there's probably quite a few layers of history on there.
12:50So, what are we saying, a good old scrub and a repaint?
12:53Nice and bright, to bring back some personality to it, really.
12:57Yeah.
12:57And then just kind of get him in more of a secure foundation.
13:01That would be ideal, yeah.
13:01So he can sit back out in the garden and put him back on display, right?
13:04Absolutely.
13:05So then, whenever you go out there and you see him, a bit of his little cheeky face,
13:09then you remember mum.
13:10Yeah, exactly that.
13:11I will carefully put him inside the back of the car, and we'll get him back to you.
13:17Nice.
13:18Good to see you guys.
13:19I'll see you very soon.
13:19Thanks.
13:28After a quick stop at the barn to drop off his new friend, Will is arriving at Brooklands
13:35to reunite with an old one.
13:37Oh, here he is.
13:38All right, lads.
13:39How are you doing?
13:40I thought this would be finished by now.
13:41I've come to crack the whip.
13:43We've found a little bit more damage than we'd hoped.
13:45OK.
13:46Structural chassis damage now.
13:48Chassis damage, yeah.
13:49Yeah.
13:49Right, can I help with anything?
13:50Yes, this wheel's coming off.
13:53Why am I taking this off?
13:55Because we need to get to this inner wing.
13:57This is the bit that's bent, and this is in the way.
13:59Luckily, it's only held on with a little split pin.
14:02There you go.
14:02If you can straighten that up, it should slide out.
14:05If I grab the other end of it.
14:06You're all right?
14:07You're all right?
14:07You're all right?
14:07You're all right?
14:07Look, I've got it.
14:08I've got it.
14:09OK, you're all right?
14:10We'll just watch you then.
14:11OK, and that should just slide on out.
14:16Just slide it out.
14:17Come on.
14:18Just slide it out there, Will.
14:19That's it.
14:21Slide it out.
14:23You see when you're driving down the street and they've got roadworks
14:25and there's three people watching one person work, yeah?
14:28That's how this feels.
14:30Just, yeah.
14:31OK, I'm going to slide that out.
14:32I'm going to slide that out.
14:32Actually, just slide it out now.
14:34Go on.
14:36I'm just worried it's going to slip.
14:37Now you're going to bang your knuckles on the wing.
14:39Yeah, OK.
14:40Slide it out.
14:42Oh, nearly.
14:45Easy peasy.
14:46Right, so that's out there.
14:47Should be a washer.
14:48Yeah.
14:48A little washer.
14:49We need that.
14:50Need that.
14:50Pop that there.
14:51Another one?
14:52Could be.
14:56Done.
14:56Easy.
14:57Made that look so easy.
14:58Couldn't have done it without you.
15:00All right, Will, you made that look a little bit too easy.
15:02Do you fancy taking out some of the rivets as well?
15:04Some of the rivets?
15:05It's like 50 rivets there.
15:06All right, all of the rivets.
15:08Really?
15:08Yeah, go on.
15:08You're going to trust me with the drill?
15:10If you're careful.
15:11Dom and Will have their hands full getting baby race-ready once again.
15:19As back at the barn, Kirsten gives PJ's gnome the once-over.
15:24It's in quite a poor condition, and it's, I can see, come off the base.
15:37So, first things first, I'm just going to see if there's anything missing and how this
15:42base fits on.
15:45Now, this gnome has lost his toes and the front of his shoes, so I'm going to have to
15:52make up those.
15:53What I am getting when I put those two pieces together, I'm getting a sound and a feel that
16:00actually is quite fragile.
16:02So, although this is concrete and it looks heavy and robust, I think it's actually more
16:08fragile than it looks.
16:10There's something going on here.
16:15He's clearly been holding something.
16:19It must have come away years and years ago.
16:21But what it's left is some kind of a steel rivet or screw inside this bowl.
16:31What happens is that when the steel or the iron corrodes, it expands as it comes apart and
16:38that, in turn, can then damage and break whatever is around it.
16:44So, this is going to have to come out.
16:48PJ has asked that this is strong enough to go back outside again.
16:55So, I'm going to have to think quite carefully about the materials that I use to bond this.
17:02So, this is going to be a slightly different project for me.
17:14There is so much paint to be picked off and removed here and this is absolutely what I love
17:19to do.
17:20I can see all the different paint layers that have gone over the years.
17:31Quite often, with something like this, you would just remove the flaking paint and then touch
17:36in around the original paint.
17:39So, I am going to strip off all of this paint, take it right back to the concrete and then
17:50stabilise it and repaint.
18:00Kirsten is carefully brushing on paint stripper.
18:03Then wrapping it to stop it drying out and waits patiently for it to remove the damaged layers
18:19of decoration.
18:22While work continues in the barn, back on the coast, a new crafting adventure beckons.
18:29I'm going to meet somebody.
18:33Go on.
18:34A neon artist.
18:36A neon artist.
18:38The glass tubes you bend.
18:39Oh, no way, really?
18:41They're filled with gas.
18:41They light up.
18:42People wanted to look at that stuff rages.
18:43I just think it's fascinating.
18:44Literally a tube of glass and you get it to just the right temperature for it to be able
18:49to bend but not collapse.
18:51Not collapse, yeah.
18:52But the thing is, I'm used to heating up metal and you get a clue because it changes colour.
18:56With glass, it just stays clear.
18:58You don't really know.
18:59Yeah.
19:00Well, lucky you.
19:00I'm really...
19:01Wants to give that a go for a long time.
19:02That is a highlight for me.
19:11As Will goes off in search of a local snack, Dom is meeting neon artist Andy Doig.
19:18Together with his daughter Daisy, they create bespoke pieces for brands and private clients,
19:24with their work on display all over the world.
19:30Hello.
19:31Hello.
19:32You okay?
19:32Hey, Dom.
19:33How are you doing?
19:34Hello.
19:34You okay?
19:35You're right in the middle of something.
19:36Sorry to interrupt.
19:37No, that's quite all right.
19:37Let me just put that aside.
19:39This is called slow bending.
19:43And so that's all muscle memory, I guess.
19:46It's in your fingers.
19:47I'm holding you so gently.
19:48Are you trying to...
19:49Not trying to bend it, but you can feel the pressure.
19:51No, no, no, no.
19:52You concentrate on holding it so it doesn't move until you want it to.
19:59Like that.
19:59That's the only motion I put into that glass.
20:02That's it.
20:03Check it that way.
20:04And that's a hollow piece of...
20:05Like a piece of tube.
20:06It's only...
20:06Yeah, it's a millimetre thick, the glass tube.
20:08That's me.
20:09Bending a simple glass tube into a neon light uses traditional techniques which stretch back centuries.
20:20The funny thing about glass is that it's glass, right?
20:23This is the same glass.
20:24Everybody thinks...
20:25Yes, it's glass.
20:25It's on your windows.
20:26It breaks, it smashes, it's rock hard.
20:28I mean, how on earth would you bend glass?
20:30It's ridiculous.
20:31Well, the answer is we use heat.
20:34And we heat, we soften it because the nature of glass is you will go from a solid
20:39to a liquid through various states of heating.
20:43And you're rolling it back and forth, you're heating the entire tube.
20:46We're heating it evenly.
20:48And then when we're ready, we can just play around with it a little bit.
20:56That's where our next bend's going to be.
20:57And that will correspond to our drawing.
21:00As I see, so you're referring to the drawing, essentially, that Daisy's working on.
21:03We need the drawing.
21:04You're always referring back.
21:06This is why this has got so many burn marks on it.
21:07Exactly.
21:08I'm itching to have a go.
21:09Okay.
21:10Do you mind?
21:11No, not at all.
21:12Let's put my goggles on.
21:13Put your goggles on.
21:14All right, I'm going in.
21:15You ready?
21:16Yeah.
21:18When you feel a little bit of movement, I want you to stop rotating it as much
21:22and then roll it backwards and forwards.
21:25It's going, it's going.
21:26That's it.
21:26Yeah, okay.
21:27A little bit longer.
21:31Bring your hands up.
21:34Formally, go for it.
21:35Now, blow.
21:36That, yeah.
21:36Flow.
21:38Flow hard.
21:39Keep blowing.
21:41Keep blowing.
21:42Beautiful.
21:44As I folded that, it kinked up and almost closed the tube.
21:47Yes.
21:48It's not a piece of metal.
21:49You don't fold it.
21:50No.
21:50You let it drop into its shape.
21:52It's a lot scarier than a piece of metal.
21:54No.
21:55So, Andy, I'm making a bit of a pig's ear of it, aren't I?
21:59It makes me really appreciate, when I look around this studio, some of the amazing work
22:03that's here.
22:04I mean, these behind me are incredible.
22:06Well, Daisy did those.
22:07Did you really?
22:08Yeah.
22:09Yeah, they're in my designs.
22:11Are they all different colours in one piece of glass as well?
22:13All different colours, yes.
22:14So, I powder coated those, which is an old method of neon.
22:19That's how you get lots of different colours in one piece of two.
22:22Yes, you either have coloured glass or you have powder coated glass, and then you use
22:27either neon or argon gas.
22:29So, neon gas is red, argon is blue, and it depends what colour you want, which gas you use.
22:34Oh, I see. So, to get all these different colours, it's different glass and different gas.
22:38Yes, exactly.
22:42Neon was discovered in 1898 by two British scientists doing experiments to identify the
22:49chemical elements in air. They were amazed to find a gas that gave off a brilliant red light
22:55when electrified. By the 1930s, neon was everywhere, its vibrant colours especially popular
23:03for outdoor advertising.
23:06I'm happy with my creation.
23:08It's lovely.
23:09At least I'm happy with it.
23:13So, what happens next?
23:13So, now we have to add the electrodes. That's the next stage.
23:16Oh, electricity. Okay.
23:17Yeah.
23:18Will you show me how?
23:19Of course.
23:20So, this is an electrode, and then this is what I'm going to seal onto the end of this glass.
23:26Okay.
23:26Here, and then we can take it and pump it with gas on the end.
23:30So, you need to put one of those on both ends?
23:33One of each end, yes.
23:34Why is the wire sticking out the end?
23:36Because that's where we attach the HD cables, which are attached to the transformer.
23:42Wow. There's a lot involved in this, isn't there?
23:44There's a whole process.
23:45Yeah.
23:48When the glass tube is filled with gas, a high voltage current has passed through it, causing the glow.
23:55For the current to pass, Daisy has to insert electrodes into the tube.
24:00Oh, my God.
24:01You literally blow bubbles with glass.
24:03Exactly.
24:05So, now I have my open pen, and now we're ready to attach the electrodes.
24:10Okay. We've got our way in. That's it.
24:13With the electrodes inserted, the tube is now ready to be filled with gas.
24:18Now, I have to reopen another bit.
24:22Oh, you're kidding. This is getting quite stressful.
24:25I don't know how you're doing, but...
24:27This is the way in for the gas.
24:29It's the way in for the gas.
24:29I see.
24:30So, now, now we're ready.
24:32Okay.
24:32Yeah, so now we need to go to the pumping bench.
24:34Perfect. Let's go.
24:40It all looks very complicated, but actually, it's quite straightforward.
24:44We need to suck all the air out of our tube.
24:47So, in order to do that, we need an old-fashioned pump.
24:51It will pump all the air out.
24:52So, first of all,
24:56attach it onto all this equipment.
25:00So, a quick little warm-up of this pipe.
25:05Once Andy's made a connection, he creates a vacuum inside the glass tube.
25:10It's cooled down. We're just going to leave a quick flash of electricity through it.
25:16Now, it shouldn't light because we've sucked everything out.
25:19It's a pure vacuum. There's no gas in it whatsoever.
25:22So, a quick...
25:24It's a good vacuum. We're okay.
25:25Okay, so the current can't pass.
25:27Right. So, I'm now going to close this so that it's still a vacuum.
25:32Yeah.
25:33And I'm going to open this up and we're going to let the neon gas go into it.
25:37Right.
25:40Watch the needle move.
25:44There it goes.
25:4625 millibars. That's enough.
25:49Quickly flash it on. It works.
25:51Grab the torch.
25:52Okay.
25:58So, even though you've put gas in there, it's still a vacuum.
26:01It's still a vacuum. So, now we've separated it.
26:03Wow. So, it's got all our gas is now inside that tube.
26:08Can we turn it on?
26:09Of course. Let's do it.
26:14Do you want to do the honours?
26:15Can I?
26:16Yeah. Let's see what happens.
26:17All right.
26:18Stand back, everyone. Ready?
26:20Go.
26:22Ooh.
26:24God.
26:27See, boy, it's...
26:29Look at that.
26:30A pure light line, a plasma.
26:33This has been absolutely fascinating.
26:35Honestly, I can't thank you both enough.
26:36No problem. Thank you.
26:37Any time.
26:38Well, don't say, careful what you wish for, I'll be back.
26:42No problem.
26:45As Dom leaves Andy and Daisy in a technicolour glow,
26:49he's reunited with Will, who's brought him a surprising South Coast delicacy.
26:55Will, I found you.
26:57Hey, mate.
26:58I got you a nice snack.
26:59What have you... What on earth is that?
27:03It's a banoffee pie.
27:06Are you kidding me?
27:07What's happened?
27:07That was on the passenger seat by then strapping it in.
27:09Rolling around in the boot by the looks of it.
27:11Why haven't we eaten banoffee pie anyway?
27:13Because banoffee pie, my friend, was invented, created in Sussex.
27:19No, it wasn't.
27:19It was, yeah.
27:20It's American.
27:21No, invented in a restaurant in Sussex.
27:25Seriously.
27:25OK.
27:25Invented in Sussex.
27:28I've just realised why it's called banoffee pie.
27:31Yeah.
27:32Banana and toffee.
27:32Banana and toffee.
27:33I've only just realised that.
27:34Banoffee.
27:34I've actually...
27:35I've had hundreds of these things.
27:36You've just eaten an entire one.
27:38I just realised it's a funky name.
27:40It's actually banana and toffee, isn't it?
27:42Oh, my goodness.
27:43Is it?
27:45Is it?
27:47Over at the Heritage Skills Academy, Mark and Jamie are working on getting baby back to her best.
27:55Here we are.
27:55We're just getting the shape of the end of the ladder correct, as on the photo.
28:01And put the bars in, allowing room for driver's head with a farming helmet, hopefully.
28:07They've had to get creative in their search for spare parts.
28:14The handles are exactly the same and fit.
28:19So we're actually upcycling an old club.
28:21And as you can see, they actually fit perfectly.
28:26Made for this project.
28:29Luckily, with a denim crown, the wheels have to be the same size.
28:39So what we're doing is taking the old tyres off, which come off quite easy on here,
28:46because this is quite perished and worn out.
28:51And then you can get these tyres back on, these rims quite comfortably.
29:00And there we have new re-shot wheels.
29:04While Mark and Jamie continue the work on baby,
29:07back at the barn, ceramics expert Kirsten is also making progress on her concrete patient.
29:15She's been quite troublesome, this gnome.
29:18I've used steam cleaning.
29:19I've used paint stripper and just picking manually, chipping away at the layers and layers of paint.
29:29But I'm now there and the surface is stable and clean.
29:35I've sealed the whole gnome using a stone sealer.
29:41And that's to enable it to go outside once I've finished the process.
29:46And I'm now ready to put the two parts back together.
29:54So I'm using a two-part adhesive.
29:56It's specially for stone and concrete.
30:00When I mix those two parts together, a chemical reaction takes place.
30:05And that's when the adhesive starts to harden.
30:11Now, I'm not putting the adhesive right up to the edge.
30:20Because when I push these two parts together, it's going to be pressed out to the edges.
30:25I can now offer up the base to the gnome.
30:29And I've got a bandage ready.
30:32Because I'm going to use that to hold the base in place while the adhesive cures.
30:41It's the first time I've ever put a bandage on a gnome.
30:47It's a really nice way of securing things in place without causing damage.
30:54I'm going to let this cure now and then I can get on to filling these areas of loss.
30:59With the gnome now recuperating after his latest surgery,
31:08Dom's back at the barn and Kirsten's got a job for him.
31:13Could I pick your brains?
31:15OK. With a gnome?
31:16Yeah, with a gnome.
31:17Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
31:19I'm wondering if you might be able to help me remove this rusty...
31:23That's a bolt sticking there.
31:24Yeah, something or other.
31:26Leave it with me. I'll see what I can do.
31:27Thank you very much.
31:31Going nowhere.
31:32I've been here so many times before, I'm pretty confident I know what's going to happen.
31:45I'm going to get some grips, try and turn it, it's going to snap.
31:50To avoid that happening in certain situations, mostly I would try and heat it up.
31:54Heating it up will slightly expand and contract the bolt.
31:58That will break the rusty bond and help it to be removed.
32:01I can't heat this up because it's made of concrete and that will damage the concrete, I know.
32:06So I can't use heat.
32:07So I'm going to use these grips which have got quite aggressive teeth on the inside
32:11and see what happens.
32:13But I am fully expecting this to snap.
32:17Oh, there we go.
32:20The bit of steel that's left in there, I can't leave in there.
32:23So it's important that I now spend some time with my drill.
32:26And I'll gradually increase the diameter of the drill bits until all of the steel is gone
32:31and we're just left with a piece of concrete with a hole through it.
32:36Dom's not the only one dealing with some troublesome metal.
32:42Back at Brooklands, Mark and Jamie are racing to the finish line.
32:47The top panel here that was damaged, I've had to straighten out.
32:50Now the first problem with getting dents and moving things out of metal that's been painted
32:56is we don't want to damage the paint because we want to keep the tina and everything that's original with the paint.
33:01So what we do do with the technique I learned years ago is cover, stick with double-sided tape,
33:08leather to the dolly and I also stick leather to my hammer face.
33:13This way, I can quite gently tap the emblem, which is very soft,
33:19in the face, like so, and any other dents.
33:24I hold him on there, tuck him on, so I can't remove any dents without damaging the paint.
33:34A touch-up of the damaged paintwork and Baby will soon be ready to reveal.
33:41Back in the barn, Kirsten's also in the home straight, with PJ's gnome back in one piece.
33:50Dom has done a really fantastic job removing that rusty bolt.
33:55And it's so lovely to see the gnome upright now and stable, and it feels quite strong.
34:03So I'm going to make up these missing areas.
34:09And because PJ wants to have this gnome outside, I've chosen to use a two-part epoxy paste.
34:19And I have to mix the two parts together really thoroughly.
34:28This modelling material does already have an adhesive quality,
34:32so I'm just going to push that onto the consolidated concrete.
34:39I'm just going to have to use my imagination and make something that looks appropriate for a gnome.
34:54I've done all of that hard preparation,
35:09and now I can start to put the colour back and bring this guy to life.
35:27This is where the fun begins.
35:34The temptation is to just rush on and start applying the colours and the paint.
35:43But with something like this, especially things that are going to be kept outdoors,
35:48it's really important to carry out each of those steps thoroughly.
35:57You can really see that detail coming through now.
36:01His face, which before it was quite hard to see,
36:04you can actually see those details, the eyes, the lips.
36:07And once I start to put that colour back in, those are really going to stand out.
36:23While Will is busy in the barn,
36:30Dom is bright and bound to return PJ's mother's now restored ornament.
36:39I'm hoping to see a gnome that's returned to kind of former glory.
36:43Now mum's gone, it's the kind of, you know, lasting legacy of mum, really.
36:47Thank you, first of all, for having me over to your garden.
36:57Thanks for dropping it off.
36:58No problem at all.
36:59Now, I'm dying to know more about this gnome.
37:03We'll have to admit, it's quite an unusual heirloom.
37:06So she just always had a bit of a, a bit of a fondness of things.
37:10It was silly, she wasn't the most mobile.
37:13So the garden was quite, she always had a happy place.
37:16Yeah, exactly, yeah.
37:17So it was often filled with weird and wonderful things.
37:19So she sounds quite fun.
37:20Yeah, yeah, it just left a big hole in our hearts.
37:23Why did you want to get the gnome restored?
37:25You know, it's easy to look at a photo of someone,
37:26but actually to look at something that's a real reflection
37:30and really kind of embodies kind of what that person represented
37:33or mum represented, it's just...
37:34Every day you walk past it, I think it'll bring a smile.
37:37Yeah, for sure.
37:40Okay, you ready?
37:41Yeah, I'm ready.
37:42Oh, my God.
37:46Oh, wow.
37:50That's incredible.
37:51It really is, yeah.
37:58Amazing. Thank you so much.
38:00You're so welcome.
38:01Yeah, it really is.
38:02It looks fantastic.
38:03Great job.
38:04Is it what you were hoping for?
38:05Yeah, it really is.
38:07Yeah.
38:08Yeah.
38:09Yeah, she'd be, she'd be, yeah, absolutely chuffed with it.
38:13She would, actually.
38:14She'd be thrilled.
38:14Yeah, she really would.
38:15The fact that he's all back together is close.
38:21Yeah, it's amazing, really.
38:22That's quite impressive.
38:23Kishton really does work miracles.
38:25Yeah, it really is really impressive.
38:27I think there was a danger that we were concerned
38:28he was just going to look too polished
38:29and just kind of, like, maybe lose some character.
38:32Actually, he just looks, just looks perfect.
38:34Yeah, you can see there's a bit of history there.
38:36I've got to ask, has he got a name?
38:46Uh, well, yeah, his name.
38:47So when you guys picked him up, we actually named him after Will,
38:51but we kind of feel he's got, he's got a bit more Dom in him than Will.
38:57You know what, I'm not sure Will could ever grow a beard quite like that, so.
39:02Well, thank you so much, and I'm glad you're happy with him.
39:04I'll leave him with you. Thank you very much.
39:07Thanks, Dom. Yeah.
39:08Nice to meet you both. Thank you.
39:09Nice to meet you. Take care.
39:10Bye.
39:12It's a lot more emotional than I thought it would be.
39:14Um, she just looks amazing, so, yeah.
39:18Your mum would absolutely love it.
39:19Yeah, she would.
39:20He'll be with us for many years.
39:21He'll be with us for many years, he will be, yeah.
39:23Yeah, part of the family.
39:30Now the norm is back at home.
39:31Dom has another treasure to return.
39:36A short drive along the coast at Hove Community Fire Station.
39:42Baby is clearly a bit of fun.
39:45She has certainly brought a smile to my face, but she is so much more than that.
39:49She really is a, I guess, a tribute to all of the previous generations of firefighters
39:55that have worked at that fire station.
39:58And in Hove, excitement is building.
40:03We've traced some of the people that actually had hands on making her.
40:06I think it's a really important thing not to forget and get her back, back up and running.
40:16So the whole idea was it was going to be built for next to nothing.
40:19You know, everything was begged or borrowed or possibly stolen.
40:21Hi, everyone.
40:22Hi.
40:23You okay?
40:24Zoe, you okay?
40:25Good to see you again.
40:27So you've got quite a good turnout.
40:28Yeah.
40:29All have had some sort of part in it and know its history.
40:32And in Baby.
40:33Yeah.
40:34One of them built it in the first place and other people raced it.
40:37And Jane found it in the cupboard, so.
40:41Brilliant.
40:41Yeah, yeah.
40:42No pressure then.
40:43So everybody knows exactly what Baby should look like.
40:46That's it, yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:47So what are you hoping to see then under the blanket?
40:50Something sparkly, bright, shiny.
40:54With the ladder.
40:55Yeah, with the ladder.
40:56Baby was looking a bit sad, wasn't she, before?
40:59She was.
40:59Well, do you want to have a look?
41:02I can't.
41:02I can't wait.
41:03Yes.
41:03Can't wait.
41:03Do you all want to see?
41:04Yeah.
41:05Okay, perfect.
41:06Ready?
41:08One, two, three.
41:11Three.
41:17Oh, it's amazing.
41:28It's great to see her in her form of glory and all together.
41:32So, yeah, it's brilliant.
41:33I'm glad you're pleased.
41:34Yeah.
41:34Even got a bell that rings, so that's.
41:36Yes.
41:37Yeah.
41:40Yeah, but it's all down to Pete, who made Baby.
41:44So, yeah, what do you think, Pete?
41:46Yeah, she's looking pretty good, yeah, and I'm amazed to see some of my original hand
41:51painting is looking pretty good as well still.
41:55Exactly as I remember her.
41:58It's a fantastic job, and today we've seen old friends.
42:02It's bringing people together, and that's what life's all about.
42:07She's back to her form of glory, which is really lovely to see.
42:12Oh, it's brilliant.
42:14She's all put together.
42:15She's got a ladder, a bell.
42:17What more would you want, no?
42:19As she goes, she, she, she can, you can actually steer her now, which is even better.
42:23So, yeah, can't wait to race her.
42:25Yeah.
42:26Get ready for the ride of your life, Jane!
42:28And there's no time like the present.
42:30As Baby is back where she belongs, the boys set off once again, always eager to put
42:49their skills to the test.
42:52Because you're never too old to learn anything.
42:56I know I'm looking at you for a while.
42:58It's like your father.
43:00Hang on, you're older than me.
43:01By a month?
43:02Yeah, but you're still older than me.
43:03Still older than you.
43:04Still older than me.
43:04I know I'm looking at you for a while.
43:06I know I'm looking at you for a while.