- 2 days ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
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 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.
01:10This time, the crafty travellers from the repair shop are in the north-east of England.
01:28To help with the preservation of a Victorian theatre.
01:32Thunder!
01:33I wasn't expecting it to be that loud.
01:40Will meets a fellow woodworker.
01:42Do you know what?
01:43I like the smell of a workshop.
01:44Oh, it's lovely.
01:45I can smell the glue here.
01:46And Susie picks up a bag of great importance.
01:50My mother never knew where I was.
01:53I was just locked up in the cell.
01:56Little darkness.
02:02This landscape, it's unbelievably beautiful.
02:06Even in the rain, it kind of adds that kind of...
02:10Atmosphere.
02:11Atmosphere.
02:12Today, Will and Susie are crossing Northumberland.
02:19Bordering Scotland, this is the most northerly but least densely populated county in England,
02:25with historic towns set in spectacular countryside.
02:29But right now, Will and Susie are forgoing Northumberland's rural charms
02:37to head for the north-east's biggest city, Newcastle.
02:42I'll tell you what I do love about Newcastle.
02:46What?
02:46It's how lovely and friendly everyone is.
02:48They are friendly.
02:49Do you know, I really like the Geordie accent, though.
02:51I think it's really nice.
02:52It is lovely.
02:53Yeah.
02:53Yeah.
02:54The team are joining forces with the stars of a restoration drama.
02:59Being played out at Newcastle's Tyne Theatre and Opera House.
03:03Have you ever treaded the boards?
03:05I haven't, actually.
03:07No?
03:07No, no, I'd love to.
03:08Have they got any of those harnesses so you can fly?
03:12Yeah.
03:12One of those is what I'm after.
03:13That and a trap door.
03:15Yes, I like a trap door.
03:18But before the trap door...
03:21The stage door.
03:23Dating back to 1867,
03:28the theatre has a rich past,
03:30but until recently,
03:32an uncertain future.
03:34Today, a mix of professional and volunteer workers
03:37are helping to bring it back to life.
03:40To find out more,
03:42Susie's meeting theatre historian
03:43and restoration expert,
03:45David Wilmore.
03:46Ah, David!
03:49Hello!
03:50This is so beautiful.
03:52Isn't it, Jess?
03:54It's one of the early Victorian theatres.
03:56It has unique elements that no other theatres possess.
03:59Grade one listed
04:00and a really, really important building
04:02in a national context.
04:05The critical thing to understand is
04:07that in 1919,
04:09this building was converted into a cinema.
04:11Wow.
04:11And on that day,
04:14the set was still on the stage
04:16behind the screen.
04:18And that means, of course,
04:19that everything was virtually untouched.
04:22So the dressing rooms were derelict,
04:24the understaged machinery
04:25were sleeping.
04:27That's how I like to describe it, you know.
04:29That was why it has all these unique elements.
04:33And we came along
04:34and we reawakened it.
04:37From 1919
04:39until after the Second World War,
04:41it ran as a successful cinema.
04:44But then its fortunes
04:45took a turn for the worse.
04:48It wasn't derelict.
04:49It had been a slightly,
04:50how shall I put it,
04:51dodgy cinema
04:52in those 1970s era.
04:55And it eventually closed
04:57and that was when it was under threat.
04:58But the community
04:59are at the heart of this.
05:01In the 1970s,
05:03it was the community
05:03who rescued this.
05:06The theatre was saved,
05:08but only now
05:09with the recognition
05:10of its historical importance
05:12attracting new funding
05:13can it be brought
05:14fully back to life.
05:16And are there any big projects
05:18you're working on
05:18at this moment?
05:20We're continuing to work
05:21on the restoration
05:22of the sub-stage machinery,
05:23which is a very big task.
05:25Impressive
05:26as it appears
05:27from the stalls,
05:28it's beneath the boards
05:29where the rich history
05:30of the theatre
05:31is being rediscovered.
05:34So Will's come
05:34to meet carpenter
05:35and all-round
05:36mechanical genius
05:37Colin Hopkins.
05:40This is amazing.
05:41Yeah.
05:42This is the under-stage machinery
05:43where everything happens.
05:45Under Colin's supervision,
05:47the Victorian stage machinery
05:49is being brought
05:50back to life.
05:53Pull the paddle.
05:53Oh, so that's a part
06:00of the actual stage
06:01that's moved back.
06:02Yeah.
06:02That's really clever.
06:03So you don't actually
06:04have to open up
06:04a huge part,
06:05it's just wide enough
06:06for the scenery
06:07to move up.
06:08Yeah.
06:09Colin's restoring
06:10the mechanism
06:11that changes
06:12the scenery backdrops
06:13on stage.
06:15An extraordinary system
06:16of levers and pulleys
06:17opens up gaps
06:19to allow the scenery
06:20to rise up
06:21through the stage floor.
06:24We've got bridges
06:25which actually
06:26can take up an orchestra
06:27and come out of the stage
06:28when the performance is on.
06:30I had no idea
06:31there's so much wood
06:33and so many ropes
06:34down there.
06:34I thought there were
06:35like mechanical winches
06:37and you press a button
06:39and it's all done.
06:40No, this is all manual.
06:41It's all on rope,
06:42works on timber winches.
06:43Tragically,
06:45an initial attempt
06:46to restore the theatre
06:48back in the 1980s
06:49was derailed
06:50by a fire
06:51which took hold
06:52on Christmas Day 1985.
06:55Backstage was devastated
06:57and that restoration work
06:59still continues today
07:00combining salvaged parts
07:03with sympathetic
07:04modern replacements.
07:05in classic theatre tradition
07:07the show must go on.
07:11It was all in piles of wood
07:14stored.
07:16I've had to sort through it.
07:17We're hoping to have it
07:18all working in a few months
07:20and have proper scenery
07:21that's never ever come out
07:22the floor
07:23since, I don't think,
07:25since 1867.
07:26On that note,
07:27is there anything
07:27I can help you with here?
07:29We'll change the rope
07:30on one of the cuts
07:31that open the floor.
07:33To make sure
07:34the cuts are safe to use
07:36I'll grab that.
07:38Colin is replacing
07:39the older ropes
07:40one at a time.
07:42Feed that over there, Will.
07:43Watch your eye.
07:44Oh, it's dusty.
07:45Yeah.
07:45And then we're going to
07:46put that through there
07:47and tie it.
07:49Right.
07:52And that'll be the one side
07:53of the rope.
07:54Ready?
07:58So that's through there.
07:59We don't leave too much
08:00of a tail on it
08:01for it can end up
08:03getting snagged.
08:03And when that gets pulled
08:04against the steel
08:05they actually tighten up
08:07and get it really tight.
08:09You don't have to tighten
08:10it any more.
08:10It'll actually...
08:11Ah, that makes sense.
08:11With using it
08:12it tightens itself up.
08:13That's very clever.
08:14Yeah.
08:15Very clever.
08:15OK.
08:16So that's in there now.
08:17That's tied off.
08:18Yeah.
08:19What next?
08:20I'm going to move
08:20these over there.
08:22There's a lot moving
08:22isn't there?
08:23Yeah.
08:23It must keep you fit.
08:24It does.
08:25So what are we doing
08:26now then?
08:26We're going to just
08:27tape these two ends
08:28together.
08:29So that's the old rope
08:30and the new rope.
08:31The old rope to the new.
08:32So the old rope
08:33then will feed
08:34the new rope
08:35over the pulleys.
08:43Right.
08:43So now you've
08:44separated the old one.
08:45You're done?
08:45Yeah.
08:46So we can actually
08:46try it
08:47opening and closing now.
08:49Really?
08:50Yeah.
08:50Just as quick as that?
08:51That's the one rope
08:52change.
08:53OK.
08:53I'll have that for now.
08:54Yeah.
08:54So I'm going to pull this
08:55and that should then
08:56open it up fully.
08:57Yeah.
08:57Take it all that way
08:57and that opens it up.
08:59There you go.
08:59That's the floor
09:00completely open.
09:01I can see you there.
09:02For the scenery to go up.
09:03Now if you get the
09:04other side of the rope
09:05and pull that one down
09:07and just keep
09:08and just keep
09:08a momentum going.
09:12That's it.
09:13Carry on.
09:13Well, yeah.
09:14It's great.
09:15There you go.
09:16And that sound means...
09:17And then when that goes there
09:18you do that.
09:19That comes up
09:20and that's the floor
09:21locked back up in position
09:22and everything's
09:23ready to go on the stage.
09:26Look at that.
09:27Top man.
09:27Colin still has plenty
09:30more cuts to repair
09:31and test
09:32before he can tackle
09:33his next task
09:34making the new scenery boards
09:36that will rise
09:37through them.
09:38It's all part
09:39of the comprehensive
09:40restoration process.
09:43But in the wings
09:44Susie's discovered
09:46one of the Victorian
09:47special effects
09:49that make Tyne Theatre
09:51so important
09:52to preserve.
09:53This is the Thunder Run
09:55the Victorian machine
09:56that's simulated
09:57the Sound of Thunder.
09:59Wow, David.
10:01What an incredible
10:02piece of equipment.
10:03The whole thing
10:04virtually was destroyed
10:05in the fire of 1985
10:07but we managed
10:09to salvage
10:10about 90%
10:11of the original
10:11metalwork
10:12that's been restored
10:13and Colin's built
10:13a copy
10:15of the original timber.
10:16So the sound
10:17is actually created
10:18by rolling the cannonball
10:20down this gutter.
10:21Fantastic.
10:22Is this common
10:23to have in theatres?
10:24Not today, no.
10:25There are very, very few
10:27that survive.
10:28So can I hear it working?
10:29Of course you can.
10:30Thunder!
10:37So loud.
10:38How about that?
10:39So loud.
10:40I wasn't expecting it
10:41to be that loud.
10:42My goodness.
10:43It's quite a thing, isn't it?
10:45Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:45I love it.
10:46Thunder!
10:46Thunder!
10:53While Will stays
10:55in the workshop
10:56with Colin,
10:58Susie's on a mission
11:00to find a treasured
11:02possession
11:02in need of expert TLC
11:04that she can take back
11:06to the barn
11:07for restoration.
11:0830 miles away
11:12in Otterburn
11:13in Northumberland
11:14close to the Scottish border
11:16Susie's meeting
11:18a noob
11:19whose battered piece
11:20of luggage
11:21carries an incredible
11:23life story.
11:27Goodness,
11:28what have you brought me?
11:29My most treasured
11:31possession,
11:32this bag
11:32which my mum
11:33had sent.
11:33What happened
11:34was that
11:36I had to come
11:37all the way
11:38to London
11:39to pick up
11:40this bag
11:40which my mum
11:41had sent.
11:42She was in
11:43South Africa.
11:44Did your mum
11:45know you needed
11:46a bag?
11:46No, I didn't
11:47know I needed
11:48a bag
11:48until I got it
11:49because
11:50it was a gift.
11:52When she
11:53couldn't afford
11:54much,
11:56really this bag
11:57means the world
11:57to me.
11:58She was a saint.
12:00Okay.
12:00Because
12:01from the age
12:02of four
12:03she was
12:04the only
12:05parent
12:05carer
12:06we had.
12:07I built up
12:08an association
12:09with this bag
12:10and I started
12:12travelling with this
12:13wherever I went.
12:14It was crazy.
12:16If I could meet
12:17my friends
12:17in a pub
12:18I had the bag.
12:19If I would go
12:20to a restaurant
12:20I would have a bag
12:21and then on my travels
12:23this bag has seen
12:2478 different countries
12:26up to now.
12:2778?
12:28Yes.
12:29How wonderful.
12:33The bag
12:33has such significance
12:35for Anoop
12:35because he was
12:36exiled from his mother
12:37for many years.
12:39In apartheid South Africa
12:41with black people
12:42segregated from white
12:44Anoop became
12:45one of only
12:46ten non-white pupils
12:47to gain entry
12:48to university
12:49in Johannesburg
12:50in the mid-1970s.
12:52But when he arrived
12:54and tried to use
12:55the sports facilities
12:56to go for a swim
12:57he was not
12:59made welcome.
12:59There's no big
13:03bathing at that time
13:05in South Africa.
13:06It's not allowed.
13:07I went into
13:08the change rooms
13:09I was pushed
13:09and you know
13:11strike out at me
13:14and everything
13:14and eventually
13:15I just tore off
13:16my clothes
13:17and jumped
13:17into the pool.
13:18They told me
13:19they were going
13:19to drain
13:20the swimming pool
13:21because a black man
13:23had polluted
13:24the water.
13:25Unbelievable.
13:26Unbelievable.
13:27I sat there
13:28and I said
13:29how can I
13:30turn this around?
13:31I said
13:32I know
13:32I'll keep
13:34jumping on it
13:35every time
13:35they fill it up.
13:37So
13:38that's
13:39that's what I did.
13:40Did you?
13:41Yeah.
13:41Two further occasions
13:43and then they stopped
13:44draining the pool
13:45and the vice chancellor
13:45said
13:46all non-whites
13:47can swim in that pool
13:48on Tuesday nights.
13:51But Anoop's protest
13:52had consequences.
13:54A few days later
13:55I was sent for
13:57vice chancellor
13:57gave me an envelope
13:58which read
13:59you are no longer
14:00a registered student
14:01in the university
14:02so therefore
14:04please
14:04take your personal belongings
14:06and vacate
14:07university grounds.
14:08And as I vacated
14:09the university grounds
14:10I was arrested.
14:14I disappeared
14:14for seven weeks.
14:17Luckily
14:17it wasn't years.
14:19He was now
14:20a political prisoner.
14:22My mother
14:23never knew
14:24where I was.
14:25I was just
14:26locked up
14:27in the cell.
14:28A little darkness
14:29and then
14:30two guys
14:31would come
14:32every day
14:33who would
14:34torture me.
14:36Why?
14:37Why were they
14:38torturing you?
14:39What have you done?
14:40To extract information
14:40from me
14:41because
14:41they thought
14:42I was a member
14:43of the ANC
14:45the band ANC
14:47that Nelson Mandela
14:48had formed.
14:49Anup
14:51was released
14:52but South Africa
14:54was no longer
14:54safe for him.
14:56So with help
14:57from family
14:58and friends
14:59he escaped
15:00the country.
15:01And I was sent
15:03to Bight Bridge
15:04on the border
15:05between southern
15:05Rhodesia
15:06and South Africa
15:07sent to an Indian
15:08family there
15:09and I told them
15:10to phone my mother
15:11and that's how
15:13my mother got to you.
15:15But she knew
15:15you were okay?
15:17I told them
15:18to say I'm fine
15:19and that they are
15:20sending me to London.
15:22My mom sent this
15:23because
15:23she had no opportunity
15:25to visit me.
15:28For about six years
15:29I didn't see my mother
15:31until I could afford
15:33an airfare
15:34for her
15:35to come
15:35and visit me.
15:37And she saw
15:38this bag
15:39on me
15:40and she was so happy
15:41to meet me
15:42and when I told her
15:43how I valued it
15:45she was just
15:46overjoyed.
15:46If you
15:48could do me
15:49the kindness
15:50you'd not be
15:52restoring a bag
15:53you'd be restoring
15:55a bond
15:58between me
15:59and my mother.
16:01What is the plan
16:03for the bag?
16:04So all the linings
16:05inside
16:05the pockets
16:06are no longer
16:07individual
16:07you know
16:09they sort of
16:09go a hold
16:10underneath
16:11and it's torn
16:12and it's torn
16:13through wear and tear
16:15and basically
16:17the lining
16:17needs fixing
16:18in the back pocket
16:20needs fixing
16:20the spring
16:22needs fixing
16:23that's just shows
16:24where it's
16:25that's where
16:26you carry it
16:26isn't it?
16:27I can't put this
16:27now on my back
16:28because I'm too big
16:30I've put on weight
16:31also
16:32Have you?
16:33If you could
16:34lengthen it
16:35this is not
16:36difficult
16:36is it?
16:37Let me see
16:41OK
16:42thank you
16:43so much
16:44for bringing
16:46in this amazing bag
16:47but sharing
16:48your life story
16:49it's so powerful
16:51it's really
16:52been a pleasure
16:53to meet you
16:53Back at the
16:59time theatre
17:00and opera house
17:01the next stage
17:02of restoration work
17:03calls for
17:04Will's
17:05woodworking talents
17:06these wooden frames
17:08will be the supports
17:09for the painted scenery
17:10as it emerges
17:11from the stage floor
17:13and each one
17:17is made from scratch
17:18This is just
17:20the framework
17:20for all the
17:21sort of artistry
17:22to fix onto
17:23Yeah
17:24they all get
17:24mortise and tenon
17:25Right
17:25so the mortise and tenon
17:27is the joint
17:27that's going to
17:28lock everything together
17:28so this machine here
17:30is a mortise machine
17:32and that basically
17:33makes the hole
17:34for the other piece
17:36where to slot into
17:37Yeah
17:37for the tenant
17:38to go into
17:38Okay
17:38Now when I was
17:39at university
17:40I used to have
17:40to do these by hand
17:41Yeah
17:42It took a long time
17:44Colin's got a well
17:47equipped backstage workshop
17:49and in will
17:50an expert assistant
17:52who just loves
17:53getting on the tools
17:54It's not a massive
17:57workshop you've got here
17:58so how on earth
17:59do you do the really
18:00big panels
18:01I actually have to
18:02go and work
18:03in the corridors
18:03or under the stage
18:06where I've got more room
18:07Now that I have
18:17excavated all that wood
18:18have we got a tenon
18:19that I can pop in there
18:20I've got one
18:20That should fit
18:21Yeah
18:22Oh that's nice
18:26That's satisfying isn't it
18:28Yeah when they go in nice
18:29So what locks
18:32these two pieces
18:33were together then
18:34It's all done
18:34how it was in 1867
18:36everything's dowled
18:38in the theatre
18:38nothing gets glued
18:39so in case
18:40anything breaks
18:41you've got to be able
18:42to
18:42you can knock the dowel
18:43out
18:44take it apart
18:44and replace it
18:46Right
18:47Think I'm in
18:53Yeah I think you're there
18:54There's a dowel there
18:56Pop that in
18:56Oh I can literally
18:57thumb that in
18:58Really tight
19:00Well that's locked
19:03in place now
19:03Brilliant
19:05One, two, three, four
19:06five more to go
19:07So how many of these
19:08do you need to make then
19:09I've got to make
19:1024 sets
19:10Oh my word
19:11You carry on with the
19:12mortars on that one
19:13After some more woodwork
19:21Will is catching up
19:25with Susie
19:26for tea
19:27That was a nice day
19:29at the Tyne Theatre
19:30wasn't it
19:31It was amazing
19:32I could have stayed there
19:33for a week
19:34How great would it be
19:35when everything's actually up
19:36and working properly
19:37and things are popping up
19:39the floor
19:40being suspended
19:40from here and there
19:41after so many years
19:43How did you get on today
19:44picking up something
19:45for the barn
19:46I did
19:47I've picked up
19:48a rucksack
19:49that needs to be repaired
19:50and a little bit worried
19:52about taking it away
19:53from him
19:54because he's had it
19:55every day
19:56since the mid-70s
19:58Really?
19:59Yeah
19:59I mean I could have
20:01listened to Anup
20:02for a day
20:04He had so much to share
20:05and really inspiring
20:08He has such a great attitude
20:09considering
20:10what he's actually
20:12experienced in his life
20:13It's kind of like
20:14the beauty of what we do
20:15It could be any kind of object
20:17Yeah
20:17But there's someone
20:18behind it
20:19who, you know
20:19who treasures it
20:21and there's a
20:22tell to be told
20:23Yeah
20:23Yeah
20:24I'm just very, very honoured
20:25to be working on it
20:27Tea time over
20:31Susie's heading back
20:34to the barn
20:34with Anup's
20:35precious bag
20:36I'm really pleased
20:46that I have finally
20:47got to the bench
20:49with Anup's rucksack
20:50The issue that we have
20:55with bags like this
20:58is if you start
20:59taking everything apart
21:01invariably
21:02they don't go back together
21:03I'm going to repair this
21:07while everything's in situ
21:08because I love a challenge
21:10This is a vinyl type material
21:17with a canvas front to it
21:20I'm now just cutting out
21:21the material
21:22which I'm going to prepare
21:24ready for me to sew
21:25into this damaged area
21:27It's one of those jobs
21:29that I've actually
21:30never had to do before
21:32so I'm pretty much
21:33thinking on my feet
21:34It's really good
21:35to try different things
21:36and learn about
21:38different techniques
21:39different materials
21:40and when you can do
21:41something for somebody
21:42who has been through
21:45so much
21:46and keeps something
21:47that's so important
21:48to them usable
21:50has that extra layer
21:52of importance
21:53for me
21:55a lot of concern
21:56as well
21:57because I have
21:58absolutely got to
21:59get this right
21:59for him
22:00So I've got the sizing
22:11correct for this lining
22:12and I've been trying
22:15to figure out
22:15what's the best way
22:16to sew this lining
22:18but because the zip's
22:19in position
22:20and I don't want
22:22to remove it
22:23I think what I'm
22:24going to do
22:24is just try
22:25and stitch
22:26onto the canvas
22:27of the zip
22:28and I'm going to
22:30see how this works
22:31All these little things
22:38that I enjoy
22:39challenging myself
22:41to make something
22:42look as lovely
22:43as possible
22:43It's beginning
22:47to look okay
22:48but I have to get
22:49my spacing
22:50very equal
22:53so that it looks
22:54nice and tidy
22:55Yeah
22:57It's coming along
22:58quite nicely
22:59It's beginning
23:01to get this little
23:03rucksack
23:03back into the
23:04original condition
23:05that Anup
23:05would have remembered
23:06when he was first
23:07given it by his mum
23:08Yeah
23:09It's great
23:10Great fun
23:11In Northumberland
23:20Will's back
23:21on the road
23:22As the repair shop's
23:24resident woodworker
23:25he always welcomes
23:26the opportunity
23:27to meet a fellow
23:28enthusiast
23:29Heading deep
23:30into the heart
23:31of the county
23:32Will's looking
23:33for a very
23:34special workshop
23:35Hello
23:38Hello
23:38Come in
23:39Do you know what?
23:43I like the smell
23:43of a workshop
23:44Oh it's lovely
23:45I can smell the glue
23:46here
23:46That's scotch glue
23:47All bubbling away
23:48The workshop belongs
23:51to Victoria Walpole
23:52who's keeping the
23:54endangered craft of
23:55marquetry alive
23:56with astonishing results
24:01I was not expecting to see
24:02I was expecting to see
24:04sort of very flat marquetry
24:06So this is all marquetry on the bottom here
24:11This is all marquetry
24:11The fish?
24:12Yes
24:12Is that like a waterfall
24:13kind of like a stream
24:15Is that water coming down there?
24:15Yes this is the waterfall coming down
24:17This remarkable example of Victoria's sculptural approach to marquetry was made to cover
24:23a church font
24:24But more traditionally
24:26marquetry is the craft of creating intricate designs and pictures out of thin layers of
24:32wood called veneers
24:34Popular in the 17th and 18th centuries
24:38Victoria is one of the last specialists in the country
24:42practising this delicate art
24:44I was expecting something more like this here
24:47Is that something else that you kind of work on?
24:50Do you work on furniture as well?
24:51Yes this is restoration
24:52so I'm also a restorer of antique marquetry
24:56Right
24:57To help give Will a flavour of her craft
24:59Victoria's taking him back to basics
25:02We have a little selection of nicely contrasting veneers
25:08And these are all going to be glued together into a little stack
25:14The first job is to make the individual wooden pieces
25:18that will be used to create a finished design
25:21The idea of you have multiple layers of wood
25:25Yes
25:25You glue them all together
25:27So like a wood sandwich
25:28Yes exactly
25:29And then they'll dry into
25:30Rock hard little block of veneers
25:33And then when that has all dried
25:35what do you do then?
25:36Then I've put this stuck a little paper design on the top
25:40Right
25:40And then we're ready to start cutting
25:42By lightly gluing the different coloured veneers on top of each other
25:47before cutting in a design
25:50Victoria can produce multiple versions of the same shape
25:54Like making pieces of a jigsaw
25:56Only in different coloured woods
25:59This is my fret saw
26:02Your fret saw
26:03I'll have to take my time with this
26:04Ooh
26:05Now I love these
26:07Slightly terrifying because the blade's really sharp
26:09Yeah just don't lean over it too far
26:12Because that would bop you
26:13If you were
26:15Okay
26:15Apart from that
26:17I'll be fine
26:18It's fine
26:18Okay
26:18A fret saw carries a thin blade
26:25Ideal for cutting these intricate leaf shapes
26:28But one slip
26:30And Victoria's design could be ruined
26:33Now what I don't like to do
26:35Is I don't like to turn it too much
26:36Because I don't want to twist the blade and break it
26:39It's so small
26:40You can really be quite flexible with it
26:42It's actually quite therapeutic
26:46It's lovely isn't it
26:48Quite meditational I think for you
26:51It's really hard to get around those tighter curves
26:53Come on
26:56Come on
26:57Really sorry about this
27:02It's okay
27:02It's a leaf
27:04It can be any shape
27:05Hey
27:07Beautiful
27:07Oh my gosh
27:12That's so tense
27:14There we go
27:16Lovely
27:20Perfect
27:21Oh yeah I can see down the edge
27:22There's one
27:23Shall we see?
27:25Yeah I'd love to see
27:26Design cut
27:28Time no to separate the veneers
27:31Right so you've got the hot water
27:34Yeah
27:34So we're going to put the little pieces
27:37In there
27:38We're going to cover them with hot water
27:40Right
27:41So this is going to then melt the glue
27:44And then that should then separate all the pieces
27:46So they just need to swim around in there for a few minutes
27:50They're starting to separate aren't they?
27:53They are
27:53They're really delicate little pieces
27:56Oh look at that
27:56That's lovely
27:58Right so once you've separated all those pieces and you dry them out then they turn into something
28:08Like this
28:09Nice and flat
28:11Then we're going to put them back in their background
28:15The individual leaves are placed back into the cutouts
28:19But mixing up the colours of the wood veneers gives a striking new effect
28:25So then we get to like here
28:27So that's been filled
28:29Mm-hmm
28:29Scraped back
28:31And this is the bit that I enjoy the most
28:33That's when it goes from a very dull looking piece of wood to something vibrant
28:37So I'm alright in thinking that if I slightly wet the surface
28:40This is what it's going to look like when it's polished
28:41I'll give you an idea
28:42Yeah
28:42Okay
28:43Wow
28:46Oh my word
28:49Now that makes a massive difference
28:51That is wonderful
28:59I mean this must be really rewarding
29:02I love it
29:03Do you love it?
29:04Yeah
29:04It goes onto a
29:06If it's for a box it goes onto a box
29:08You get something like that
29:09Mm-hmm
29:10That's really clever
29:11And that gets all sanded down and polished and waxed and stuff like that
29:15That is beautiful
29:16I've learnt so much
29:18And this is going to come back to the barn with me
29:21Because I think you have inspired me to get my veneer out and start making
29:25Brilliant
29:26So thank you very much
29:27In the barn
29:34Another expert craftsperson is overlooking a remarkable transformation
29:41Restoring Anoop's much-loved rucksack
29:46Susie's next challenge is to make new straps
29:49My approach is to keep as much the original as possible
29:57Because that's what's become so familiar to Anoop
30:00So I've just cut out some leather
30:03And I'm just going to prep it ready to sew in place
30:09I'm just marking the shape of a church end window
30:17So it looks like the window of a church
30:20And now I'm going to prick mark it
30:22And the stitches that are already here in the white thread
30:28You know, they very much, you can see them
30:31So I need to make sure that the size of stitching that I use is the same
30:36And this looks about six to the inch
30:40Yeah
30:40What you do is line the tooth up in the last prick mark
30:48So you keep that distance of six stitches to the inch
31:06And now sewing the new leather straps onto the existing canvas
31:16So I'm just using the double hand method of stitching
31:22And this is a very strong stitch
31:25I also enjoy it
31:28Now I've got to judge how much length to add to the straps
31:35And I don't have Anoop here
31:37To measure against, so
31:41Susie needs a Fletcher family favour
31:45Hello
31:46Hello
31:47I've got a favour
31:48Can I borrow your body, please?
31:50I thought you were going to ask if I could repair a buckle or something like that
31:55Anoop wanted longer straps on his rucksack
31:59And I looked around the barn as to who was a similar build
32:02So I wondered if I could put this up against you
32:05And work out the length of these straps
32:08Thank you
32:10Just relax, just relax
32:12And you've got plenty of room
32:16Yeah
32:17Like that
32:18Okay, lovely
32:19Am I done?
32:20Yeah, just slide it off
32:22Hands together
32:24Perfect
32:25Thank you very much
32:27You're welcome
32:27In Newcastle
32:31The scenery frames may be finished
32:35But there's still plenty more to be done
32:37We start to put the panels on
32:41Which are going to take the canvas
32:44For the different sceneries we're going to have on the boards
32:49And these are the rows that will come out the floor
32:53When they're complete
32:55As he finishes off the panels
32:58Get those on us
33:00On stage, over several days, the scenery is painted onto canvas
33:05Using a traditional distemp or paint
33:08These are then placed on the frames
33:11With the tops cut to shape
33:13There are mountain scenes and seascapes to make
33:18And it's a community effort
33:21Once complete
33:24These scenic effects will complete a major chapter
33:27In the theatre's restoration
33:29Back at the barn
33:35Susie's putting her own finishing touches
33:37On the rucksack
33:39Susie, lovely work
33:43You all right?
33:44Looks great
33:45Yep
33:45And the straps?
33:46New straps, yep
33:47Beautiful
33:48It's all rather refreshed
33:49It looks a lot better
33:50It's all done
33:51All taken care of
33:53Yep
33:53Right, let's get this covered up
33:55Because Anup is on his way
33:56Anup has travelled down from the North East
34:00To be reunited with his mother's gift
34:02Made at the time when they were forcibly separated
34:05By South Africa's apartheid regime
34:08Hello
34:09Lovely to see you, Anup
34:11It's lovely to see you again, Susie
34:14Yes
34:14Hi, Anup, I'm Will
34:15Nice to meet you
34:16Hi
34:16How are you?
34:18I'm really well
34:18Because I'm closer to my treasured possession
34:22Have you missed it?
34:25Every day
34:26She sits in a certain position every morning
34:29And when I look there, she's not there
34:33So are you ready to see it?
34:35Yes, I am very much so
34:36Okay
34:36Namaste
34:40Namaste
34:41That strap matches this
34:53You know what? You've revivified this treasured possession of mine. You've given it an extended life.
35:08Thank you so much. You're welcome.
35:23May I take it? Yeah.
35:34Now, the best part of this is that you've kept it in the spirit that has been.
35:45You've retained that energy for me to feel.
35:51Gosh, may I open it? Please.
36:02Having a good look. Yeah, I was about to say. Having a good look.
36:05Checking out all the places that were broken.
36:11You know, inside it just looks like the same, you know, that it was when I started with it.
36:21Some... God, 1975 onwards.
36:26So, it's nearly 50 years old.
36:30And nobody would say it's 50 years old.
36:33I want to know if it fits you. Put it on.
36:38It's at this maximum length.
36:41There you go.
36:42Perfect.
36:44Wow.
36:45Oh, he's off.
36:46He's off.
36:47He's off. He's off on his travels.
36:48So, what is the plan for it now?
36:53Well...
36:54You're taking it travelling again?
36:55What I want to do is fulfil my bucket list in taking her to another 23 different places.
37:04And on my bucket list I want to see 101 different countries in the world.
37:08So, next May, June, July, I'm going to the 23 islands in the Caribbean.
37:14And I'll take her.
37:16I'm just so happy over the moon.
37:19So long as you're happy, I'm happy.
37:21I'm happy.
37:22Good.
37:23You know, I had every faith, Susie, in your doing this job for me and giving it that longevity.
37:30Mm-hmm.
37:31You know, you could say this bag has been rejuvenated.
37:34Well, it's yours to take away.
37:37Yeah.
37:38Anoop, thank you so much for bringing it in.
37:40I really enjoyed it.
37:41Thank you so much.
37:42I'm getting indebted to you eternally.
37:44Thank you so much.
37:45Thanks, Anoop. Bye-bye.
37:46Bye-bye.
37:47Bye-bye.
37:50This bag has arrived back in my arms again.
37:53Absolutely brilliantly done.
37:55And it's retained the originality of the bag.
37:58And that's what's so good about this.
38:00It will be with me every day for the rest of my life.
38:04That's how much it means to me.
38:17In Newcastle, the stage is set for another unveiling.
38:23At the Tyne Theatre and Opera House, after a painstaking restoration,
38:28the Victorian machinery is coming back to life.
38:34Will hits the stage.
38:41And Susie goes underneath.
38:46Hi, Colin.
38:47Harking hard here.
38:48Very busy.
38:49Yeah.
38:50Trying to get everything made.
38:51Like last time Will was here, we were making the rose to come out of the floor.
38:55They've got the sceneries on now.
38:56Some of them have got woodland scenery and one's got a sea scape on it.
39:01All right.
39:02How does it feel for you to think that you have made this piece and it's going to be here for so many years in the future?
39:12Yeah.
39:13Yeah.
39:14It gives me a lot of pride.
39:15Yeah.
39:16You know, I'm a joke to me.
39:17Um.
39:18You're very emotional about this.
39:21What is so important?
39:22So I'm leaving something of myself to the theatre, which was going to be here forever.
39:28I hope.
39:29You're a legacy.
39:30Yeah.
39:31Amazing.
39:32It's showtime for Colin as he prepares to unveil the new scenery boards.
39:41So Susie goes stage side to join theatre historian David and the volunteers who have made this restoration possible.
39:49So here we are on a 40 year journey today.
39:53It's working.
39:54How are you feeling?
39:55Well, relieved.
39:57A little chuffed.
39:59Yeah.
40:00Yeah.
40:01Are you looking forward to seeing it?
40:02I am.
40:03There's nothing like this in the country that works.
40:05There's nothing as complete as this.
40:06Well, I don't know about you, but I am so excited to get this going.
40:09Absolutely.
40:10Is everyone else excited?
40:11Yeah.
40:12Are you all ready for this?
40:13Let's go for it.
40:14Yeah.
40:15First time ever.
40:16Ready?
40:17All right, Colin.
40:18Here we go.
40:19There we go.
40:20Oh.
40:21Look at that.
40:22Oh, look.
40:23The colours.
40:24How about that?
40:25Oh, look.
40:26And there's another one.
40:27Here's the other one.
40:28Oh.
40:29That's fantastic.
40:30Beautiful.
40:31Yeah.
40:32That's so beautiful.
40:33Yeah.
40:34Yeah.
40:35Yeah.
40:36Amazing.
40:37I love that.
40:38How clever.
40:39Yeah.
40:40But the fact that that's the first time that that's been working.
40:41Yeah.
40:42Yeah.
40:43Yeah.
40:44Yeah.
40:45Yeah.
40:46Not bad, eh?
40:47Not bad.
40:48Not bad.
40:49I think it's very impressive myself.
40:51I want to see the rest of it.
40:52That's all these guys' hard work.
40:53Yeah.
40:54So it's good.
40:55Good stuff.
40:56Yeah.
40:57So impressive.
40:58And this is just the beginning, isn't it?
40:59This is the beginning.
41:00And it's not just about doing a piece of machinery for the sake of doing the machinery.
41:05It's about learning about the Victorians, rediscovering lost arts, the craft of the Victorian stage.
41:12These are things that people talk about and write papers about in universities.
41:17But we're actually doing it.
41:18And that's what's different.
41:23The theatre is very important to the history of Newcastle.
41:26It's part of the heritage of the city.
41:28And it was a people's theatre for people to come to.
41:32So being able to restore the machinery to the stage that it is, is very, very important.
41:41Happy would be an understatement.
41:44After the efforts that have been put in by myself and others to put all the scenery onto the mechanisms
41:51and then see it work from above stage when we're normally below stage, it was wonderful to see.
41:58Yeah, it was wonderful to see.
42:02I have enjoyed this visit so much.
42:05I was looking forward to it, but nothing could have prepared me for everything that I've learned about the work going on in this amazing theatre.
42:14But this being the theatre, somebody always wants to make a grand entrance.
42:24Here I come, out of the floor.
42:35The curtains close and another fantastic restoration.
42:39So Will and Susie leave Tyneside behind.
42:42Isn't it nice to know that Victorian machinery like that is still being used to this day?
42:48Incredible.
42:49And that there are people out there who are able to fix it.
42:51Yeah, well, they did know how to make things back in the day, didn't they?
42:54They did.
42:55They did indeed.
42:56All of those skills that we're trying to keep alive.
42:59Yeah, exactly.
43:12They did.
43:13The napkins.
43:17The nightbird.
43:18The nightbird.
43:19A video out there
43:20Of the sunlight.
43:21The nightbird.
43:22The nightbird.
43:23Then, when the fire is shooting, we can lay down some threat like that.
43:27Go to bed tolerance.
43:30They've been doing us right seven years, and they can need it.
43:32Hopefully, we'll better hands if we fail or not 13 på Salecoma.
43:34What about that?
43:35That's The Flower dikkers.
43:36How about the activated okrisekasia duo?
43:37Throughout the 2017, we'll talk more quickly.
Recommended
56:47
|
Up next
43:31
48:21
43:42
43:39
43:11
43:33
43:34
43:41
43:19
43:13
43:13
43:39
43:14
21:31
18:46
41:36
20:39
21:49
39:44
27:25
39:45