Jay Blades revisits three items that tell stories about the UK’s amazing maritime history and how it continues to influence our nation today.

The first item is a precious box brought in by Gerhard Fehners, whose great-great-grandfather, also called Gerhard, was a merchant seaman. Aged just 38, he lost his life when his merchant ship went down, but the ditty box he took with him on the high seas survived and is testimony to the life of the 19th-century sailor. Jay explains how the UK came to rule the waves in the 19th century and how the ditty box played a crucial part in a sailor’s life, with similar traditions continuing to this day.

Another visitor to the Repair Shop was Jenny Lane, the granddaughter of another seafaring hero – Henry Rennick, one of Captain Scott’s team on his expedition to the South Pole. Henry met his future wife in New Zealand and vowed to return to her after the expedition. While Scott perished and was beaten to the Pole, Henry returned unscathed to find his wife-to-be had put together a cuttings album about the exploits of Scott, Henry and the rest of the team. Jay recalls the story of the doomed expedition and the history of the cutting books that Jenny’s grandmother kept.

The third item is a handmade teddy bear given to Martin Beever's grandfather, who served as a chief petty officer in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Jay tells the incredible story of how Martin’s grandfather’s life was saved when he was transferred to another ship, and he finds out more about naval life today. Show less