The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain

Original version

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

Factual: Antiques

Jay Blades delves into the stories behind the items restored in the Repair Shop.

Jay Blades delves into the stories behind the items restored in the Repair Shop, and finds out more about the show's team of craft experts.

Series 1

BBC Two

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

BBC One London

London

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

BBC One North West

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One Oxfordshire

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One Wales

Wales

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

BBC Two England

England

Simulcast of network BBC Two in high definition.

BBC Two HD

BBC Two Northern Ireland

Simulcast of BBC Two Northern Ireland in high definition

BBC Two Northern Ireland HD

Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

BBC Two Wales

Simulcast of BBC Two Wales in high definition

BBC Two Wales HD

Jay Blades

Paula Fasht

David Sayer

Rob Butterfield

Emma Walsh

Ricochet Limited

The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain: Series 1: Episode 6

Episode 6

BBC One - The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain, Series 1, Episode 6

Jay Blades charts the UK’s spy history through three items restored in the barn.

Jay Blades investigates the UK’s espionage history through eye-opening archive and three items restored in the barn, including a teapot linked to undercover operatives.

Jay Blades uses three recent repairs and some fascinating archive to tell some amazing stories of espionage and undercover operations. 

Francis Suttill had a moving tale to tell about the wartime relic he brought into the Repair Shop. His father was a member of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War and worked as a secret agent behind German lines, alongside the French Resistance. They did everything from disrupting trains to trying to destroy power plants. It was a dangerous job, and Francis's father was captured and executed by the Germans. Long after the war, Francis managed to track down a metal cell that was used to drop supplies for agents like his dad, and brought it into the barn. Jay uncovers more about the amazing exploits of the SOE, their impact on the war effort and the influence they have had on the modern-day secret service. 

Matthew Brooksbank and his partner Nigel brought in a teapot that belonged to Matthew’s much-loved next-door neighbour Gladys, who told him an astonishing story of operating undercover in Germany to help people persecuted by the Nazis. She was given the teapot by one of the women she helped, but it was broken on a train journey. Jay uses archive footage to tell the fascinating story of undercover operatives like Gladys and how they paved the way for more women agents in the secret service – culminating in the appointment of the first female director-general of MI5.

Finally, a bike owned by Huw Banister's mum, one of the Bletchley Park codebreakers. The cycle’s links to Bletchley Park allow Jay to narrate the story of the undercover work done by the likes of Huw’s mum to help crack German communications and shorten the war.


Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain

Series 1

Episode 6

Contributors

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC One South East

About BBC One