The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain

Original version

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

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 Channel Islands

BBC One Yorkshire

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

BBC One Northern Ireland 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 One Scotland

Scotland

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

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

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

BBC One West

BBC One Wales

Wales

BBC One Oxfordshire

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

BBC One Wales HD

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

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 West Midlands

BBC One North West

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

BBC One Scotland HD

BBC One Cambridgeshire

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

BBC One South

BBC Two England

England

Simulcast of network BBC Two in high definition.

BBC Two 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

BBC Two Northern Ireland

Simulcast of BBC Two Wales in high definition

BBC Two Wales HD

Simulcast of BBC Two Northern Ireland in high definition

BBC Two Northern Ireland HD

Jay Blades

Paula Fasht

David Sayer

Rob Butterfield

Emma Walsh

Ricochet Limited

The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain: Series 1: Episode 10

Episode 10

BBC One - The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain, Series 1, Episode 10

Jay Blades uses three repairs to examine the legacy of the First World War in the UK.

Jay Blades explores the legacy of the First World War in the UK by delving deeper into three restorations: some bagpipes, a soldier’s wire cutters and two RAF mascots.

Jay Blades delves deeper into the restoration of three amazing family heirlooms that survived the First World War. 

The first item is a pair of wire cutters brought in by David Broome. They were previously owned by his grandfather, who fought as a soldier at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. During an attack, he was hit by a bomb and blown onto some barbed wire. He awoke to see a dead German lying next to him. Fortunately, the late soldier’s wire cutters were in reach, allowing David’s grandfather to cut himself free and walk to safety. Jay uses archive to show how the typical Tommy was kitted out during World War I and how infantry kitbags have changed since then. He also looks into the history of barbed wire and how it came into military use, particularly in No Man’s Land during battles like the Somme. 

Next is a set of bagpipes that belonged to a bagpiper with the Royal Scots regiment during the First World War. Jay tell the heroic story of Scottish bagpipers, who were frequently the first out of the trenches, leading troops over the top during attacks. Unarmed and playing their pipes, they were sitting ducks for enemy fire, but continued to march resolutely on despite the dangers. He brings their story up to date with their role in the modern day royal household. 

Last but by no means least are a pair of mascots owned by sisters Susie and Kasha. Their grandfather, Oswald, was a pioneering reconnaissance pilot for the newly formed Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, flying dangerous missions over enemy lines to photograph German positions in order to help guide British artillery attacks. Like many pilots, he owned mascots, in this case two teddies. Jay explains how brave pilots like Oswald pioneered a whole new way of fighting that still exists to this day, as well as tracing the early development of the modern RAF.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain

Series 1

Episode 10

Contributors

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

About BBC One