BBC TV: The Repair Shop

['LIVEWIRE?']

I'm currently watching the Repair Shop (Tuesday 30th. July 2019 ), in particular the section about repairing an Eumig Film Projector-Seeing that the drive belt had turned to sticky goo struck a chord with me, as I'm sure it did with many forum members. Philips Cassette decks & recorders anyone? I also once had the same problem with a Hitachi Deck in a music centre., so, although I've never worked on a Film Projector, it's a case of 'Been there, done that, and have the Tee Shirt!!'

[TonyDuell]

I assume a T-shirt with streaks of black gunge on it.

[David Simpson]

Did folk notice the ancient AVO Multiminor ? I didn't see the projector expert check what size of fuse was in the 3 pin plug. But at least he was open & honest in initially telling the presenter that mains equipment was possibly hazardous. I then fell asleep, having been grass cutting & fruit picking all day. So missed the painting restoration which I had hoped to see.

Regards, David

['LIVEWIRE?']

I actually didn't notice what multimeter he was using, nor that he didn't check what fuse was in the plug. My excuse is that I was sitting at my computer desk at the time and only glancing intermittently at my TV screen, which is about 10ft. away to my right! The elderly owner was very pleased to have his projector back in full working order again, though.

As to the painting restoration it went from looking all of its 180 years to as good as new.

[vidjoman]

I had a nap when it was on and got bored with the removal of the belt gunge. Not an original as they were proper rubber, although they did break. I noticed him with cables and muttering something about rewriting the plug, I think. The Eumig projectors of that period had red earth wires. Not sure if he knew that.

[The Philpott]

I must say for a historic barn the place is in a bit of a state- witness the ivy finding its way in and huge holes where knots used to be. There must be a lot of rot hiding in the nooks and crannies. So there's an idea for a feature length ep- repairing the repair shop.
Dave

[David G4EBT]

Originally Posted by The Philpott

I must say for a historic barn the place is in a bit of a state- witness the ivy finding its way in and huge holes where knots used to be. There must be a lot of rot hiding in the nooks and crannies. So there's an idea for a feature length ep- repairing the repair shop.
Dave

The 'Repair Shop' doesn't exist as a permanent entity - the barn is leased by the TV production company (Ricochet) who are contracted to make the 'Repair Shop' series for BBC2. The barn in which the series is filmed is one of fifty historic buildings (dating from as far back as 950 AD to the 19thC) spread over 40 acres which have been relocated to create what is now called the Weald and Downland Living Museum, in West Sussex.

The eclectic range of historic buildings were all at risk of being destroyed as they couldn't be preserved at the sites on which they stood. Hence, they were carefully dismantled and reconstructed at the site as representative examples of ancient buildings, and have been put into use for a range of activities. The museum was founded in 1967, opened in 1970 and has developed from there. Without wishing to sound unkind, it could be termed an historic 'theme park' though all of the buildings are authentic and had existed at other locations, in the same way that the buildings at Beamish did, and were re-erected there to create a 'town'.

Clearly many dedicated and enthusiastic people have been involved in the enterprise over several decades.

There's lots about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weald_..._Living_Museum

As to The Repair Shop', the first series of fifteen 30-minute episodes ran from March–April 2017 on BBC2. The second series also had fifteen 30-minute episodes and ran from 2018, as well as ten '45-minute version" episodes. A third series of fifteen 45-minute episodes ran from March 2018. A fourth series of 30 episodes began on BBC One on 1 April 2019 at 4:30pm each day.

It has to be accepted that it's a low budget daytime TV series, which brings with it evident limitations.

The BBC Charter requires that it must 'inform, educate and entertain' and The Repair Shop is an example of a series where it aims to do all three at once. That works for some and it clearly finds an enthusiastic following, but it's not for me. I find it too formulaic. They get many more requests for help via social media than could be catered for so can afford to be choosy about which ones they select, which must fit the formula.

There has to be a 'back story' which starts happily with fond memories of far off happy days viewed through rose tinted specs, a 'treasured 'heirloom' which has sadly fallen into a state of dilapidation and is seemingly irreparable, but which - in the hands of a 'skilled artisan' - can be restored and revealed to the anxious owner who will be overcome with emotion, and ideally, moved to tears. I find that quite off-putting and must lack the sentimentality that's called for to find that enjoyable, so reach for the 'off' switch.

That said, I've watched several episodes and it's clear that some of the 'skilled artisans' deserve that epithet, though in my view, others do not. There are 28 'experts' in all, but a handful who are 'regulars' are at the top of their game and stand out: Steve Fletcher, the clock restorer, his sister Suzie Fletcher the leather expert, Julie Tatchell & Amanda Middlewich - the toy restorers (Teddy bears etc), Kirsten Ramsay, ceramic conservator, Lucia Scalisi, the painting conservator and Rachel South, the furniture caner.

As to 'treasured heirlooms', a lot - indeed most - of the items shown are anything but that.

They didn't get into that state due to the normal 'ravages of time' - if they were 'treasured' they wouldn't be in such a state of neglect, (the transistor radio for example), but of course if they weren't in that state and BER, they'd never find their way onto the programme. I have many things which I 'treasure' - some going back to my childhood in the 1940s. They're in excellent condition because I've looked after them. But I don't kid myself that they're 'heirlooms'. The day will come - not too soon I hope - when they'll end up in a skip.

The fact that 'The Repair Shop' has moved from BBC2 to BBC1 is a good indication of the seemingly growing popularity of the series, given that the fourth series which started in April this year will run for thirty episodes. (I do find the narrator's voice a bit spooky!).

[David Simpson]

I do hope that this program is a professional stepping stone for the 7 artisans that David mentions. They deserve a more technical/educational TV platform which many aspiring hobbyist restorers in the UK would benefit from. Do they already have their own businesses, or perhaps are college lecturers, I wonder ?

Regards, David

[The Philpott]

I had assumed the building/s were listed but bearing in mind the details David has given perhaps some or all of them are Grade 1! (This would certainly explain the crustiness- Grade 1 effectively means virtually nothing can be done without consultation and huge expense)

I can't place the accent of the narrator, but it's certainly a unique voice.

The extended ep. from yesterday had an astonishing oil on canvas portrait restoration. On the open market the expert could have charged a huge amount for it. That really was recommended viewing.

Dave

[Mike Phelan]

Originally Posted by David G4EBT

That said, I've watched several episodes and it's clear that some of the 'skilled artisans' deserve that epithet, though in my view, others do not. There are 28 'experts' in all, but a handful who are 'regulars' are at the top of their game and stand out: Steve Fletcher, the clock restorer, his sister Suzie Fletcher the leather expert, Julie Tatchell & Amanda Middlewich - the toy restorers (Teddy bears etc), Kirsten Ramsay, ceramic conservator, Lucia Scalisi, the painting conservator and Rachel South, the furniture caner.

Steve is indeed a proper horologist and has been doing it for a few years now. The one thing that I was amazed by, was when he scrapped an heirloom movement and put a cheap quartz piece of junk in.
I hope that was just a BBC pandering for the unwashed masses

[TrevorG3VLF]

I don't understand how a leaky old shed can house tools in superb condition. I have never seen rain or a gale blowing the door open or shut.
I would like them to say what products they use. I have been given a vase which has been badly fixed with epoxy. How do I get this off?

There needs to be some editing to tell a story from beginning to end and to eliminate "wow". Why does paint cleaning need an angle grinder or arc welder?

[John Wakefield]

I think the old barn is just used for the actual filming, obviously some of the restored items need many hours spending on them, so I assume that they are taken back to the restorer's own premises, with just the highlights filmed in the barn. I may be wrong of course. The arrival of the owners and collection of finished items are obviously 'stage managed'.

[MurphyNut]

The popularity of the show shows how much old stuff is now appreciated, more so than it ever has been. Noticed how the word 'vintage' is very much in vogue. Vintage fairs selling old clothes and of course vintage tea rooms often serving up tea and cakes on miss-matched cups, saucers and plates.
I have a 'retro' house, though I rather call it 'period' and we now get a lot of fashion photo shoots from our agency, more than we use to. The production teams and models that come around are nearly always young, (well, they seem young to me!) and absolutely love all the old stuff my wife and myself have accumulated.
I thinks this is great, The Repair Shop is part of this movement.

[David G4EBT]

Originally Posted by David Simpson

I do hope that this program is a professional stepping stone for the 7 artisans that David mentions. They deserve a more technical/educational TV platform which many aspiring hobbyist restorers in the UK would benefit from. Do they already have their own businesses, or perhaps are college lecturers, I wonder ?

Regards, David

They're all well established making a good living in their own right - some rather better qualified and experienced as others.

For example, the lady that restored the painting - Lucia Scalisi - isn't just someone who can tart up a dodgy old painting of no particular merit or monetary value in an afternoon in an old barn for a daytime TV programme. As with other projects, I think it's a bit illusory to believe that much of the work is carried out in the barn. It will have taken many hours in a properly equipped studio.

It's no wonder people were impressed with her work for the Repair Shop.

Lucia is a formally trained and qualified Conservator of Paintings with a Museum background. (Victoria & Albert Museum, London), who has more than 30 years experience in the Museum and private sectors. Hence, her conservation work is to Museum standards.

She began her career in Conservation at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1984 after receiving a Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from the University of Northumbria. She worked for 11 years as a Senior Conservator of Paintings at the V&A before opening a Conservation Studio in private practice in London.

Since then she has been Chief Restorer with the ‘Calcutta Tercentenary Trust’ at Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkatta, India; Lecturer at the Academy of Conservation in Tbilisi, Georgia; Advisor to The Levantine Foundation/Deir al-Surian Desert Monastery, Egypt; Lecturer in Conservation Studies at London City & Guilds. She also worked with the American University of Beirut (AUB) on their inaugural collection.

https://luciascalisi.wordpress.com/a...luciamscalisi/

As to how the projects are selected, very few who apply will have a cat's chance of being selected. Here is the Ricochet 'casting' questionnaire which has to be completed:

https://www.ricochet.co.uk/casting/t...shop_1071.aspx

Quite a few hurdles and hoops to jump over & through.

You can see how someone who is literate, articulate and hence a good 'wordsmith' can tell a good tale to stand out from the crowd - maybe submitting a supporting video. Most won't come anywhere near the top of the pile. For a whole series they only need say four items per programme for 30 programmes - 120 total.

I don't wish to sound cynical or critical, but to satisfy the 'Repair Shop' formula and make it onto the programme, the items themselves must be of sufficient variety and interest, sufficiently challenging to be worthy of the attention of 'skilled artisans' yet capable of being restored. Just as importantly, with a sufficiently mawkish backstory with a sad beginning and a happy ending so everyone can go home happy. If the item is too similar to others that have featured (eg, yet another battered Teddy or manky old radio), or the 'backstory' lacks 'human interest' - ideally with a touch of pathos - it won't be selected.

Quite a challenge for the production company.

[emeritus]

We visited the museum a couple of years ago, and it's certainly worth seeing if you are in the area.

[The Philpott]

See if you can spot the subtle moments when trade secrets are edited out. 'Now i'll just take this away and sort it out'. There have been 2 occasions at least where what would have been a TV worthy process has been completed off camera, and i could only see one reason for it!
Dave

[Andrew2]

I'm enjoying it, but the recent focus on mawkish stories and group hugs & blub-fests is grating a bit.
On the plus side I did like the nice barograph, all bright brass and wood. Our physics lab at school had a display cabinet along one wall and it featured a handful of those. They used to fascinate me, as did the Cossor mini-scope.....

[Phil G4SPZ]

Originally Posted by David Simpson

Do they already have their own businesses... I wonder?

They do. I've looked up pretty well every restorer who has appeared on the programme, and they're either self-employed owners of small businesses or possibly partners in larger ones.

If nothing else, it must bring them in lots of new business. For example, I read on their company website last year that Julie and Amanda's business was closed to new 'patients' for several months, due to demand - and no doubt, due to the filming schedule.

As I've said before, I enjoy this programme and there are far more good aspects than bad. However, the cynic in me concludes that so many items have languished unrestored for so long simply due to the inordinate cost of restoration work. The cost is proportional to the work involved and the skilled restorer's hourly rate. People have to earn a living, and so charge for their time and their investment in learning their trade accordingly. Owners of emotionally valuable but monetarily worthless items rarely are prepared to pay the full whack for the work involved, so an opportunity to receive several thousand pounds-worth of skilled restoration work for free must appear attractive.

Sadly, I own nothing that falls into this category...!

[The Philpott]

How about the Late Victorian/Edwardian 'Polaroid' button camera last night? Never knew they existed...although as far as developed and fixed images are concerned i was fascinated to see small early propelling pencils as a kid, with a little lens in the top, flat at one end and convex at the other. I figured out that you put your eye up to the convex end, squint, and see 6 monochrome pictures of sunny Dawlish. The microfilm type images on the flat end of the lens were absolutely tiny, less than a millimetre across. Real James Bond stuff, and i think these were Edwardian or thereabouts. These things have a name- i just can't remember what it is.

Dave

[David G4EBT]

Originally Posted by The Philpott

….although as far as developed and fixed images are concerned i was fascinated to see small early propelling pencils as a kid, with a little lens in the top, flat at one end and convex at the other. I figured out that you put your eye up to the convex end, squint, and see 6 monochrome pictures of sunny Dawlish. The microfilm type images on the flat end of the lens were absolutely tiny, less than a millimetre across. Real James Bond stuff, and i think these were Edwardian or thereabouts. These things have a name - i just can't remember what it is.

Dave

I remember those - I had one as a child which had several views of Victorian Mablethorpe in it.

I think the generic terms for them is 'Stanhopes'.

Quite amazing that the first microphotograph was produced in 1839 with a reduction of 160:1:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphotograph

Originally they had to be viewed through an expensive microscope but later, they could be viewed through a small cheap one piece lens known as a ‘Stanhope’ after the name of the inventor – the third Early of Stanhope:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanhope_lens

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanhope_(optical_bijou)

In 1864 a Frenchman, René Dagron, shot to fame when he produced a Stanhope optical viewer which enabled the viewing of a microphotograph only 1 square millimetre (0.0016 sq in) in size (equivalent in size to the head of a pin). This astonishing photograph included the portraits of 450 people! In 1862 Dagron established a small factory to make Stanhope lenses in the town of Gex, near the border with Switzerland. At least sixty local people were employed to produce the vast numbers of lenses needed to support the microphotographic industry in Paris.

There’s an example here of a ‘Stanhope’ viewer in the handle of a letter opener knife through which six tiny pictures can be viewed:

https://www.facebook.com/lindfieldvi...type=3&theater

Hope that's of interest.