The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain

Episode 1

Episode #1.1

Jay Blades delves deeper into three repairs to show how items have shaped the way we live now. Today's episode is focused around some amazing childhood toys that together have shaped the sorts of things our kids play with today. The first repair Jay revisits is a rocking horse brought in by Julie from Leicestershire. Using archive footage, Jay reveals how Queen Victoria transformed the fortunes of the rocking horse by visiting a factory, starting a royal tradition that continues to this day. He also shows how the rocking horse went from a preserve of the wealthy to a family staple that is still loved by modern-day families. Next is a unique teddy that helped owner Janet learn how to walk. Jay tells the story of how the teddy bear got its name and how a humble seamstress from Germany created one of the world's most famous bear brands by selling felt elephants. Finally, an item that brings back fond memories for Jay: an old chopper biked owned by brothers Andy and Glenn from Chesterfield. Jay tells the story of how a humble Nottingham firm became the biggest bike manufacturer in the world, and he finds out just how many iconic Choppers were sold over the years.