Episode 11

First into the barn is Heather Evans from Winchester, who is hoping bike aficionado Tim Gunn will be able to restore balance to a tricky mode of transport. She presents a battered unicycle that was a gift she bought for her late husband, Perry, and it perfectly embodies his playful spirit and unquenchable thirst for life – all the more notable given the challenges he faced. On Perry’s second date with Heather, he told her he had HIV through infected blood products he’d taken for his haemophilia, and that he only had a few years to live. Perry fell seriously ill, but new drug treatments came along, and within a year, he was back at work, living life to the full and riding the unicycle that so perfectly sums up his sense of fun. Sadly, after 36 years of marriage, Perry passed away, and the family are desperate to get his beloved unicycle back up and roadworthy once again. Tim pulls out all the stops to straighten the buckles, fix the broken spokes and get the unicycle ready for further adventures with the next generation.

Ready to put Mark Stuckey’s electrical expertise to the test are Florence, her dad Adrian and family friend Alex. They’re entrusting Mark with an iconic 80s gadget – a canary yellow cassette player that belonged to Florence’s mum, Mel. Mel worked as the wig mistress of Les Misérables in the West End for 25 years, and the boombox was constantly blasting out the Eurythmics or Michael Jackson in her wig room as the backdrop to plenty of gossip amongst the cast and crew. In 2001, Mel was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she sadly passed away 12 years later. The cassette player currently just chews up tapes, but the family would love to hear it operating at its best again. Mark works on its drive belts and clutch, and even demagnetises the head, all in an effort to honour Mel’s West End legacy, blare out some iconic 80s bangers and keep her memory well and truly alive.

Next into the barn is Keith from Oxford, bringing in something contagious that most people try to avoid for the attention of David Burville. This unique model of an adenovirus was made by Keith’s father Robin, an electron microscopist. Back in the 1960s, Robin worked at the National Institute of Medical Research studying viruses and developing vaccines. One day, he had a eureka moment, finding and photographing the adenovirus - the virus that is responsible for the common cold – for the very first time. Robin’s colleagues were in awe, and the national press picked up the story. Wanting to be able to explain the virus’s shape more clearly and how it worked, Robin decided to create a 3D model from his 2D photo. It was his pride and joy. Over the years, some of the polystyrene balls have been damaged or fallen off, and the family are keen to have it repaired to give the next generation the opportunity to learn and understand from it. David must come up with a strategy to contain elements of the virus and to prevent the damage spreading in order to save this extraordinary piece of family and medical history.

Finally, Paul from Barnsley has brought a piece of Edwardian gadgetry for Brenton to focus on. The Houghton brass and wood field camera was bought at auction by Paul and his brother Ian, a passionate photographer, and Paul’s close companion through all manner of childhood scrapes and adventures. The brothers had hoped that Ian, who was a dab hand at most things, could mend the broken shutter. However, before he was able to repair it, Ian was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and the family lost him in 2019. To help Paul reconnect with cherished memories of his brother, Brenton must get the shutter working and replace a missing glass screen in order to restore life to the brass plate camera which embodies a brotherly bond.