Annette, a guest on The BBC series The Repair Shop, was reduced to tears after the experts delivered an incredible restoration of a doll that held deep personal significance. The doll was given to her when she was 11 years old during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
A Precious Gift from a Difficult Time
Annette brought the doll to the barn, hoping the team could salvage it. The doll showed clear signs of wear and tear and had lost its eyes, which had fallen inside its body. She told presenters Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell how much she longed to see the eyes restored.
She explained that she received the toy when she was sent to Holland during bomb scares amid the conflict. “We had a lot of shooting, ordinary people were killed just because of religion,” she said. “Our childhood wasn't really happy, you were frightened.”
Annette stayed with a host family in Holland, who welcomed one Protestant child and one Catholic child. This allowed her to befriend a child from a different background. “At the end of our stay with our host family, they presented us with little dolls and I just fell in love with her, she means so much,” she recalled. “I swore that I would look after her, but unfortunately... it's so sad.”
Expert Restoration and a Surprise
Amanda and Julie quickly began work on the doll and successfully restored it. Will Kirk also stepped in to handcraft a miniature pair of wooden clogs. Annette was desperate to see the results when she returned to the barn. “The excitement's killing me!” she admitted.
She became emotional the moment she saw the restored doll. Gasping as she lifted it up, she said: “Oh! Dear God, she is beautiful. How did you get her eyes back?” With tears in her eyes, she told the experts: “I'm shaking. Dear God. Oh, that's unbelievable. I don't know what to say, I am really, really shocked. Her hair and everything, you washed it!”
She added: “This wee doll, I'm just back there, the way I can remember how I got her, she's beautiful, honestly.”
Amanda and Julie then revealed one more surprise, presenting Annette with the tiny clogs. “Now she's a Dutch doll isn't she, that is beautiful, thank you ever so much!” Annette exclaimed. “She is just precious, she really means the world.”
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
