A guest on The Repair Shop was left 'mortified' after ruining a precious family item: a Welsh rugby shirt worn by her father-in-law in the 1960s. During the BBC show, experts Will Kirk and textile conservator Rebecca Bissonnet welcomed Lloyd Richards and his wife Karen into the barn.
Lying the shirt out on the bench, Will quickly recognised it as a rugby jersey. Lloyd explained that it had belonged to his father, Bryan Richards, who wore it playing for Wales in the 1960s. He commented: “This was his jersey that he wore playing for Wales in the ‘60s. My greatest regret is that I never saw him play.”
A Family Legacy
Lloyd shared more about his father’s career, explaining that Bryan grew up in Skewen and trained by running up and down the coal slag heaps behind his house. He went on to play for Neath Rugby Club before moving to Swansea, where he became captain. Bryan was also a Barbarian and won his one and only Welsh cap against France in 1960.
Lloyd noted: “The position that he played, fly-half, any rugby fan will know a fly-half wears a number ten. But he wore a number six. He was the last Welsh international to play with the number six.” Sadly, Bryan died in 2023 at the age of 91, making the shirt even more significant. Lloyd said: “He’s a legend my dad. Loved him to bits. He was a real maverick on the rugby pitch but incredibly conservative in life, a very humble bloke.”
The Washing Machine Incident
Karen explained what had happened to the shirt. Before framing it, she had put it in the wash. She said: “I forgot that it was from the 1960s. I put it in the machine, and it came out, and the red had run into the collar. I tried to get the pink out of the collar.” Will’s mouth dropped open as he asked if she tried to bleach it out, to which she confirmed she did. He replied: “Oh, so this wasn’t from being in the washing machine? This is actually you?”
Getting emotional, Karen commented: “This is all me. So, I was a bit mortified, to say the least. I have felt incredibly guilty ever since. You know, he worked hard for that. For me, it’s a way to honour him really, if we can get it looking anything like it looked originally.” The shirt had lost its vibrant redness, and the couple were keen to get that back when it was restored.
Successful Restoration
In the end, Rebecca managed to successfully repair the jersey. When the couple later returned to the barn, both were overcome with emotion as Karen burst into tears, calling their work 'amazing'.
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
