Jenny, a guest on The Repair Shop, was left 'frightened' to touch her restored oil lantern after experts Dominic Chinea and Brenton West brought it back to life. The lantern, which had belonged to her grandmother, was in a heavily rusted condition when she brought it into the barn.
A Family Heirloom with a Unique History
Jenny explained that the lantern was used by her grandmother, who served as the last station master at Donnemana railway station in Northern Ireland before it closed in 1955. She noted that, to her knowledge, her grandmother was the only female station master, a fact that made her family 'proud' of her.
The lantern was used to close the level crossing and prevent vehicles from crossing the railway line. It featured two different coloured glass panes to signal to drivers when it was safe to proceed.
An Emotional Unveiling
Jenny's grandmother had lived at the station before eventually purchasing the property, where Jenny spent her childhood. Describing that time as 'brilliant', she was eager for the experts to preserve the lantern so she could pass it down to her own son.
When the moment arrived to see the restored lantern, Jenny was visibly overwhelmed. Fighting back tears, she told Dom and Brenton it was 'beautiful' and that she couldn't believe what they had managed to do. Admitting she was 'really frightened to touch it', she explained it had been too fragile to handle beforehand.
A Final Surprise
As the experts encouraged her to touch the lantern, Jenny expressed her heartfelt gratitude. When she mentioned her plans to place a light inside it at night, Dom revealed they could illuminate it right there and then. In disbelief that it worked, she confessed to 'shaking' when striking the match as they watched the lantern light up for the first time.
Jenny rotated the glass cylinder to display the lantern, casting a blue and red glow, utterly captivated by what the pair had achieved. She told the cameras outside that she was going to take the lantern home, as it symbolises her grandmother and the station she has fond memories of. The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
