During the June 24 episode of the BBC's The Repair Shop, experts Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch faced a daunting restoration of a 1966 England World Cup mascot soft toy, World Cup Willie. The item, described as 'rather sorry state,' belonged to lifelong football fan Steph Taylor and her daughter Alison.
Emotional Connection to the Mascot
Steph purchased the toy at her first match of the 1966 World Cup, which she attended with her future husband, Chris. The couple married that year, and Alison was born eight months later. Tragically, Chris died from an asthma attack just nine months after Alison's birth. 'That makes Willie much more significant,' Julie noted. Alison added: 'Because they weren't together very long, he's the only thing that I have that connects mum and dad. So, it's quite special to me as well.'
Restoration Challenges
Amanda expressed anxiety about the toy's condition: 'He looks extremely fragile, doesn't he? I'm quite concerned about his face.' She described the damp-damaged face as 'absolutely terrifying' with 'two ugly holes.' Working delicately, she threaded fresh material beneath the deteriorating face, saying: 'I'm holding my breath here because the worst thing that could happen is his face disintegrates on me, and then I would have to replace the whole face. Oh, it's a scary one! I think this is actually scarier than taking a penalty in the World Cup final. [I'm] absolutely terrified. But we can do this.'
Triumphant Outcome
Julie and Amanda successfully restored World Cup Willie, leaving Steph and Alison speechless. Alison exclaimed: 'Oh my goodness, that's amazing!' Steph observed: 'I don't know if he's ever looked that good!' A visibly moved Steph added: '[I'm] quite filled up about it all, really.' Alison concluded: 'He's quite special because he's a link to my mum and my dad. He's the only thing that really connects them.' Steph finished: 'He's a very important lion.' The Repair Shop is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
