During a recent episode of the BBC's The Repair Shop, Steve Fletcher and Will Kirk teamed up to restore a sentimental clock for Abdul and his daughter Hannah. Steve quickly identified a significant problem with the timepiece.
A Glass Panel Beyond Repair
After meeting the father and daughter, Steve took the broken clock to his workspace to assess the work required. He noticed one element would need to be completely remade, commenting: "This bottom glass here is broken beyond repair, so I'm going to have to source another one."
He added: "I'm not sure whether I can get a transfer to go on to the glass or whether I might need to get it repainted. The more I look at this case, the more I see how much Will had really got his work cut out."
A Clock's Emotional Journey
Earlier in the episode, viewers learned why the clock meant so much to Abdul. It had previously belonged to his late father, who treasured the timepiece deeply. Abdul joked: "I don't think he could have cared for me that much, as much as he cared for this one. He was a wonderful dad, looked after and took care of everything."
Abdul's daughter Hannah revealed she never had the chance to meet her grandfather. She explained: "I was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood eye cancer, so life kind of revolved around making sure that I got the care that I needed and just supporting me through that. Dad only got to go back to India once in 2005, that was the last time he saw his dad before he passed away in 2010."
Abdul told Will and Steve that 2005 was the last time he saw the clock working, as he had arranged for it to be transported to him from India. He said: "They did not pack it properly. So, in transit, it completely shattered. When I opened it and saw it in that condition, that was one of the worst days of my life. I'm standing here, full of guilt that this is in this condition."
Hannah explained that very little remains of her grandfather's memory, with just a single photograph and the clock to cherish, underlining how precious the timepiece truly is. She also revealed that her eye condition has prevented her from fully appreciating the clock through touch and sound.
Restoration Success
Abdul described it as a "dream come true" should the experts succeed in getting the clock working again. In the end, Steve managed to overcome the issue with the glass, getting a new panel to replicate the original.
Laying eyes on his father's clock once more, Abdul said: "I can't believe it. It's much, much better than what I remember. It's beautiful, believe me. Wonderful job."
When Steve finally got the clock ticking once more and it chimed, Hannah was overjoyed, saying: "It's actually very soothing hearing it tick. It's almost like he's here with us with that clock because he cared about it so much. The clock has been brought back to life, but also, a treasured member of the family has been brought back as well."
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
