Two guests were moved to tears on The Repair Shop after woodworker Will Kirk and bookbinder Chris Shaw restored a Victorian writing box that belonged to a pioneering journalist.
During the episode, which first aired in 2025, mother-daughter duo Sarah and Laura brought the box into the barn. It originally belonged to Sarah's grandmother, Dolly MacCormack, and was passed down to Sarah's mother, Kay Kennedy.
A trailblazing journalist
Laura explained how her mother, Kay Kennedy, left school as a teenager yet went on to build a career in journalism. Sarah said: "She worked her way up to becoming an editor of one of the papers called the Ulster Star. She was one of the first women editors in Northern Ireland, which I'm very proud of. It was amazing. She was quite an exceptional woman. She did very hard-hitting news stories at a difficult time in Northern Ireland."
Sarah added: "She was right on the front doing that, but she also met all sorts of celebrities. She got to know Johnny Cash quite well, Roger Moore, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Bee Gees, you name it. She was well respected and well admired."
Laura described her grandmother as a 'trailblazer', telling Will: "It's really important for me to say that and to talk about Kay Kennedy because she broke so many boundaries. I'm a journalist because my grandmother was a journalist. My grandmother was definitely my hero."
Restoring the writing box
The writing box, described as "a sad wreck," was disintegrating and required substantial repair work. Will pledged to handle it carefully and began restoring the piece alongside Chris.
When Sarah and Laura returned to the workshop to see the finished work, they were instantly overwhelmed as the box was finally restored. The additional detail Will had incorporated moved them to tears: he had created a nameplate for Kay's name, positioned beneath Dolly's.
Delighted, Sarah exclaimed: "Oh, that's lovely! Oh, that's so thoughtful." Laura remarked: "Well, as you know, I was like, 'Say her name, say her name,' and there she is. Kay Kennedy, and she's so important. That's just such a beautiful way of honouring her."
Will responded: "It's been great to be able to keep Kay's name alive; it's a pleasure."
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
