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Episode 7

The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain Series 1
Episode 7 of 15

Jay Blades delves into the UK鈥檚 maritime history through eye-opening archive and three memorable items from the Repair Shop: a ditty box, a teddy and a book of cuttings about Captain Scott.

Jay Blades revisits three items that tell stories about the UK鈥檚 amazing maritime history and how it continues to influence our nation today.

The first item is a precious box brought in by Gerhard Fehners, whose great-great-grandfather, also called Gerhard, was a merchant seaman. Aged just 38, he lost his life when his merchant ship went down, but the ditty box he took with him on the high seas survived and is testimony to the life of the 19th-century sailor. Jay explains how the UK came to rule the waves in the 19th century and how the ditty box played a crucial part in a sailor鈥檚 life, with similar traditions continuing to this day.

Another visitor to the Repair Shop was Jenny Lane, the granddaughter of another seafaring hero 鈥� Henry Rennick, one of Captain Scott鈥檚 team on his expedition to the South Pole. Henry met his future wife in New Zealand and vowed to return to her after the expedition. While Scott perished and was beaten to the Pole, Henry returned unscathed to find his wife-to-be had put together a cuttings album about the exploits of Scott, Henry and the rest of the team. Jay recalls the story of the doomed expedition and the history of the cutting books that Jenny鈥檚 grandmother kept.

The third item is a handmade teddy bear given to Martin Beever's grandfather, who served as a chief petty officer in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Jay tells the incredible story of how Martin鈥檚 grandfather鈥檚 life was saved when he was transferred to another ship, and he finds out more about naval life today.

44 minutes

Last on

Thu 6 Aug 2020 03:50
主播大秀 Two

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    Cliff Richard

    Big Ship

  • 00:06

    London Philharmonic Choir

    Land of hope and glory

  • 00:16

    Snow Patrol

    Chasing Cars

  • 00:25

    Clouds

    Scrapbook

  • 00:29

    David Gray

    Sail Away

Credits

Presenter Jay Blades
Series Producer Paula Fasht
Executive Producer David Sayer
Executive Producer Rob Butterfield
Executive Producer Emma Walsh
Production Company Ricochet Limited

Broadcasts