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BBC Repair Shop guest 'can't believe it' as late dad's unique creations restored
Reach Daily Express | April 16, 2026 6:39 AM CST

A visitor to The Repair Shop has been left 'blown away' following the restoration of a collection of charms, having initially been crafted from cutlery by her father for her mother.

Debbie Lee, from Southend-on-Sea, brought two of her "tiny treasures" to the barn, seeking assistance from goldsmith Richard Talman.

She described: "This is a set of charms that belonged on a necklace that was my mum's. And these are all charms that were on a bracelet for myself, made by my dad, from cutlery out of my mum's cutlery drawer."

"Knives and forks and spoons? Really?" an astonished Will Kirk enquired, as Richard contemplated the task.

"I've not made them out of stainless steel before, they are unbelievable, incredibly intricate," he remarked, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Debbie revealed that her dad, an engineer, used to repair machinery and "tinkered" with creating things during his work intervals.

Throughout those periods, he would fashion the charms that subsequently became her treasured piece of jewellery, having been given the bracelet at the age of seven.

She continued: "He was born in 1922, and it was save everything you had. He was a brilliant dad, I could go to him with anything that was broken and he'd be like, 'Right come on, let's go find something,' brass, metal, wood, whatever, I was his little apprentice.

"He died about six years ago, at the age of 97, bless him. When I was 11 or 12, I didn't understand the skill that had gone into making that.

"And of course, they weren't soldered on, they got pulled, it got broke, so as it broke, I took the charms off and I wore them on my clothes and then I lost some.

"I was like, 'Mum, mum!' I'd lost some of mine, I wanted the ones off of hers, and then I lost some of hers."

Debbie was hoping for a boot on her mum's necklace to be replaced, as well as a guitar and her initial J, while she also wanted a key, her own initial and another guitar remade for her smaller charm bracelet.

She added: "To be able to wear it would be the legacy that my dad and the bracelet deserved."

Debbie left her charms in the safe hands of Richard, who explained how he created some more using cutlery as he moulded a knife into a miniature boot.

Seeing the new charms, Debbie was left gobsmacked. "I can't believe that," she said, seeing them for the first time.

"Look at the D! That is fantastic, and the guitars! And on mum's, you've made the boot, you are so clever!" she praised, before joking: "Not as clever as my dad!"

She went on: "Absolutely amazing, it's shining back at me, I'm just dazzled. They've never been together like this before and that just looks right."

Trying the pieces on, she repeated: "That is amazing, I'm not normally stuck for words but I am actually stuck for words... I can't stop looking at it. I'm shaking now with it, it's very, very special."

As the clip was shared on social media, one viewer praised: "Such skills and craftmanship, you can see the thoughtfulness and love that has gone into each piece."

Another said: "My word the knowledge, skills and craftsmanship that went into those charms. Such wonderful insight into a life, well lives really."

"Love this, such a sentimental gift," someone else wrote, as another added: "Cannot quite believe how you ever managed to achieve such a fantastic repair! Truly amazing!"

The Repair Shop airs Wednesdays at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.


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