“It’s nice to have new faces in the barn! ”
Jay Blades and Dean Westmoreland are joined by new expert Rebecca Bissonnet…
As The Repair Shop returns to Wednesday evenings, host Jay Blades opens the barn doors to new expert, textiles conservator Rebecca Bissonnet. She joins resident cobbler Dean Westmoreland and the rest of the returnees for another run of rewarding renovations. Here, Rebecca, Dean and Jay tell us more…
Hi, all! What’s the secret to the show’s longevity? Jay I think it’s simply because it’s all about working together and achieving a common goal. We have a team of experts who want do things for people to make them happy. It’s such a nice feeling to be able to use your skills to support someone. Dean Yes, the camaraderie is incredible. Even though we’re coming from different mediums, there’s a common thread in the mindset of all the experts.
So Rebecca, how did you come to be on the show? Rebecca They rang me as they were looking for a textiles expert, and I actually missed the call because I’d popped to the village shop! I called them back and had a good chat, followed by a Zoom call – and that was it!
Jay Rebecca just came in and fitted like a glove. It’s so nice to have new faces in the barn with new skills, and learning things from different people.
Tell us your backgrounds… Rebecca My career began with an apprenticeship in hand embroidery. I eventually got a position working for Historic Royal Palaces, where I spent seven years managing a team of conservators in the care of tapestries and furnishings. Then a couple of years ago, I set up my own business. Dean I just applied to a local shop for a job – when I got there, I found out it was a cobblers! I just enjoyed the intricacy of the craft, you know, and suddenly 18 years has passed and I’m still in the trade!
Dean, talk us through your first fix of this series [cowboy boots bought by late British drummer Roger Pope for his little nephew]? Dean Well, my initial thought was, ‘How am I going to get my hands inside?!’ It was such a tiny pair of boots. But the toughest thing was putting the sole on: it was so old and worn, and it was very difficult to get that same colour of rubber.
And Rebecca, tell us about your first fix on the show… Rebecca It was a ceremonial robe, green velvet with gold brocade all the way down it. The velvet was fragile as it was over 100 years old, and had at some point got wet so was also stained. I’d fix one bit, then see another bit that needed doing. I could still be working on it now!
How does it feel to return items to their owners? Dean On this show, you know the history of the item, so there’s that extra weight of responsibility. So when you give an item back and they’re happy, there’s such a sense of relief and fulfilment. Rebecca To see how much it meant to the gentleman who’d brought in that robe was very rewarding. I just thought, ‘Yeah, this is what I’ve been missing in my day job…’
It’s such a nice feeling to use your skills to someone” support JAY