“We’re a bunch of nerds!”
JAY BLADES, KIRSTEN RAMSAY AND DAVID BURVILLE TELL INSIDE TV WHAT’S IN STORE AS A NEW SERIES OF BARN-BASED BRUSH-UPS BEGINS…
As the restoration show returns, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage’s harmonium and a sculpture by an eminent Czech artist are among the items brought into the barn for a lot of TLC. Host Jay Blades, ceramics specialist Kirsten Ramsay, and organ builder and toy repairer David Burville, tell us more…
Hi, all! Tell us about your items in the first episode… Kirsten Mine is a sculpture of a Czech woman that has an amazing back story. A lot had been lost over the years, including a carved wooden plinth that it stood on, so I had a lovely collaboration with Will [Kirk] on that. The only reference we had was two black-and-white photos from many years ago, so it was very challenging.
David Mine’s a harmonium, which is a bit like a church organ. Bearing in mind that it’s 120 years old and hadn’t had any work done on it, it was quite a challenge. But hearing Simon’s story about his father singing along to the harmonium in choir practice brought everything to life. Jay The way Simon read his poetry accompanied by musicians; it was like there was an air that came through the barn which was just magical. The transformation from the way the harmonium sounded when it was first brought in was incredible.
What’s it like for you when the owners come back to see their items repaired? Kirsten I think you’re always quite nervous, because you put such a lot of yourself into every repair. But the reactions we get make it worthwhile. David Yeah, you go through every emotion under the sun! You’re trusted with these items, so you’re just hoping that you’ve got it right, and it’s what they remember.
Tell us about the two specials marking the 75th anniversaries of both Windrush and the NHS… Jay It was really moving for us to repair author Michael Rosen’s document of having Covid for our NHS special: he’d never seen the diary his medics had made for him because he was in a coma. And for our Windrush special, meeting Patrick Vernon OBE was a total privilege. He brought in a radiogram that was given to him by someone from HMT Empire Windrush.
Do you get side-tracked by what other experts in the workshop are doing?! Kirsten Yes, frequently! I think most of us really enjoy the community we have in the barn. I mean, we are a bunch of nerds, to be quite honest! But to share what we do is an absolute joy. David Yes, so many of us are from such different crafts and skills, there’s a wealth of knowledge. I’ve learned so much – it’s just wonderful…