In the latest episode of BBC’s beloved series The Repair Shop, fans were treated to another heartfelt restoration journey as experts breathed new life into cherished heirlooms. Among the team, expert restorer Will Kirk, who recently shared some personal news, teamed up with Dominic Chinea to tackle a unique and meaningful project.
Adam Crowe brought in his late father’s “battered relic” — a pair of beer pumps once used to serve his dad’s home-brewed beer. Adam fondly recalled that these pumps had been a fixture in the corner of their dining room and were found by his dad at a local antiques store. “Dad was the life and soul of the party,” Adam shared. “If he liked the beer he brewed, he’d want everyone to try it.”
The pumps hadn’t been used since the mid-1990s, and with his father passing in 2007, Adam revealed that these beer pumps were the only tangible connection he still had to him.
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Upon inspection, Will immediately noticed a serious problem: woodworm holes riddled the wooden parts of the pumps. “I can spot woodworm a mile away,” Will said gravely. His concern meant the piece couldn’t simply be restored on-site. Instead, Will decided to send it off for specialized treatment to eradicate the woodworm, aiming to carefully remove the metal components beforehand to protect them.
Taking on the challenge, Will and Dominic divided the restoration tasks, working meticulously to revive the pumps’ mechanism and preserve their sentimental value.
When Adam returned for the reveal, emotions overwhelmed him. Speechless at first, he eventually expressed his gratitude: “Wow, that’s amazing… It looks so good. You can still see it’s an old piece, but it just looks incredible. You’ve done a wonderful job.”
To cap off the moment, Adam poured a pint and lifted a toast to his dad, Peter, saying, “Thank you so much for restoring his beer pumps.” It was a touching tribute made possible by the skill and compassion of The Repair Shop team.
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, where stories like these bring treasured memories back to life.