It's not unusual for fans of The Repair Shop to find themselves wiping away tears watching the latest instalments of the BBC restoration programme - but Wednesday night's episode proved to be one of the most heartbreaking yet.
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The episode saw the show's resident leather expert Suzie Fletcher tasked with what she called the "huge responsibility" of restoring an item for a guest who only had a matter of months left to live.
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Wendy, from Bristol, stepped into the workshop with an old leather writing case that has an extraordinary story. The treasured item originally belonged to Wendy's mother, who worked as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War and used the case while deciphering codes used by Germany and its allies. As she had signed The Official Secrets Act, Wendy was unaware of her mother's code-breaking career until 1978.
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However, Wendy said she had lots of fond memories of watching her mother use the case to write everything from letters to receipts and was keen for her own granddaughter to inherit the special item. As Wendy told Suzie: "I've only got about four or five months left so I want to do this, so it's something for my daughter to give to my granddaughter which reminds her of me."
© Photo: BBCThe writing case once belonged to Wendy's remarkable mum
While that was enough to set most viewers off, it was when Suzie presented Wendy and her daughter with the beautifully restored case at the end of the episode that left viewers unable to fight back the tears any longer. She told Suzie: "You’ve not just restored a writing case, you’ve restored memories and memories are so important to me at the moment. I’m very, very grateful."
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Taking to Twitter, after the episode aired one viewer wrote: "Watching The Repair Shop is always an emotional experience but the story behind the restoration of that lady's writing case has me in tears..so touching but sad," while another praised Susie for her handiwork. "Wow. When #therepairshop hits you in all the feels and you're sat here crying. What a beautiful repair Susie did," they said.
Even author Jojo Moyes was overcome with emotion. She wrote while watching the show: "I think it's the tenderness of The Repair Shop that gets me every time; for the objects themselves, by the experts, and for the participants. The woman with the red writing case has felled me."
