Returning on Wednesday night, The Repair Shop featured a special guest. As the barn doors opened on a new day, the team were presented with a valiant suit of armour – nicknamed Arthur – which hailed from a notorious film set.
© BBCAppearing on the show, Will Kirk and Brenton West were introduced to Ben Ackland, the grandson of Hollywood actor, Joss Ackland. Among his endless credits, the Kensington-born star was best known for his roles in White Mischief (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990) and The Mighty Ducks (1992).
As for the armour, the suit in question had been gifted to Joss, after he completed filming on the 1973 swashbuckler film, The Three Musketeers.
© GettyJoss, who sadly passed away in 2023, had played D'Artagnan's father in the epic retelling of Alexandre Dumas' beloved novel. A film widely regarded as a critical and commercial success, Richard Lester served as director while Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain, Racquel Welch, Charlton Heston, Faye Dunaway and Christopher Lee rounded out the cast.
"Joss passed away in November last year," Ben told Will and Brenton of his late grandfather. "My family, they said: 'Is there anything that you'd like to keep to remind you of Joss?' And the first thing I said was 'Arthur'."
Asked about his relationship with the actor, Ben noted: "I was very close to Joss. My father passed away when I was three, so that brought me close to Joss and my grandmother [Rosemary Kirkcaldy]. I always had Joss there if I needed him.
"I used to go to their house as often as I could," he added. "When I first met Arthur he stood guard in the stone room. I slept in the stone room. I was really scared of him but they told me that he was actually there to protect us. So, from then, that's when I started to like him and it was just a lovely place to be.
"There was that bond that really stuck," Ben concluded. "He was just so kind and always there for everybody. He was a great man and I love him a lot, and Arthur was always there protecting us. That's why it's important for me that Arthur's brought back to life because it's part of him. It's the relationship that I have with Joss."
After leaving the barn, silversmith Brenton, woodworker Will and leather expert Suzie Fletcher got to work on the restoration.
© BBCUpon his return to the barn, Ben then enjoyed an emotional reunion with Arthur, stating that it "means a lot" and had brought back several memories from his time with his grandfather.
