I am, presently, bingeing all the episodes of this show. I've seen them all before but they age well and warm my heart they way they did when I first encountered this British TV [BBC1 and BBC2] gem. The premise is for ordinary folk to present a team of artisans, mechanics, repairmen and practioners of fading crafts, family heirlooms which have seen better days. These craftspeople, the top of their fields, repair and restore family heirlooms for the owners who come from all over the UK. The regular "team" consists of a furniture restorer, a wood expert, a horologist, a painting restorer, two seamtresses ["the teddybear ladies"], a leather worker, a metal worker and others who pop in and out as their expertise is required. There is no charge for the work done which is remarkable as I watched a jeweler repair a ring which was missing a diamond. The Repair Shop provided the replacent with no mention of cost.
I was thinking that it would be a wonderful adjunct to the Highschool curriculum [and beyond] to set up an extra curicular program peopled by volunteers who possess talents they would like to share as mentors to young people who would like to learn and revive crafts that are disappearing. The program could include potters, carpenters, sculptors, painters, refinishers, jewelry makers, textile artists, various repairmen etc.
In my 30-odd years in Northern Sonoma County I have met so many clever and talented individuals who no longer practive their arts on a regular basis. These talents are generally retired from alternative [lucrative] careers and have the time and fluidity to participate in such an endeavour.
Any ideas?
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