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Jay Blades and the team bring three treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life.

Mechanics wizard Steve Fletcher takes receipt of a theodolite. This beautiful 100-year-old piece of engineering was used by David Brown’s father, who was a chartered surveyor. The brass instrument measures distance and angles and was an essential piece of kit throughout his father’s career. This is a first for Steve, he’s excited to be working on such a quality, precision instrument. He meticulously dismantles the 200-plus brass parts and soaks them in cleaning fluid, then rebuilds the entire device like a 3D jigsaw.

Silversmith Brenton West restores a memento of a once-flourishing family ice cream business. Michelle Amato’s grandfather was the first to make and sell ice cream in Newham in London in the late 1800s and would peddle his wares from a push cart, ringing a brass bell. Her father then followed in his footsteps and was loved by all. She dreams of seeing the bell, which is much the worse for decades of wear, brought back to its former glory.

Leather expert Suzie Fletcher breathes new life into a deflated, shrivelled leather football. The ball belongs to Kevin Towell from Derby. He received it as a boy for Christmas over 60 years ago, and it sparked a lifetime passion for the beautiful game – a passion then passed from father to son and grandson. Although it’s days of being kicked about may be behind it, Kevin would love to have it restored as a keepsake. Susie sets to work with saddle soap to clean and nourish the parched leather, reinforces the failing structure by inserting a lining, and packs it with sheeps wool to restore the spherical shape.