The Repair Shop's eldery guest breaks down in tears after 'fantastic' transformation

There wasn't a dry eye in the workshop during the latest episode of The Repair Shop as an elderly ex-coal miner from North Wales broke down in tears after seeing his treasured family heirloom restored to its former glory. John from Holywell arrived at the BBC show with a remarkable piece of his family's history - a detailed working model of a Welsh coal mine built by his grandfather more than a century ago.

The miniature marvel, usually displayed in a local mining museum run by John, had fallen silent after a failed repair caused its intricate mechanisms to stop working. Horologist Steve Fletcher was tasked with painstakingly rebuilding the lost inner workings, while art conservator Lucia Scalisi took on the job of restoring the model's beautifully painted exterior. Together, they aimed to bring the heirloom - and a piece of Welsh mining heritage - back to life.

When John returned to the barn to see the finished piece, he was visibly overcome with emotion. Struggling to hold back tears, he said: "Oh my god, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You've done a fantastic job."

The moving moment left both the experts and viewers deeply touched, with Steve saying it was "an honour to work on."

One fan even chimed in on X, sharing: "Once again caught the last part of The repair shop and sobbing."

The emotional scenes didn't end there on The Repair Shop, as the team went on to tackle three more deeply personal restorations that tugged at the nation's heartstrings.

Next through the barn doors were Sarah and her daughter Laura from Belfast, carrying a battered Victorian writing box rich with family history.

The heirloom was originally gifted to Sarah's grandmother Dolly by her fiancé before being passed down to her mother.

Woodworking expert Will Kirk and bookbinder Chris Shaw joined forces to repair the cracked veneer, restore the torn leather, and bring the writing box back to life.

Next up, from Barrow-in-Furness, Jacquie arrived with Rosebud, a 75-year-old doll that once belonged to her late mother, Myra. The doll had been Myra's only source of comfort during a heartbreaking childhood after losing both parents before the age of ten.

Time had taken its toll on Rosebud - her head was loose, her hair missing, and her legs gone. Toy restorer Charlotte Abbott painstakingly rebuilt her limbs, repaired her head, and recreated her wig, reuniting the family with a beloved childhood companion in one piece.

Rounding off the episode, Tillie Newnham from Rugby brought in a remarkable slice of British history - an original 1930s design for the Humber Bridge, drawn by Sir Ralph Freeman and later passed to her grandfather, Bernard Wex, who helped oversee its construction.

Paper conservator Angelina Bakalarou carefully treated the fragile blueprint, erasing decades of damage from insect droppings, tears, and old tape.