The Repair Shop on the Road: Season 1, Episode 12

1 - 12: Sussex – Dom Discovers the Secret of Neon

In this episode, the experts lend their skills to a community project, hear the story behind a new treasure to be repaired and visit a local crafting hero.

Will and Dom visit the south coast, where East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service have an emergency even they aren't trained for. Built decades ago to take part in charity pram races, soapbox racer Babie, modelled on a fire engine, has lost a little lustre, as well as her hose and ladder. And she's gained a good few dents over the years. So the boys enlist the help of the team at Brooklands Aviation and Motoring Museum to get her racing once again, in tribute to the firefighters who originally built her all those years ago.

Will's on Brighton Pier to meet PJ, who'd like a memento of his mother brought back to its former glory. It's a very special gnome, one of more than a hundred she collected, but it has broken off its base, with the paint worn and chipped. There's also a mystery piece of rusted metal attached, which Kirsten might need a hand removing before the big repaint can begin.

We're staying in Brighton to learn all about neon sign making from a father-and-daughter duo that blend science and art in their colourful creations. Dom's more used to moulding metal than glass, so how will he fare when faced with the delicate task of blowing his own glass?