The Small Wooden Box that Changed a Man's Life Forever | The Repair Shop

Will Kirk hears the story of how this small wooden box changed a man's life forever. Can he restore it back to it's original state so it can be preserved as a piece of history?
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Nestled deep in the British countryside is The Repair Shop, where a team of Britain's most skilled and caring craftspeople rescue and resurrect items their owners thought were beyond saving. Together they transform priceless pieces of family history and bring loved, but broken treasures, and the memories they hold back to life.
If you have a treasured item that's seen better days and you think our experts can help, please get in touch now! 👉 bit.ly/TakePartTRS

[@cockertoo8920]

It was such a common thing to pretend a grandchild was your own. It's a shame it had to be done, and hidden, but a great way of keeping the baby in the family and being able to see it grow up.

[@eh1702]

@SR John Lennon was born to a married couple. His dad went AWOL from the navy, and so the pay stopped. When his dad came home some months later, John’s mother had already got involved with another man, and rejected him. John was raised by his mother’s elder sister Mary (who he called Auntie Mimi) who around this time had complained he wasn’t being looked after properly. John’s mother came to see him most days. His dad did seem to want to be involved at one point, but then had no contact for many years.

[@Jess-nc4oy]

@@eh1702 I bet his dad wanted to become involved with John, when he became rich and famous.

[@eh1702]

@@Jess-nc4oy his dad wanted custody of him when he came back from the navy, when John was four or five, and wanted to emigrate to Australia with him, but the other side of the family refused, John’s aunt, mother and mother’s new guy. As far as I know they had no more contact for two decades. I have not heard anything about whether his dad had this attitude to the adult John that you imagine. It would be difficult to reconnect under any circumstances, with an adult child you don’t know.

[@Jess-nc4oy]

I’m glad it was the way you said, I must be jaded lol. I guess if his dad had taken him to Australia, the Beatles may not have happen quite the same 😊

[@eh1702]

@@Jess-nc4oy True. But something else probably would have happened. He was just an irrepressibly creative person. Possibly an Aussie art school wouldn’t have chucked him out.

[@gemma2195]

Big respect to his grandparents for supporting his mother as unmarried woman suffered in the olden days it was seen as a disgrace! Bless him x

[@athenstar10]

I totally agree. I have an aunt (my mother's cousin) who had the same story. Her son was always introduced as her one of ther siblings and that's the same thing the son knew. The truth was just revealed when when one of my cousins had a childish fight with him. All those years, everyone else didn't talk about it until he eventually confronted his parents and her sister.

[@moonhunter9993]

Quite common back in the day...

[@username00009]

I had a coworker whose nephew was raised as his sibling. Not because of “outdated” norms, but because the mother is unstable even now as a middle aged woman.

[@Sky-pt6lc]

It is a disgrace to have bastards. Nowadays it’s so common not to have fathers. The government is the father now. I don’t like secrets like that where the mother hide their true identity to their children.

[@walterblock5082]

@@Sky-pt6lc I believe it's disgraceful to call babies bastards because of an unwed mother and father.

[@robynsineadsheppard6480]

Will Kirk has a way to get down to the soul of wood.

[@helenweatherby1694]

My father had exactly this experience. At the age of 56 he found out that his oldest sister was in fact his mother.

[@JulieWallis1963]

My dad discovered he has an older sister. His mum was born in 1896, he wasn’t born until 1935. His siblings and he had an older sister that they knew nothing about. So very sad really.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

how old was she when he was born?

[@helenweatherby1694]

@@Marcel_Audubon She was 19. As he was born in 1917 we have assumed, possibly wrongly, that his biological father may have been killed in the First World War.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

@@helenweatherby1694 did it change his relationship with her going forward, or did he continue to think of her as his sister. Was he angry at all? sorry to be so curious, but it is a fascinating story.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

@NICOLAS SMITH hello!

[@ketherwhale6126]

Smart how the grandparents found a way to keep him in the family and NOT adopted out. Clever and thoughtful. They had to be stealth in those days to avoid scandal.

[@OffGridInvestor]

This was common. Happened on both sides of my family, kinda. Definitely on my fathers side when a cousin was bought up alongside my grandfather as his brother, and on the other side my grandfather grew up with a half sister that he thought was his youngest aunty for 30 years. I had a cousin adopted out I didn't know until I was 17.

[@veronicakerr4920]

A child cannot raise another child, your mother did the only thing she knew best for you, you are not alone, this happened to so many

[@monstermcboo7282]

I hope the man was a baby created in love or simple youthful indiscretion. So many products of the r-word were raised right alongside their minor-aged mothers as siblings back in the old days. That was definitely preferable to the experiences of the ones who were smothered at birth or sent to orphanages. 😓

[@justinmoore3217]

Oh gosh she wasn’t a child at the time🤦 She wasn’t 8🙄🤦

[@sagethenomad5929]

@@justinmoore3217 How old was she?

[@inactiveaccount6106]

@Sly Boogy Your mother should have done the same.

[@judithwalton1523]

Best programme on the tele by a country mile

[@donnacrozier3327]

EDIT: looks like this show has approval for another season and has not been cancelled. Yey! I am SO sad this show has been cancelled by the BBC. They say it is to make way for new content, but surely there are other less worthy programming that could be sacrificed to make room? How about reducing the many repeats on the schedule? This program is SO good and well loved with an international audience. It some of the cast may want to do new stuff, and that is understandable but I’m sure there are loads of other skilled presenters and craftsman who could take their place? It’s rare in these times to find such wholesome content, showing and celebrating true skill and craftsmanship. This show has a valuable a message of restoring and looking after quality items with history in a time of mass produced disposable items. BBC, please reconsider.

[@kirstymackenzie2437]

Donna. Just read that Repair Shop coming back in 2023!

[@catherinesyme901]

Yes I love watching this show in New Zealand, it’s the best thing on telly on a Friday night!

[@truthfilterforyoutube8218]

New content usually means some more leftist , programming, garbage. Nothing of unpolitical substance !

[@kirstymackenzie2437]

@@catherinesyme901 Wow! New Zealand!

[@samrodian919]

The problem is that most of the Beeb executives are left wing ' luvvies' and not actually interested in what the mainstream audience actually likes

[@enngee2339]

I heard of a man who found out that he and his mother had the same father. It was heartbreaking.

[@S_Cooper0404]

I wish I could watch the entire episode and find out how the box turned out!

[@graceygrumble]

"Emotional Writing Box Restoration Reveals Adopted Man’s True Parentage | The Repair Shop!" - shows the whole thing.

[@patriciakaufmann2229]

ME TOO!!!

[@lauraproffitt7628]

@@graceygrumble Thank you!

[@sharong8511]

@@graceygrumble Thank you, Gracey! You are one of the best things about KZbin! Virtual hugs to you 🤗 You are a blessing! Now we get to see how the box turned out for the man.

[@graceygrumble]

@@sharong8511 I am English, we can't cope with praise.

[@yummboy2]

I have watched episodes of The Repair Shop for some time now and I have never seen any money change hands. Someone has to pay these talented craftspeople for their time and talent. It appears that the work is done for free.

[@rikkitikki922]

When I was a teenager I was sitting with my sister outside a hospital waiting for our mother to finish a day surgery procedure. An old lady walked up to us and just started talking…maybe it was weighing her mind and she just needed to let it out to people who didn’t seem judgemental and she would never see again. She told us a similar story to this man but she was the mother in the situation and that her daughter wouldn’t speak to her anymore once she had found out. She was really old so I hope she reconciled with her child.

[@mama_b_7525]

Wow...my grandads older sister had 2 boys (she wasn't married) during the war, both were raised as her brothers. One was raised in Canada by her as brother and sister, and the other emigrated to New Zealand when he married. They both passed not knowing she was their mum. Their families only found out a few years ago when someone mentioned it, thinking they all knew! Oooops 😖🧡👍

[@JBond-zf4dj]

This was super common. I'm in Nova Scotia and can tell you many similar stories. Some were aware their sibling was really their mother, some not until they were older, if at all.

[@mama_b_7525]

@@JBond-zf4dj so I've gathered. I was actually the one who uncovered it while researching my family tree. Turns out my mum knew (her dad being the oldest brother) but it was never mentioned. I made contact with them, mentioned they had the relationship mixed up on their tree (not knowing the real story) and boom.... it was very upsetting for all involved. They were just sad to find out that their uncle was actually their brother. But sadly she was the last surviving sibling, so the others never knew. All her cousins from her now oldest brother, are actually her nieces and nephews! 😳🧡

[@BlytheWorld1972]

Will Kirk is such a SWEET lovely man that any mother or wife would be proud to have

[@bevmarwood9312]

Just fell on your channel and what a surprise my life story was the same as yours what I thought was my parents was really were my grandparents and who I thought was my sister was my birth mother I also found my adoption papers in a small box what a small world

[@beverlyjordan8957]

He handled this information so well. Bless his grandparents for raising him with such love. He seem

[@slantos2668]

My friend born in the 70s had this same experience - raised by grandparents she was told were her parents, actually she was the daughter of her "sister" and her "nephew" was her half-brother. I'm glad the stigma has changed and people don't need to hide teen pregnancies in such a manner any longer, and any adoption can be open and above-board.

[@toomanymarys7355]

Sorry, I misunderstood at first.

[@AndrewBarsky]

“It’s in such a state” is a very polite way of saying “yeah this is a mess.” Brilliant

[@courtneym75]

I went to elementary school with a classmate in a similar situation. Her bio mom had her REALLY young and couldn't support her, so bio mom's parents adopted my classmate. By the time we were in school, her 'sister' wasn't living with them any longer, but at that point my classmate also knew the truth about her family (but still referred to bio mom as her sister and her grandparents as her parents, as they were, after all, raising her).

[@extraloosewomen3618]

I was listen to his interview in BBC Cambridgeshire and he said he wouldn't change things around. It was very touching interview and I was in my car on the way to work, I nearly cried.

[@1000pollak]

In the 80s I taught a boy in Hove UK who was the son of his "sister". He lived with his grandparents but believed they were his parents. I never heard how it went when he must have found out the truth. They were a nice supportive family.

[@hellojello8376]

I want to see the finished beautiful box 😮 What a story.

[@davidimhoff2118]

I wish I could see the finished product and see you tube it back to the man. I live in the USA so we can't access the BBC player.

[@grahamo22]

I have one of those boxes and before it was restored, the leather cover had also deteriorated away to nearly nothing. Under the leather was an engraved date of 1917. It also has a secret compartment which is accessed by pulling the divider between the inkwell and the central pen store. The front of the top compartment comes off (held by a steel bar) to reveal three hidden drawers. Nothing special in there was when `I got it from my uncle, the front was off as the metal bar had broken but once replaced, it worked perfectly.

[@lee-annek6969]

That happened A LOT in the 40's 50's and even 60's.

[@OrganisedPauper]

It happened a lot more than people realise. There are examples of this in both my family and my husband’s family.

[@kikidevine694]

We don't have any evidence, but we think that my great great grandmother's oldest sister was actually her mom. Her legal mother was 48 at the time and, while it's possible that she was pregnant at that age, it's highly unlikely, especially in the 1860s in a poor household. I expect it happened a lot more than we think.

[@carolefitzell6140]

My great grandma on my mums side had her first child at 45 and second at 47. My grandma on my dads side was one of 12 children and one of the younger ones. One day she came home from school and there was a newborn baby in a drawer of the dresser. My grandma's older sister had given birth to a 'surprise' baby. I'm unsure of who the father was but the baby was brought up with the other children and my great grandparents took on the role of parents to the baby.

[@NunyaDammeBiznis]

My great-grandmother was born in 1849 and had her youngest in 1890. I do not believe that it was the child of one of her daughters' because one of her daughters gave birth to an illegitimate baby the same year. The mother's baby died, the daughter's lived. In the 1900 census, the child is listed as the grandson of the head of house. In the 1910 census he is listed as the son. What happened? The daughter got married to a younger man and would have two children with him. He was not adopted by his grandparents and birth certificates were not common. My grandfather made sure his children knew the truth.

[@michaeltaylor8835]

I feel for this man. Bless him

[@mkilner]

As of oct 9th 2022, here in the USA we cannot watch season 4 and 5 on Amazon prime, what a shame, we Love Repair Shop!!...fingers crossed..

[@nichkat11]

So sad that persons outside of the UK do not have access to the Repair Shop episodes in full.

[@whimofsteel]

Discovery+ has 6 seasons; we are hoping the other 5 come soon!

[@nichkat11]

@@whimofsteel Thanks. I have seen that episode.

[@lisabauder9962]

@@whimofsteel not anymore, discovery pulled all of them…🤬🤬

[@golfpark94]

In Holland i can see BBC 1 and 2. Programmes like this and Coast, Antique Roadshow and Flog-it are my fav for years now.

[@framegote5152]

Use a VPN, than you have!

[@keithhow5901]

Incredible work from one so young !

[@margaretflounders8510]

Will is in his 30's..and married..

[@gaijininja]

Had a great aunt who did the same thing. Daughter fell pregnant out of wedlock which was considered terrible at the time. Sent away on a “Sabbatical” for nine months, while her mother pretended to be pregnant, until the real baby was bore and snuck back to the family home. Daughter kept quiet until she was near death, then told her daughter who was brought up as her sister, what the truth was. There was no ill feelings, and for the final few months, grandmother, mother, and daughter were much closer. Now, in this more open time, I think it is a cool bit of family history.

[@DoctorBill]

My mother was my mother's sister which makes me my own uncle and my own nephew. So you see I'm never alone, I always have someone to talk to. "I'm My Own Grandpa"

[@bakeredwards]

I went out with a girl who's brother was really her dad, I was with her when she met her mother for the first time since she was a baby, we met in a pub, I was amazed at all the traits they shared through genetics, both nice people, I wonder what happened to Katie, that was 40 years ago.

[@LostCylon]

My housemates mother has a similar secret story. Her ''mother'' was her grandmother, and her sister was her mother. She never learned of it till after her grandmother/mother had passed I believe.

[@juancarlos3348]

A personal value. Priceless!

[@sherylosullivan9619]

I love this show. We can see it in Australia. It’s so heart warming.

[@AlysianahNoire]

A friend of mine did one of those ancestry and DNA searches. Found out that she's only half sibling to her brothers and after a lot of digging around they found out that her aunt was actually her mother. The only thing she recalls about her aunt was that there was some huge argument between her parents and her aunt and her husband. After a while, the aunt used to just sit around on the porch all day like she was depressed and eventually she disappeared from their lives. She eventually found her other half siblings with whom she now has a relationship with.

[@Elizabeth_Kerr]

So her aunt had an affair with her sister’s (your friend’s apparent mother) husband, and the arrangement was that the father’s family keep the child? It’s hard to know what the circumstances were, but I can understand the aunt / biological mother being depressed. Families are strange. It can be surprising how much changes from one generation to the next as well.

[@jaynehorn151]

We get it in Australia sporadically. My husband and I love it!

[@kaistockman6443]

I love this show! When my grandpa was alive a couple years ago, we would always watch this together. 😊

[@stephanieyee9784]

My maternal uncle was the adoptee in our family. He's my mother's youngest brother and was adopted by his grandparents. He grew up believing his father was his much older brother.

[@Shyted]

Need to see the outcome.

[@cockertoo8920]

The skeleton in my family tree is that my Great Grandmother's sister gave birth to a baby boy when she was unmarried. Her parents brought him up as their own child. She had got pregnant after being sent away in service to an older man she had previously never met, who had just returned from many years in the army. The man was her Father's brother. She had a baby with her Uncle.

[@feuilletoniste]

What a tragic situation. But I hope that there has been healing down the generations!

[@sarahdawn7075]

In researching my family tree I discovered that my mother's father (b 1883) had been adopted. Even my mother who had passed, hadn't known this. Further research has led me to believe that his only sibling, a sister 20 years his senior was his birth mother. My grandfather must have known he was adopted since he was referred to as such in his adopted mother's (grandmother's) will, but I still wonder if he ever knew that his birth mother was his sister.

[@sandravaliquette4522]

Just watched this episode her in Canada and Will you did a bang up job on that box.

[@FLMegan]

I have chill bumps.

[@christinecameron1612]

Even today, grandparents adopt infant grandbabies, if the need arises.

[@NolaGal2601]

Damn! I was hoping to see the results.

[@HungryHillSarah]

I can't say that I ever expected this show to make me cry, but the happy tears are rolling, nonetheless. ❤❤

[@joemo1972]

I have a second cousin who at the age of 70 discovered the exact same thing. His eldest sister was his mother and who he thought were his parents were actually his grandparents. Everyone had passed and no one was alive to answer any questions. Sadly he has since passed on as well and surely he's gotten all his questions answered now.

[@kristine8338]

Human kind at its best ❤. I appreciate the work and effort you put into this restauration. We all do learn from it. Thank you ❣️

[@joanbennettnyc]

Amazing.

[@samanthacline1265]

I know a young woman who had a baby at a shockingly young age in the 1990s. The family moved to another state about a year or so after the baby was born because of social stigma. That’s when I lost touch with them. I knew the grandparents were going to legally adopt the baby, but when they moved they decided to keep the true parentage a secret. The truth came out when the child’s half-sibling reached out on social media. It was a mess for the family after, and the child (an adult by this time) refused to speak to the family for a while because no one was honest with them.

[@teresaareces4995]

Love this - is not always available 🌼 I like it when the Shaw the finish work, it is always amazing 🤩

[@The_Stoic_Philosopher68]

I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve watched so far. Subbed!

[@MedievalGenie]

My own father learnt the same thing later in life, as he was a War Baby from an unknown soldier and his supposed 'sister'.

[@nancytracey1562]

What season and episode is this from?

[@christinaholliday9886]

I love this show! Hope to see more ! Way over here in W.S. , Oregon

[@calikiwi]

This was surprisingly common, so many young ladies were caught out as no discussions on how “it” all happens..

[@mirandaokon]

The sister is always the mother😢

[@bobbiecrump1539]

Very interesting story.

[@chrysanthim9160]

Does anyone have a photo/clip on how the box turned out?

[@Carlsfm1]

will is so beautiful❤️😍💕😁

[@SeanScot36]

An amazing story, I wonder if the gentleman knew who his father was.

[@jimcooksey812]

Cool Story... NOW show me the refinishing of the box!~

[@stacyf9582]

I wonder how old his sister was when she gave birth

[@annecampbell9236]

So how can I see the finished restored box?

[@bluedragontwo]

Wish there were full episodes or the clips were linked or numbered. I'd love to know what happened with this box.

[@robertfurness1999]

Search for Quest TV on KZbin and you will find the full story - delivery to the repair shop, Wiils work and finally the reveal

[@bluedragontwo]

@@robertfurness1999 Thank you!

[@sylviamarquez3763]

Does anybody know why we can't watch full episodes in the US? Thank you

[@1whitecottagelife770]

Amazon prime video has seasons 1-5 with full episodes

[@peteremmanuel3772]

This exact family dynamic, created lies and cover ups, the skeletons in the cupboard has literally destroyed and torn apart many families.

[@funkadesiac]

My cousin did this with her kid. One of my aunts is very wealthy and my cousin knew she wouldn't get any $$ from her if she had a child out of wedlock because that aunt is a HUGE hypocrite (she had 2 kids out of wedlock 🙄). It's super sad because my cousin's mom took in her granddaughter, said she was her adopted child, and 7 years later she passed away. That little girl ended up with her "sister," aka bio-mom, who basically treated her like crap from the beginning. After the funeral, no one has been able to track down where either of them went. Fu¢k that cousin.

[@0001captainawesome]

His scenario isn't nearly as uncommon as most people would think.

[@anovemberstar]

so many stories our coming to be known because of DNA ancestry sites. My paternal grandfather had 3 sons, the middle son being my father. My grandfather died decades ago, my father a decade ago. 2 years ago an elderly woman approached the youngest son (in his late 60s), asked if he minded sending a DNA sample to one of the ancestry places, because she had reason to believe my grandfather was her father. Several weeks later, my uncle passed away suddenly, and it was 2 days later the woman phoned my uncle, who informed her that my other uncle had died. The woman said "I am so sorry to har about the loss of your brother - but today, you gain a sister". turns out my grandfather had got his girlfriend pregnant when they were both 16. The pregnancy was a secret, i don't think my grandfather ever know about the baby and the woman's mother refused to ever say who her biologial father was. I'm really sad my eldest uncle never got to know he had a sister - he would have thought it was awesome. But the silver lining is, my youngest uncle, who thought he was the last remaining family member of his immediate family, 2 days after his loss, gained a new sibling. She was in her late 80s when she found out who her father was.

[@cyberwomble7524]

Louis Rossmann's British accent is very good.

[@elazarpimentel5340]

I know all about copyright laws, but it is just such a pity that this cannot be watched in so many countries.

[@lizbrown9645]

Ok where is the finished box ???

[@wallyjansen898]

Yes, I have seen this episode on TV. Great for his mother that his grandparents were enlightend people and did not through out his mother, which many did because they were ashamed to have an unmarried daughter having a child. I'm glad for the man that he found the 🗃.

[@veronicakerr4920]

Absolutely my 18 year old mother was tossed out without mercy, traveled 1,500 miles to another city

[@samme81]

Where can I see the rest of the episode

[@BlurpeeBaggins]

Jack Nicholson (yes the famous one) found out this exact same thing when he was interviewed at age 37 by a reporter and the reporter thought he already knew and asked him a question about it.

[@pepsodentvanila]

In my hometown, this practice is not rare but also not common. Many parents will "take" their grandchildren when their son or daughter get child at very young age. And mostly, the "child" know that their brother or sister is the real parent.

[@beckiwildeman600]

Did you record the finished box? I would love to see it completed.

[@alanfbrookes9771]

Which episode was this? It ends before we see what he achieved with the restoration.

[@hollydennis2859]

Happens more often than you think

[@JoDo777]

That's what they told Bobby Darin. Traumatized him.

[@DevilZrain]

Where can we see the reveal? I'm not in an area that the full episodes will work.

[@backacheache]

This scenario was even covered in the soap opera EastEnders, though it's reveal not as subtle.

[@gracec6911]

This show is so great, does anyone know if it is available to watch in the US? 😢 I can’t find it anywhere

[@deevooneh5638]

nice clune shop

[@michaeltaylor8835]

Poor guy.

[@justinmoore3217]

After watching Downton Abbey I can believe this to be true

[@samanthajones9323]

Same with Bobby Darin

[@meoshyitaylor4021]

Wow

[@randalllaue4042]

Found next piece, can’t find next bit. How many pieces are there?...

[@YESYES-qz2ex]

My friend's daughter found out at the age of 18 that her sister was actually her mother. She was very surprised but handled it very well.

[@spartan-ls3zz]

i new a lad who used to buy his brother a fathers day card allways wondered why

[@jeanhawken4482]

Love this show and really annoyed they pulled it

[@Kap3lka]

So...where is the rest of this?

[@1whitecottagelife770]

Amazon prime video has a lot of seasons with all full episodes

[@beakittelscherz5419]

My first question would be how far *should* you repair it?....