Steve Fletcher leaves 101-year-old BBC Repair Shop guest in tears as veteran remembers late wife: ‘She was wonderful’
BBC favourite The Repair Shop aired a VE Day special on Wednesday, with veterans and wartime-related items the focus of the sentimental show.
The Repair Shop stalwart Steve Fletcher, 63, was tasked with repairing a very important watch brought in by a 101-year-old veteran, who became emotional as he recalled his late wife’s love of the item.
Royal Navy veteran John Holloway arrived at the show’s signature barn, where he met Fletcher and Will Kirk.
“What have we got here?” Fletcher inquired, prompting Holloway to reply: “A cockpit clock”.
“Oh, that’s a lovely thing. Tell us a bit about it,” Kirk requested, with the veteran explaining: “Well, I acquired it from an aircraft which I services during the war. I was an engineer and mechanic on an aircraft carrier, HMS Formidable, in 1944.”
He went on to share he had been 17 at the time, adding: “I had to do a daily service on the plane, and that clock is imperative in flying.
“The squadron leader would say, ‘set the clocks,’ you know? So all the clocks are going to be set off just prior to taking off.
“That was my job, to put that clock back in the cockpit. All the clocks were taken out of the aircraft after they’d done so many hours flying, so we all had one of these clocks.
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Holloway continued: “It stayed with me until 1946. When I came home, that was when I met my wife.
“Everybody called her Connie, but I called her Con. She was the best wife and the best thing I ever had.
“And I was married for 66 years. And this clock, I gave it to her as a Christmas present in 1947. I had it made up and this fitted in.
“There was a little silver plate just to cover the screws and a marble base on the clock. She always kept that clock on her bedside table.
Six years ago, I moved from Devon, and in the removal it all got broken.”
The repair experts assured Holloway the clock was in safe hands as Fletcher set about fixing it.
With the help of his young son, he managed to restore the item, and emotions ran high when Holloway returned to pick it up.
When it was finally revealed to him, he enthused: “It’s going! That’s brilliant. That’s great.”
Holloway soon placed his face in his hands and wiped a tear away as Kirk told him gently: “Take your time, John.”
“I can see that there’s a lot of memories flooding back,” Fletcher noted.
“Yeah, that’s going to remind me of Con all the time,” Holloway replied, adding: “She was a wonderful, wonderful woman.”
The 101-year-old was even more delighted when he realised the clock illuminated like it used to.
“So I’ve not only done the case up, but my son, Fred – who’s over there – he’s done some very fine work to the mechanism. I needed a younger set of eyes to help me,” Fletcher explained.
“Fred, thank you very much,” Holloway responded, gesturing towards the young man who replied: “It’s my pleasure.”
“I appreciate it, and so would my wife,” he continued and Fletcher appeared moved. He assured Holloway: “It’s been an absolute honour to do it for you.”