An expert from The Repair Shop was furious about the 'worst item in 30-year career' in the latest episode of the BBC show.
One guest hoped expert Louise Drover could restore her father's heavily laminated 1970s medical certificate.
Sidra revealed that she wanted to have the special document framed following her father's death caused by the coronavirus.
Louise looked at the item and explained: 'This laminated document is possibly the worst thing I have seen in my entire thirty-year career. It has three layers and two layers of what appears to be a very thin cellophane.
'Very nice when lifted, still very firmly in place. I'm not sure yet how it comes off and then this really thick, crispy outside.
An expert from The Repair Shop was left furious by the 'worst item in 30-year career' in the latest episode of the BBC show
'The most difficult thing may be to remove that last layer, I don't actually know if I can get it off.'
In an attempt to separate the laminated layers without damaging the front of the sheet, she said, “It's actually quite stiff. In some places it is very tight than in others.
'Then I have to struggle with the next layer and that is the thinner layer, I think it can tear very easily. Ah, the paper is lifting now, so I'll just keep peeling off the looser bits and it's really just patience and some prayers!'
Ultimately, Louise successfully restored the certificate to its original state.
Sidra was shocked and joked, “Wow, that's amazing! God, it looks beautiful, the frame. He would be so happy.'
It comes after the Christmas Eve special packs a few emotional punches, most notably when Jo Thomas from Wales brings in a broken record player with great sentimental value.
One guest hoped expert Louise Drover could restore her father's heavily laminated 1970s medical certificate
Sidra revealed that she wanted to have the special document framed following her father's death caused by the coronavirus
Her son Ben gave it to her the last Christmas before he died in January 2006 at the age of 11. Playing records on it reminds her of dancing with Ben to Abba songs before cancer cruelly shortened his life.
Audio expert Mark Stuckey is tasked with fixing the problem. “That story touched me,” says Mark. “I could feel the pain this family went through.
“For an 11-year-old to think he was dying and want to leave something valuable for his mother, you just think, 'Wow!' We complain about our aches and pains, but when you hear some of the stories that come into the shed, you think, “What the hell do we have to whine about?”
Also working her magic was paper restorer Angelina Bakalarou, tackling 100-year-old cardboard Christmas decorations passed down for three generations to Sheila from Newcastle.
“The biggest challenge was their textured surface,” Angelina explains. 'I made a paste to create the texture. I spent about four days fixing them, they were my little boys!'
Even though the episode was filmed in September, the barn certainly looked as Christmasy as Santa's grotto, with snow, beautiful Christmas lights, trees and Christmas sweaters galore.
Jay Blades (second from right) and the Repair Shop team in the Christmas-themed shed
“We have a great team of set designers,” says Jay. “One day the barn looked as usual, and the next day it looked really Christmasy.”
And after a break last year, the experts then did a round of Secret Santa, surprising each other with handmade gifts.
“It's always a bit competitive and we enjoy seeing what we've chosen for each other,” says Jay. 'Without giving too much away, it gets a bit emotional.'
That's the standard of the show, of course, and Jay is confident this episode will deliver another warm and touching holiday glow. “It's always special in the stable,” he says. 'But Christmas Repair Shop is magical.'