Viewers were left in tears on Wednesday night during a special VE Day episode of BBC’s The Repair Shop, which featured the heartfelt story of 101-year-old veteran John Holloway.
Holloway, a Royal Navy veteran, arrived proudly wearing his medals on his blazer, carrying a cherished cockpit clock.
Sitting down with clock restorer Steven Fletcher and carpenter Will Kirk, he shared the remarkable story behind the item.
“I acquired it from an aircraft which I serviced during the war,” he explained. “I was an engineer mechanic on an aircraft carrier, HMS Formidable, in 1944.”
When asked how old he had been when he joined the Navy, Holloway revealed he was just 17 years old. He described how it had been his responsibility to service the planes every day, including installing the clocks.
“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.”
He went on to explain that after a certain number of flying hours, the clocks would be removed from the aircraft. “Everyone had one clock,” he recalled, adding that this particular clock had remained with him until 1946.
When Fletcher asked him to reflect on the end of the war, Holloway admitted simply, “Great, in terms it was all over.”
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He then lovingly shared the story of how he met his wife, Connie, after the war- whom he affectionately called Con.
“She was the best wife, the best thing I ever had. I was married for 66 years. This clock- I gave it to her as a Christmas present in 1947.”
Holloway explained that Connie always kept the clock on her bedside table, but sadly, it was damaged during a house move six years ago.
“I was pretty devastated,” he said softly, adding that the clock was “a part of me and Con,” who passed away ten years ago.
“When I go to bed at night I always say, ‘Good night, Con. I love you.’ That’s why I’m asking you to put this together- because to me, that is Con.”
Social media users were quick to take to X to share their emotional reactions to Holloway’s story.
One person wrote: “I’m already welling up here #therepairshop.”
Another commented: “What a wonderful episode. This 101-year-old vet and all the people on this episode deserve the spotlight #therepairshop.”
A third added: “Dammit, only the opening of the show and my eyes are already glistening with tears… #TheRepairShop #VEDaySpecial.”
A fourth praised the veteran, saying: “John looks amazing for 101 years old #therepairshop.”
Someone else posted: “The Repair Shop, VE Day Special. This is going to be emotional.”
And another simply wrote: “Ahh John [crying emoji] #TheRepairShop.”
Needless to say, the moment the restored clock was revealed to the 101-year-old veteran was deeply emotional.
“It’s going!” he exclaimed, his face lighting up. “It’s brilliant,” he added, before his eyes welled with tears.
“That’s going to remind me of Con all the time,” he said softly. “She was a wonderful woman.”
“This is going to be great because I can put this on my bedside table, and every night I can say ‘Good night Con, God bless you, love you’. I’m over the moon.”