The latest episode of BBC The Repair Shop: On the Road introduced viewers to a fresh face on the expert team – heritage stonemason and lime plaster specialist Richard Fraser – as he faced a challenging restoration project in the Highlands of Scotland.
Wednesday night’s show saw familiar face Dominic Chinea travel to Nairn to collect “Rich” from the local station.
“Rich is Richard Fraser, a new addition to The Repair Shop’s expert team and a specialist heritage stone mason and lime plasterer,” the voiceover explained.
As the pair drove through the scenic landscape, Richard revealed he was no stranger to the area.
“I was born in Inverness and used to drive through here to get to the beach,” he told Dom.
Their destination was a local museum where curator Annie MacDonald unveiled a remarkable wartime discovery – two murals hidden in the old servants’ quarters of a historic house, drawn by Polish soldiers stationed there in 1945.
One depicted vibrant blue flowers, the other a striking portrait of a woman.
With major roof work looming, Annie was desperate to preserve the fragile plaster artworks for public display.
“We’ve found these quite precious artworks and I’d really like to save them,” she told the pair.
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When asked whether the murals could be safely removed and restored, Richard cautiously responded: “Well, yeah, I think we can chop it out. Our problems may be encountered with the masonry, but we’ll have an investigation and see what we can do.”
Dom, visibly relieved to have an expert on board, joked: “I like your confidence because that terrifies me! I’m glad you’re here.”
As Richard began the delicate work of extracting the plaster paintings, he assessed the damage and devised a plan to inject a fine plaster slurry into the cracks to stabilise the artwork.
But concerns arose when working on the larger mural. “I am quite worried about this one,” he admitted.
“It has incurred quite a bit of disruption and vibration.”
Dom later returned to lend a hand, helping Richard reinforce the plaster with a permanent backboard to protect it from future movement.
The result was a resounding success.
Both artworks were safely removed, framed, and prepared for public display, preserving a unique piece of wartime history for the community.
An emotional Annie was overwhelmed by the transformation. “I didn’t think this could happen! It’s absolutely amazing, it tells a story in itself, it’s absolutely stunning, I can’t believe it.”
For Richard Fraser, it was a memorable debut – a daunting challenge met with care, skill, and a touch of nerves.