Latest news with #RepairShop
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
The Repair Shop's Dominic Chinea opens up on going it alone after quitting job
The Repair Shop's Dominic Chinea has shared his thoughts on quitting a job after he took a big risk when he left his role Dominic Chinea, the metal worker known from The Repair Shop, recently opened up about leaving his job, conceding that "it's never the right time" for such a decision. During a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, Dom delved into his life and career and addressed his followers' curiosities. Within this revealing session, he was asked about his entrance into television and his pre-The Repair Shop pursuits. Dom, who has just moved from Kent to Cornwall, recounted his early career: "I got a job in London working for Rankin, a photographer." He detailed his rise through the ranks: "Ended up being his set designer, making props and sets and things for him, which took over a few years, and ended up running his set design department. That was a wild, but amazing, and difficult few years," reports Gloucestershire Live. He shared the bold leap he made into entrepreneurship: "I literally quit my job on the Friday, left there Monday that weekend whenever it was, signed the lease to my workshop, my new workshop in Hackney Wick in East London, which was an absolute derelict workshop, and started my own company being a set designer." The restorer also revealed the gamble involved in his career transition. "The next few months, from there on, were some of the scariest weeks, months, literally, I've ever had," Dominic admitted. Reflecting on those challenging times, he said, "Having that commitment to pay that workshop rent, having no job, no idea where the next job is going to come from, was a really scary time. "And I think that moment in my life, that time has given me a real appreciation for every single person that comes on to Make it a Market Show. "They've got so many of their situations I can relate to. They've got full-time jobs, they've got real jobs, and they want to do a craft for a living, but it's taking that leap from that full-time job to doing your own thing. "And I think because I've been there, I can relate, and when I speak to the people on that show and so many other people, I get it. I know how scary it is." The expert reflected on the fear of leaving a stable career and diving into something new, "And there's never the right time. It's never going to feel comfortable, it's never going to feel safe, but sometimes you have got to do what feels right." Trying to encourage those hesitant about making big life changes, Dominic offered, "And even though you don't know all the answers and you're not sure which way it's going to go, what's going to happen, just try and just go for it." He spoke earnestly about his life philosophy: "I'd rather get to later in life and regret having tried something and it failed, than regret not trying it."
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Repair Shop expert flooded with support as he shares reality of 'sad and compromising' move away from workshop in emotional video to fans
An expert from The Repair Shop has been flooded with support after sharing the reality of a 'sad and compromising' move away from the workshop. Metal works expert Dominic Chinea, 39 - who has been on the BBC show since 2017 - opened up about his new life in the south west in a recent YouTube video. Dominic took to his account to let fans take part in a Q&A with him and many were interested in his recent move to Cornwall. He read out: 'Why did I move to Cornwall?' Dominic said: 'Oh, that's a really difficult one to start with. I thought we were going to start with easy questions. 'I lived in Kent previously, had a nice garden, nice countryside. It was very nice. But you know what? Why not? From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Really, moving to Cornwall has meant I've got the house, a lovely field I can turn into a nice garden, and, most importantly, a big barn that is now mine, that is my workshop.' But the star feels positive about the move, especially with work. Dominic explained of his old living situation: 'Previously, I rented my old workshop, and every month, I was giving a lot of money to a landlord to rent the space. 'Now it's my space, and whatever I do to it, it's mine, and that is enough of a reason for me. 'Yeah, I will admit there's a lot of work to do, but at least it's mine, and eventually I'll get there, and it will be a decent workshop once again.' Many rushed to the comments section to share the love. 'You are an amazing man Dom, there's no getting away from that. I wish you every success for the future.' 'Thank you Dom for being so honest.' Many rushed to the comments section on YouTube to share their love and support over the move 'Thanks for the insight into your world, Dom. Keep up the good work.' 'If I could give you two thumbs up I absolutely would… good on you Dom, you're an inspiration….' 'Your passion for work and life in general is contagious. Please keep it up.' 'Dom, you are a very talented and brave person. Congratulations on your accomplishments thus far and best of luck to you and Wendy!' The Repair Shop first hit our screens in 2017. There have been 14 successful series over the past eight years. The most recent series premiered back in January this year and sees Dominic joined by an impressive cast of experts. Those include furniture restorer Will Kirk, clockwork expert Steve Fletcher, leather expert Suzie Fletcher and ceramics expert Kirsten Ramsay. It comes after a guest on The Repair Shop fought back tears recounting the death of his 'soulmate' dad - and revealed his heart-wrenching last three words. An episode, which aired last week, saw Will head to Oldham, Greater Manchester, to collect a vintage fruit machine from guest John Geraghty. He explained his father bought it as a birthday and housewarming gift for his mother nearly five decades ago. But his father sadly died not long after in a car crash - having headed out on a mere ten-minute trip, saying the heartbreaking three words: 'I'll be back'.
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Repair Shop guest fights back tears recounting death of 'soulmate' dad - and reveals his heart-wrenching last three words
A guest on The Repair Shop fought back tears recounting the death of his 'soulmate' dad - and revealed his heart-wrenching last three words. The BBC show, presented by Will Kirk and Dominic Chinea, sees a team of skilled craftsmen repair broken items beloved by guests for their sentimental value. Last night's episode saw Will head to Oldham, Greater Manchester, to collect a vintage fruit machine from guest John Geraghty. He explained his father bought it as a birthday and housewarming gift for his mother nearly five decades ago. But his father sadly died not long after in a car crash - having headed out on a mere ten-minute trip, saying the heartbreaking three words: 'I'll be back'. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. John recounted the awful day to Will, which started with his father receiving a phone call from a close friend, saying he had broken down: 'Me and my dad always wanted to help somebody out. 'We both jumped in the van, reversed off the drive and as we did, a friend of mine appeared. 'My dad said, "Why don't you jump out of the van? You stay here with Neil - I'll be ten minutes, I'll be back.' Getting out of the van was a split decision that saved John's life: 'A car came out of a junction without stopping. 'By the time the fire brigade got there, unfortunately it was too late.' Will was moved by the tragic story, saying: 'Must've been tough.' John gave a touching reply: 'Yeah because my dad was my soulmate. You know, I'm an only child and me and my dad did everything together. 'I think about it every year and on that day, June 28, and on his birthday. We were so close and it still hurts now.' The Repair Shop team had a mountain to climb when it came to fixing the item - it had a stuck mechanism and damaged paintwork, and John had never seen the lights work Asked to describe his father's character, he said fondly: 'He was the life and soul of the party.' The tragic story makes the fruit machine all the more special: 'It's the one big thing we've still got that I can walk past everyday and it reminds me of my dad and it reminds me of my mum. 'It'll be lovely to see it restored and working again.' The Repair Shop team had a mountain to climb when it came to fixing the item - it had a stuck mechanism and damaged paintwork, and John had never seen the lights work. But arcade expert Geoff Harvey rose to the challenge, fully restoring the fruit machine to its former glory over several days - to John's absolute delight. The emotional episode came after fans of The Repair Shop were left 'in tears' at another instalment of the show earlier this year - as a family were finally 'brought peace' after their item was fixed. It saw electrical expert Mark Stuckey get to work on restoring guests Zaff and Nasari's vintage projector, which belonged to their dad. The siblings' father brought the projector with him to Rochdale after being forced to flee Uganda in 1972. The emotional episode came after fans of The Repair Shop were left 'in tears' at another instalment of the show earlier this year (pictured) - as a family were finally 'brought peace' after their item was fixed The brother-sister duo were hoping to restore the projector, almost 50 years after it was last used, as they said it contained precious memories from their life in the African country. Zaff and Nasari became emotional as the newly-fixed projector was unveiled, both tearing up. 'Oh my God, wow,' said Zaff, as Nasari added: 'It looks brand-new.' The pair then got to view memories of their parents they had never seen before, which saw expert Mark ask: 'Was it as you hoped?' 'And more,' Nasari said, getting choked up. 'It brought me peace, seeing my mum and dad and how we were and my grandfather, how much time we spent together. Yeah, happy memories.' 'I bet you can't wait to get back home and get the family together,' Mark said, to which Zaff added: 'Absolutely. A big get-together, I think and have a viewing, basically.' Viewers of The Repair Shop were also left emotional at the segment, with one saying: 'Don't know why I'm tearing up.'
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
We may have to buy everything from trains to shoes from China, but there is something Brits will NEVER be beaten at
IT was a hot, lazy evening and I couldn't be bothered to beep my way through all the offerings on Netflix and Amazon so, instead, I settled down to watch The Repair Shop on BBC One. What an excellent programme this is. Because so far as I could tell, the producers hadn't wasted any of their time finding suitably diverse experts and guests. 4 There was no screaming campness and no bewildered Somalians wondering why anyone would want to restore a teddy bear. Instead, there were quite a few middle-aged women and some elderly gentlemen. Sir Starmer would undoubtedly call them 'far right', but they seemed to me to be nice people who just wanted to restore something that used to make them happy. And I was in awe of the people who made this possible. The young guy who could soften old leather to restore an old pair of children's shoes. And the girl who could invisibly mend a tiny strip of material. They were seriously skilful. And as I watched them with their little brushes and their glue and their special concentrating faces, I was suddenly filled with optimism about the future for Britain. At the moment, I need an off-road buggy for the farm. And we don't make such a thing in this country. So I'll probably end up with something from China because it's the sort of thing they are good at. Along with phones and training shoes and high-speed trains. I guess it's the same story with tech. We keep being told that British boffins are on the brink of greatness but if we want something that's up and running now, we have to import it from California. Because that's what they do. It'd be easy to despair about all of this, to look at the UK and think: 'What the bloody hell do we do here these days?' The Repair Shop star makes candid admission about personal struggle away from hit BBC shop Even the City, which used to bring in most of our cash, is a shadow of its former self. And that brings me back to The Repair Shop, which demonstrates exactly what we can do. Make do and mend stuff. Keep calm and carry on using it. 4 There will always be a demand for this. Someone who can mend your grandad's watch, or restore your MG. Someone who can bring that antique frock you bought in the market last weekend back to life. I'm looking out of the window now at Gerald, who's busy in the sunshine mending a dry-stone wall. There are 1.4billion people in China and not one of them could do that, any more than Gerald could build a 220mph train. In Britain, we are shed people. Sure, we have made a huge contribution to the world over the years with the explanation of gravity, and the jet engine and television and the internet and penicillin. But the people who came up with all this stuff did so in a shed. It's where we all belong, with a bradawl and some emery boards, bringing a Frenchman's clockwork train set back to life. Or repairing an Italian contessa's collection of vintage Prada outfits. Or polishing a German's antique diving bell. That's how we breathe new life into our future. By breathing new life into our past. Kneecap? They're a sorry excuse for a band I CAN'T say I'm familiar with the music of Irish band Kneecap. But it seems their lyrics and call to murder MPs have not gone down well. They've even been banned from a music festival at the Eden Project in Cornwall. And there's talk Glastonbury will be next to kick them out. I don't hold with this at all. They're a band and causing outrage is what bands used to do all the time. It's what they are supposed to do. Be angry. Make a noise. Say inappropriate things. I mean, have we forgotten the Sex Pistols? So I absolutely support Kneecap's right to say what they want. What I cannot support though is their grovelling apology. You're a band, for God's sake. You swash your buckle and you carry on regardless. I don't remember Crosby, Stills, Nash or Young apologising for all the horrible things they said about President Nixon. Nor should they have done. Trees dying to fail 4 OH dear. National Highways has been criticised because in 2023, 886,000 trees were planted alongside the busy A14 in Cambridgeshire. And more than half of them have died. Naturally, everyone has their reasons for this disaster. Some say it's global warming. Others reckon it must have something to do with Israel or Donald Trump. And, of course, there's a noisy lobby which says they were all killed by the exhaust fumes from passing cars. Not true, I'm afraid. Trees that live by busy roads do very well as a general rule because what mostly comes out of a car's exhaust is carbon dioxide and that's literally what they live on. The real reason why trees die, and they always do in my experience, is that they're like sheep. They enjoy dying. They like watching you spend a fortune on them and then coming out every day to water them. And then withering. And even if they don't die, they will be eaten by a squirrel or a deer. Or cut down by a couple of mindless thugs. I'd like, therefore, to blame National Highways for the loss. But it's really not their fault.
Daily Record
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Crocketford SWI members enjoy a pottery master class at their latest meeting
Hannah and Doug Fitch demonstrated their fabulous skills making and decorating pots. Judi Shaw, president of Crocketford SWI, welcomed members and five guests to 'A Potter's Tale from Corsock to the V&A.' Hannah and Doug Fitch demonstrated their fabulous skills making and decorating pots. Doug spoke of his earlier experience and a visit to the V&A that inspired his creativity and love of medieval pottery. Hannah works in slipware and creates pottery that is both beautiful and functional. It was wonderful to see their work develop and be decorated. The atmosphere was so relaxed as they worked and stories of their international outlets, appearing on the Repair Shop on the road and working towards Spring Fling kept their audience entertained. The pair then judged the competitions for the evening. Flower of the month – 1 Belinda Rogers; 2 Judi Shaw; 3 Ann Botel; 4 Sylvia Baxter. Decorated hard boiled egg – 1 Belinda Rogers; 2 Annie Kelly. Rae Donaldson gave a vote of thanks to Hannah and Doug and the evening ended with light refreshments and monthly business. Members would highly recommend a visit to the Fitch and McAndrew workshop during Spring Fling.
