The Repair Shop star Jay Blades is presenting a showcase of furniture lovingly restored by his and other upholstery workshops as he hails what has been described as a ‘new generation of makers’.
Jay, 54, has taken up residency at the former Branston Pickle factory in Bermondsey, south-east London, which has been transformed into a modern residential and working space called The Pickle Factory.
From Friday March 15 until Sunday March 17, his Shropshire-based restoration business Jay&Co will exhibit its latest collection of bespoke contemporary furniture and interior pieces made by other up-and-coming artisan craftspeople.
The exhibition – which comes days after the announcement of a tenth series of The Repair Shop, for which Jay is now best known – will feature demonstrations of how pieces are affectionately repaired by members of Jay’s team.
Other restorers set to appear include marquetarian Amber Joy, designer Palvinder Nangla, woodworker Lula James and members of London Stone Carving alongside design entrepreneur Piers Roberts.
Jay Blades stopped by The Pickle Factory to put the finishing touches to the furniture exhibition in Bermondsey this weekend
His furniture restoration company, Jay&Co, is behind the exhibition of dazzling restored antique pieces
Jay is leaving nothing to chance as he applies some final polish to a restored chair at The Pickle Factory on Tuesday; the exhibition runs from Friday until Sunday
The exhibition comes just after Jay’s latest TV show, David and Jay’s Touring Toolshed, wrapped up its broadcast run on BBC Two
Jay chats with textile artist Palvinder Nangla at the Pickle Factory; Nangla is among the other craftspeople set to exhibit their wares at the exhibition space this weekend
The exhibition will feature restored furniture from Jay’s company as well as examples of other forms of crafting, including stoneworks and marquetry
Jay himself attended the Pickle Factory on Tuesday to put the finishing touches to the exhibition.
He was pictured applying vital pieces of polish to some of the pieces that will be on display and speaking to some of the other exhibitors he has curated for the ‘pop-up’, one-weekend only event.
Jay said of the exhibition: ‘Jay&Co runs as a co-operative to support emerging talent among artisans and craftspeople.
‘Our pop up is an opportunity to see the flair and depth of knowledge of these exciting makers. This is a showcase for some extraordinary work.’
Jay was discovered by TV producers after they saw a short film about Out of the Dark, a charity he co-founded that taught young people how to restore and sell old furniture, after previously running community groups for youngsters.
He went on to front The Repair Shop on its debut in 2017 – restoring beloved family heirlooms and genuine pieces of history alongside a crack team of fellow restorers, all of whom have heart-rending stories to go with the prized possessions.
The most recent series saw ex-West Ham goalie Peter Grotier bring in a programme of an exhibition match he played against Brazilian side Santos – in which he conceded goals to none other than superstar Pele.
With a tenth series on the horizon his star has never shone brighter: Just weeks ago his latest TV series, David and Jay’s Touring Toolshed alongside comedy legend David Jason, wrapped up its broadcast run on BBC Two.
The series saw Jay and David – a self-confessed life-long tinkerer – tour Britain to meet some of the country’s most talented crafters, stopping off at air shows, steam rallies and county fairs.
Each episode also sees the duo call in expert restorers to help enthusiasts get problematic projects over the finish line.
The Mail’s Christopher Stephens gave David and Jay’s Touring Toolshed four stars in his review of the series’ first episodes, with high praise for the balanced pairing of Jay Blades and David Jason, a self-confessed life-long tinkerer.
He wrote: ‘Jay was content to play second fiddle — there’s not much else to be done, with such a consummate scene-stealer at his elbow.’
The duo’s chemistry was a hit with viewers – not least when they appeared to have a falling out.
One scene early in the run saw Jay storm off camera in mock indignation during filming, telling David to ‘do one’ as they had a falling out over his attempts at crafting a barrel from scratch.
David said of his co-star: ‘Jay has got this wonderful ability to accept whatever I say to him and to come back with something. That is the basis of a good comedy duo.’
The Only Fools and Horses star has had a spring in his step in recent weeks after undergoing hip surgery, after being knocked for six by a Covid infection in 2022.
The veteran star proved he was back to his best when he attended an Only Fools convention dressed as his iconic character Delboy in January.