The Repair Shop airs ‘inspiring’ restoration after tragic de@th and fans are emotional

The Repair Shop expert David Burville restored a “one of a kind” item during the latest episode

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The Repair Shop airs ‘inspiring’ restoration after tragic de@th and fans are emotional(Image: BBC)

The Repair Shop has aired an “inspiring” restoration after a tragic de@th, leaving fans feeling emotional.

On Wednesday’s (February 4) instalment of the popular BBC programme, experts Will Kirk and David Burville met Toby Hounsham, who sought help in restoring a keyboard that belonged to his hero Dave Greenfield. Dave was a founding member of iconic punk band The Stranglers until his untimely de@th in 2020, aged 71.

Toby explained: “This is the actual keyboard he recorded all the big hits, [like] No More Heroes. It’s called a Hohner Cembalet, and this is the one… He would’ve toured with it for hundreds and hundreds of gigs, hence all of these battle scars. Every mark on here tells a story.”

The guest revealed the profound significance Dave’s keyboard held for him, saying: “He was my hero. I’m a keyboard player myself, and Dave inspired me to play the keyboards,” reports

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The guest choked back tears(Image: BBC)

Toby shared that he’d enjoyed chart success with his band Rialto, leading to performances on Top of the Pops and TFI Friday. He first encountered his idol at an after-show gathering during one of The Stranglers’ tours, before eventually stepping into Dave’s shoes as the band’s keyboard player.

“I got a phone call a few months after Dave’s passing, being invited to join the band. And I am now the keyboard player in The Stranglers… As a consequence of being the keyboard player in The Stranglers, I was presented with his original keyboard,” Toby revealed, leaving Will and David utterly stunned.

Will remarked: “This is a real one of a kind, unique thing to work on,” with David responding: “Oh, it’s massive. Absolutely massive.”

David set about his work by replacing the worn rubber on the keys, before enlisting Mark Stuckey’s expertise to revive the instrument’s circuit board. After carrying out numerous repairs, David successfully reassembled the keyboard and applied a coat of shellac polish to preserve the patina whilst adding a layer of protection.

When Toby returned to the barn to collect his restored treasure, he was visibly overwhelmed with emotion. “Oh! Wow! I’m a bit speechless, actually. That’s incredible,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

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An iconic keyboard was restored on Wednesday(Image: BBC)

“We had a conversation about preserving the character and not just making it a brand-new one and you’ve done that perfectly. I’m speechless.”

Toby then wowed the experts by playing a melody on the iconic keyboard. He finished by saying: “Guys, I can’t thank you enough. What you’ve done here is incredible. It’s blown my mind, thank you… I’d like to think Dave would approve.”

BBC viewers were equally moved after hearing the cherished instrument brought back to life, with one person posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Fantastic to see The Stranglers Dave Greenfield’s Keyboard restored on the Repair Shop and that it wasn’t just Thrown Away.”

Someone else commented: “That keyboard is so cool,” whilst a third viewer said: “So fascinating and inspiring to watch the talents of the people on the Repair Shop fix up and restore Dave Greenfield’s keyboard.”

Another fan chimed in, expressing: “Oh my, The Stranglers were my favourite band in my youth. Seen them so many times. Hearing Dave’s keyboard was fantastic.”