Restoring the treasured possessions of a loved one can help some people feel closer to their family. This was the case for Lewys who brought in his grandad's brass cornet to The Repair Shop during the episode that aired on Wednesday, June 14, on BBC One.
Viewers were left in tears when Lewys explained the beloved brass cornet had once belonged to his grandad Keith, who played it regularly until his health deteriorated. A precious momento that meant the world to him, Lewys was keen to restore the instrument to its former glory.
He told Jay Blades: "He got it from the Salvation Army that he was a part of in Cwm. He played it every Tuesday and Wednesday evening and then Sunday mornings and afternoons in the church. At the age of 10 he started to learn to play, so it's been with him for over 80 years and then passed on to me." You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.
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Lewys went on to describe his grandad as his "hero" and revealed he also taught him how to play the cornet until he couldn't anymore. Asked by Jay what had happened, Lewys shared how Keith had sadly fallen and broken his arm, and during an operation had a stroke.
Blood clots then caused vascular dementia which meant Keith could no longer play. Speaking about how this impacted his grandad, Lewys said: "It almost felt like he lost a bit of himself and then it became a big part of our lives then, making sure that he heard it, especially during the later stages. We knew the one way to get a smile on his face was to play a brass band in the background."
Becoming emotional himself, Lewys added: "When we went to the funeral all of it was played through a brass band and we hope that he heard it and he was still smiling up there with us." The story left many viewers in tears.
Taking to Twitter, one said: "Ten minutes in and my eyes are leaking, damn you #TheRepairShop #GrandadsCornet." While another added: "Well that didn't take long, Lewys's story about his grandfather got me..." And a third commented: "The cornet looked great and what a nice young fella. Really looked thrilled."
Lewys was also emotional when he received the cornet back after it had been transformed. From a rusty and dented instrument, the cornet now looked brand new, shiny, and very smooth.
An emotional Lewys said: "Oh wow! I can just see it in his hands now. My hands are where his hands would have been. It sounds silly but I can almost feel him with it... I can just see him playing his heart out, that is amazing, thank you very much."
Lewys also played the instrument as he thanked The Repair Shop and said he felt inspired to keep on playing. He signed off by saying: "The cornet symbolises everything he was, it's nice to have that part of him back."
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