Street Dreams

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Jay-Blades (left) with some of The workshop's resident restorers

Bbc One -The workshop has become one of the unlikely television hits of the last few years, and host Jay Blades has stars one of TV's unlikely

On The Surface , the idea behind The workshop, is so simple That it could be dull Blades .

people bring in their dilapidated old belongings and family heirlooms to a barn, where a group of experts restore. Then The Owners come and pick you up.

There is much more to it, if. "The Most moving Show on TV", while "by far The Best program on British television".

The Reason why The Show is such a Success - observed by 6. 7 million people after the move into a primetime slot for its sixth series in March , as the objects always come with their own emotional baggage.

Take the result of the previous week. Widower Geoff brought in his broken jukebox That had played The First dance at his wedding many years ago. If he's back in The Barn and heard the sounds of The Song play Once More , he was moved to tears.

Like most of the people At Home , if the reaction to Gogglebox is anything to go by. On the Channel 4 Show , an emotional Pete in Blackpool tidy The workshop appeal summed up: "It's just nice, isn't it?"

The man put his arm around Geoff as the jukebox played was Blades The workshop host Jay.

"It's unbelievable how The Audience have taken," he says. "I knew it was going to be successful, but I didn't know it was this successful. "

As it began in the year 2017, the trade fair is around A Million viewers at tea was one-time. Now, it was promoted, in the schedule, and won a string of awards. Not only since The " Great British Bake Off, a Show has been a sleeper Hit .

Blades record, The Rose d'or award for best reality and factual-entertainment programme in December 2019

In a time when many people are longing after, comfort TV, as well as less available, slower and friendlier, Life -its mixture of practical solutions and heart - warming stories to Hit The Target .

The Host itself is particularly touched when men like Geoff to be moved by a repair. "I admire people who come to The Barn , because some of the stories That are attached to the objects are very personal, and some of them are raw," he says.

"I love it, and I swallow quite nice when I Hear That men to be emotional, where I come from, men were never emotionally. It was like, 'If you Show emotion, you have shown your weakness, and then to a kind of sacrifice, because people are making fun of you. '"

Where Sound is Hackney in East London , and a TV career was never part of his plan.

The Job at a furniture-repair-Show came about, after he first did something to try to repair, Police , Racism - what he experienced first-hand - as well as broken communities, and Young People 's perspectives.

Blade went to University to study criminology and philosophy at the Age Of 30 years

After leaving school at the Age Of 15 years, with dyslexia and no qualifications, the Sound is a result of, as he calls you "little jobs". But at the Age Of 30, he decided to go to University.

"I didn't want to challenge yourself to do something That I liked, That was the school," he says. "I didn't like the school for A Number of reasons. I was bullied and it was a lot of Racism , and there is a lot of fighting I had to do in school. "

He called a University and asked what courses she had offered. He told them he was interested in fashion. What else?

"I said, 'Well, I grew up in a poor area, and I know about crime and stuff like That . 'And she said, 'Well, you were able to study criminology. '"

He asked what That was, and I was told it is the study is not to commit why people commit crimes. He replied: "Really? Wow. I would like to know why people do crimes is because my area was full of crime. "

'I used to be beaten up by The Police '

While at the University in Buckinghamshire, he took in the race-relations training in The Police - and took the opportunity to give them a piece of his mind.

"I told you how The Police work with Ethnic Minorities and you have it all wrong, because they were very heavy-handed," he recalls. "I didn't know I was in conversation with The Chief superintendent of Thames Valley Police ! He Said to me, " I admire your bravery. No one is ever said about The Way you told me. '"

Ch Supt David McWhirter commissioned Sound survey of Young People in disadvantaged areas in Oxford about their concerns, and feed the answers. He did the same in other nearby towns.

"He was The First COP I've ever met, has always kept his word with me, because we agreed to some ground-breaking changes in the deprived areas in Oxford and I'm super proud," Blades .

"the guy again, my faith restored in The Police because I beat up earlier by The Police back in The 80S . The SPG [Special Patrol Group] uses the vans to pick me up and beat me up and throw me and stuff like That . But he was a Good Man . "

Blades with restorer, Is. Kirk (left) and two repair-Shop-customer

The led Blades and his wife for the establishment of a charity called Street Dreams for working with Young People in the Region, which led to another Out of The Dark

"It was a group of Young People , not necessarily good scientific work, but they were really good with their hands," he says.

At this point, the Blades still knew Nothing about furniture restoration. That changed when he passed a call for local pensioners who wanted to be on top of your skills.

"I had A Number of members of the community and teach us How To saw the restoration, with a chisel, with a like color - a lot of stuff. Our oldest teacher, was a 91-year-old, who taught us How To do, the wickerwork of a chair. "

the Blade itself began to teach Young People How To transform objects That she had dismissed as Junk by them not only practical skills, but also lessons about waste and Finance.

"I would tell them, 'I will not teach you How To restore old furniture. I'm going to Show you How To make money out of Nothing . '"

After he came to the attention of TV producers, and was asked to be a presenter of a new Show called money For Nothing - the saved and renovated the unwanted elements.

That , in turn, led him to The workshop, and to be observed 6. 7 million people per week.

"In the current climate, I think we all need something to look forward to, something That just somehow restore our faith in humanity," he says.

The workshop is BST on Bbc One on Wednesday at 20:00.

television

Source of news: bbc.com