A man has been left in tears after his grandmother’s wartime diary written during the Nazi occupation of Guernsey was restored.
On tonight’s episode of The Repair Shop, Rodger arrived at the workshop with his grandson Thomas – and an incredibly delicate family heirloom.
As they explained, the small pocket diary they wanted repaired belonged to Rodger’s grandmother Lillian, who detailed her daily going-ons in 1942.
At that time the Channel Islands had already been occupied by German forces for two years.
Although half of Guernsey’s residents had been evacuated, those who stayed endured five years under authoritarian rule and faced curfews and food rationing,
As Thomas explained the diary appeared to be ‘a form of therapy’, with his great-great grandmother detailing her wartime experiences.
‘I feel so fed up. When will this end,’ she wrote, as well as explaining how her family had no food and were constantly battling sickness.
Eventually Rodger’s grandfather and a man he co-owned a fishing boat with decided to stage an escape. Saving small amounts of fuel at a time, after curfew they’d gradually top it up and then made it to England with their families.
That boat they escaped on is also currently on display at the Occupation Museum on the island.
Rodger’s grandparents eventually settled in Essex.
Recalling his relationship with his grandmother, he called Lillian a ‘wonderful woman’.
‘She died when I was just nine and it was the saddest day of my life,’ he shared.
After Rodger’s mum died in 2021 he was given Lillian’s diary and ended up ‘in tears’ reading what she’d gone through.
However, over the decades the diary had started falling apart and the spine was completely gone. The experts were then tasked with bringing it back to its former glory.
Throughout the process it was explained the diary was ‘hanging by a thread’. After some tense moments that could have left the pages ripped, bookbinder Christopher Shaw managed to separate the pages to be able to attach them to a new cover.
When returning to see ‘if Lillian’s memories could live on’, Rodger was left emotional.
‘I’m tingling with excitement,’ he first said before seeing the restored diary.
Gasping, he flicked through the pages and started tearing up. ‘It’s just making me think of my gran,’ he said.
‘Thank you. It is beautiful. It’s taken me back years.
‘It’s really lovely and I am so grateful.’
Meanwhile Thomas said he felt a ‘deeper sense of connection’ to Lillian being able to hold and read her diary.
‘Her story is an incredible one and one I’m happy others are going to hear it as well.’
The Repair Shops airs Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC One.
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