At this time information
2025-01-30 21:23:00
BBC Information
BBCKaren Richards couldn’t consider it when she put her late father-in-law’s valuable worldwide rugby jersey within the washer – and it got here out broken.
Bryan Richards, who grew up in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, was the final Wales participant to put on a quantity six shirt as a fly-half, which made it a bit of sporting historical past.
After going by means of the wash the purple from the shirt bumped into the white collar, and issues bought worse when Karen tried to bleach it.
She and husband Lloyd Richards, who dwell in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, tried in useless to search out somebody to repair it – till as a final resort they determined to name BBC One’s The Restore Store.
“My coronary heart sank, it was such a valuable household heirloom and I had ruined it,” mum-of-two Karen stated.
The devastated 51-year-old stated she felt she had completed a disservice to Bryan, who died aged 91 in December 2023.
He wore the shirt towards France at Cardiff Arms Park on 26 March 1960.
Then they bought The Restore Store concerned.
“Inside three or 4 weeks we had been down there,” stated Lloyd, 56.
Rebecca Bissonnet restored the shirt on the present by inspecting the purple stitching, which might have matched the jersey.
The textile conservator believed the stitching was polyester so unaffected by the bleaching.
After eradicating the six, the collar and the three feathers she dyed the highest its unique purple.
A chunk of grainy footage of Bryan taking part in was additionally restored on the programme.
Bryan had informed his son he would prepare by operating up and down the slag heaps behind his home.
In addition to Wales, he performed for Neath, the Barbarians and captained Swansea.
However the pinnacle of his rugby profession was taking part in for his nation, mortgage adviser Lloyd stated.
The jersey now has satisfaction of place in a transparent acrylic field in Lloyd’s residence workplace.
Karen stated Bryan would have been “a bit bemused by all of it”.
“He did not actually inform anybody about his experiences,” she stated.
The couple had been delighted to have the jersey trying nearly as good as new.
“By no means for one minute did I believe it was going to look nearly as good because it does,” Karen stated.
The Restore Store is on on BBC One at 20:00 GMT on Wednesdays and on BBC iPlayer
