A guest on The Repair Shop fought back tears after a 'mind-blowing' restoration of an electric piano that belonged to his 'hero' and was left 'covered in battle scars'.
The keyboard, which belonged to The Stranglers member Dave Greenfield, was restored to its former glory in the most recent episode of the BBC One show.
Toby Hounsham, who is the current keyboard player for the band - that soared to fame in the late 1970s - brought the item in for repair by expert David Burville.
After years of use by Dave, who passed away in May 2020, including recording hit song No More Heroes and going on tour - the keyboard no longer worked.
Bringing it in to the Repair Shop studio, in the Weald and Downland Living Museum in West Sussex, keyboard player Toby explained the significance of the instrument.
He told restorer David: 'This used to belong to Dave Greenfield... Dave was my hero. I'm a keyboard player myself, and Dave inspired me to play the keyboards.'
A guest on The Repair Shop was seen fighting back tears after a 'mind-blowing' restoration of an electric piano that belonged to his 'hero' and was left 'covered in battle scars'
The keyboard, which belonged to The Stranglers member Dave Green, was restored to its former glory in the most recent episode of the BBC One show - with the help of expert David Burville (right)
'This is the actual keyboard he recorded all the big hits, [like] No More Heroes. 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.'
Toby explained that he met keyboard player Dave at an after-show party, after finding fame with his own band, Rialto, in the 1990s.
The rock band had some success and performed on the likes of Top of the Pops and TFI Friday - but it didn't last, and meeting Dave came at the right time.
Keeping in touch with the band's management, Toby was then later asked to become The Stranglers' keyboard player, following Dave's death from heart issues.
Toby continued: '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,' he added, leaving expert David speechless.
While Toby was keen to keep some of the keyboard's 'battle scars' - he was keen to see if expert David could get the keyboard to work again, with the help of electrics restorer Mark Stuckey.
Toby returned to The Repair Shop later in the episode to collect the keyboard, which had been given a shine - and could now make sound again.
Toby explained that he met keyboard player Dave at an after-show party, after finding fame with his own band, Rialto, in the 1990s - and was later gifted the keyboard
Toby was then later asked to become The Stranglers' keyboard player, following Dave's death from heart issues (pictured: Dave Greenfield)
Shocked and visibly moved, Toby reacted as he held back his tears: 'Oh! Wow! I'm a bit speechless, actually. That’s incredible.
'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.
'Guys, I can’t thank you enough. What you’ve done here is incredible. It’s blown my mind, thank you.'
Toby went on to play parts of hit song No More Heroes for expert David, with the studio clapping as he continued to show off the unique sound of the instrument.
'He recorded all the iconic songs and played them live on these keys!' an excited Toby continued, before playing Stranglers hit Golden Brown.
'It plays like a new keyboard, but it’s kept all the character and all the marks, and I’d like to think that Dave would approve,' Toby concluded.
Elsewhere, fans of the BBC show were moved by the heart-wrenching story of a guest's beloved stuffed animal in an earlier episode.
A guest named Robert brought along his cherished stuffed toy Wappy, who he had owned since he was born prematurely in 1974, hoping the team could restore it.
Accompanied by his sister Chris, she explained to Dominic: 'Robert was born in a special baby unit. But at that same time, Ninewells Hospital, the teaching hospital in Dundee opened.
'And so Robert was the very first baby in Ninewells in the special baby care unit.'
Robert said: 'I was born six weeks premature and there must have been some nurse that brought Wappy to me, to look after me.'
Chris admitted these had been 'really dark times', adding: 'We nearly lost Robert.'
She continued: 'He had loads and loads of operations up until he was about eight. So, he’s a miracle really. And all the while, he’s had his wee pal Wappy.'
Meanwhile, Robert said of his lifelong pal: 'He sleeps with me every night. And he's looked after me ever since then.'
Dominic brought Wappy to the barn, where Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch - known as the Teddy Bear Ladies - got to work patching up the cuddly lamb.
In doing so, the duo had to wash Wappy and take him apart, before fixing his nose and replacing some of the fabric.
Robert was reunited with Wappy later on in the episode and looked visibly thrilled about the transformation.
The Repair Shop airs Wednesdays on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer