The Repair Shop fans may know a fair bit about the show’s experts but what about its narrator Bill Paterson?
The hit show makes a nostalgic return tonight, Wednesday, November 27, featuring Scottish icon Paterson, age 79, taking us on a reflective journey through some of the series’ most touching refurbishments.
With Paterson making a noteworthy stint in the show, legions of admirers are curious to delve into details about his life beyond the screen, particularly away from the famous workshop.
Alternative careers
The Glasgow native, born in the summer of June 1945, was raised by a plumber father and hairdresser mother. He developed a passion for the stage after an early visit to the Citizens Theatre.
Yet initially, he followed a different career, opting for a path in architecture.
Speaking to The Herald, he shared: “I spent three years as a quantity surveyor’s apprentice before going to drama college.
“I love architecture but if you were keen on the preservation of buildings, the 1960s was not the time to do it. There was an awful lot of disappointment.
“Every day you went out there was another part of Glasgow hitting the dust. To be enthusiastic about preservation, you were definitely going against the grain. It wasn’t a great time to be keen on reassessing and reusing buildings.”
Inside The Repair Shop narrator Bill Paterson’s life from ‘most treasured’ item to his Miriam Margolyes tie (Image: BBC)
Actor Bill Paterson portrayed the dad in BBC’s Fleabag. (Image: BBC)
At one point, his dreams almost set sail in a completely different direction when he noted: “I nearly joined the Navy because I really did like boats.
“I almost got caught up in that life but it is kind of lucky I didn’t because I realise that if I had become an officer in the Royal Navy I filled out all the forms to apply I would have been reaching my heyday about the time of the Falklands War. I would have been there, rather than in Guys and Dolls.
“The thing about acting is that you can go on indefinitely provided all the faculties are still working.
“There is nobody saying ‘Well, that’s it, you have to stop now.’ In many other jobs, you aren’t going to be physically capable of some things, but you can get away with an awful lot of kid-on in acting.”
Treasured item
During a chat with The Guardian, the star of Fleabag and Miss Potter revealed his “most treasured possession” – a handwritten postcard from author Enid Blyton.
The cherished memento came after his father penned a letter to the famous writer, who responded directly to the young Paterson.
Recounting the message on Between The Covers, he shared: “‘I had such a nice letter from your father and instead of writing him, I’m sending you a card instead.
“‘I love writing the stories as much as you love reading them. Give my love to your good father, very best wishes, love from Enid Blyton.’ I’ve treasured it ever since.”
Actor Bill Paterson purchased a holiday home with actress Miriam Margolyes in 1980 after shooting The Lost Tribe together. (Image: GETTY)
Family life
On the home front, Paterson has been wedded to German costume designer Hildegard Bechtler since 1984, and they have a son and daughter together.
Hildegard, a North London resident along with her spouse, conveyed her early impressions of Paterson in a 1994 dialogue with The Independent.
Reflecting on their acquaintance, she reminisced: “It was my first job, a crazy play called Ella which was a monologue by a man in a frock surrounded by live chickens.
“I was very attracted to him [Paterson] and I thought it was mutual. During rehearsal I saw him riding by on his bicycle – he didn’t see me – and I felt such a thrill, I was on a high for the rest of the day.”
Miriam Margolyes
The Scottish actor sustains a robust friendship with Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, having initially crossed paths during the filming of The Lost Tribe back in 1980.
They took a leap of faith in each other during that period, electing to invest together.
While discussing her touring documentary with colleague Alan Cumming in 2021 to The Sunday Post, she divulged: “I must say I showed Alan the little house in Fordyce near Portsoy (in Aberdeenshire) that Bill Paterson and I bought.
“We were in a television series (in 1980) called The Lost Tribe written by Jack Ronder. The cottage was the location and Bill and I bought it and did it up. It was going to be demolished. I like to think we saved it. It is still there.”
The Repair Shop
Paterson contributed his voice to the inaugural season of the ‘s The Repair Shop, stepping aside temporarily for seasons two through four, which saw Robert Pugh step in as the narrator.
Since becoming the voice of The Repair Shop, he has carried on with the narration duties but remains humble about his contribution.
He remarked: “The joy really is to watch fantastically skilled people who are very articulate about what they do. Until you do it yourself you don’t realise what a terrible hash you could make of it. But not one of them does.
“I don’t do much, there’s not a huge amount of narration in The Repair Shop.
“It’s mostly down to these experts who happily do most of the talking, which is a lot more interesting than my voiceover overstaying its welcome.
“The good thing is you get to hear the real people who know what they’re talking about speak.”
The Repair Shop is available to watch on One and iPlayer.