A Leslie couple were left blown away after taking a historic piece of the village to BBC’s The Repair Shop.
Diane and Mark White own Leslie Town Hall and run the village’s amateur dramatic club, the oldest continuously performing drama group in Scotland.
Wednesday night’s episode saw the couple meet art conservator Lucia Scalisi to renovate the hall’s canvas.
Mark stated the club was set up in the town hall in 1904, and that the canvas was installed at the centre of stage.
Diane added it was likely painted around 1950 by Andrew Heard, “who was chairman and did virtually everything at the club for about 50 years.”
Leslie drama club brought couple together
Diane revealed that she and Mark met at the club, meaning the canvas was personal to them.
She said: “In 1981 the club had to move from the town hall.
“We moved to several high schools and there’s an awful lot of people that actually didn’t know that Leslie Drama Club had existed because we’ve been hidden away.”
Mark added that he purchased the hall after Fife Council closed it around seven years ago.
Diane said: “We’re moving ourselves back into the heart of the community which is what we’ve wanted to do for a long time.
“We’re heading towards our 120th anniversary and we felt it was the ideal time to get it restored and get the canvas back in the middle of the hall – much as we’re hoping to put the club back in the middle of the community.”
On the TV programme, the couple then leave the shop for Lucia to work on the canvas.
Lucia said: “It’s a really interesting painting. The story is really quite magical.
“I love the idea of an amateur dramatic society bringing in a whole town together and it’s quite magnificent.”
Lucia discovered that the material was torn along the bottom and “a lot of” paint loss was present.
She attached more material to the bottom edge, placed it on a stretcher and repainted the front.
Lucia said: “These drama clubs, they’re so few and far between.
“You can see the passion that both Mark and Diane brought in with them. It’s a wonderful thing for a small town to have.”
Renovated canvas leaves Fife couple speechless
When Mark and Diane returned to the shop, they were left speechless when Lucia unveiled the canvas.
Diane said: “Isn’t that just amazing? You can see much more of the colour now.
“You can’t quite take your eyes off it, it’s incredible.
“Seeing the difference in it, from the time that we found it, it’s just brilliant. I just love it.”
Mark added: “It connects us with the history so well. I just can’t wait to get it hung in the town hall now.”
You can watch Wednesday’s episode on BBC iPlayer.
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