Retro Electro Workshop: Worthing man to appear in new show about repairing electronics

Retro Electro Workshop is a new TV series coming next month to Yesterday channel. The UKTV Original series is ‘about the dying art of repairing electronics’.

The ten-episode show features Worthing electronics repairer Matt Marchant, super-fixer Rob Howard – one of the UK's last remaining full-time repair men of retro-electronic products – and Shamil and his dad T, who run a vintage electronics store.

“At one time, Britain had an electronics repairer on every street corner,” a spokesperson for the programme said.

"From the 1930s to the 1980s, electronic gadgets were built to be repaired and to last a lifetime. Whether it's a classic American jukebox, a retro pinball machine, a boombox or a vintage radio, super-fixer Rob Howard and his network of experts, including Matt, are ready to find, fix, restore and revive ‘anything old with a plug on it’.”

Based in Worthing, Matt Marchant, 44, is on a mission to save useful appliances from heading to the scrapyard and believes that most things can be repaired, from modern classics to vintage tech.

Shoreham-born Matt said: "I developed an almost unhealthy obsession with electromechanical items from a young age. My mum said I’d often flip my buggy over, just to play with the wheels.

"My parents would often discover me taking apart the family’s Hoover or toaster, while most normal kids kicked a ball around.

"Playing with Lego, bikes, old radios and the odd washing machine as a child led me, eventually to work for BT as an apprentice. I worked my way from junior technician to senior engineer. I left BT in 2018 and now work for local authority in business management.”

Matt started FixItWorkshop in 2017 as a ‘fun fixing related blog’.

"I measured repair time in biscuits and tea drinking,” he said. “FixItWorkshop grew legs and has become a part-time business alongside my

family commitments."

Matt said he has been fixing electronics since childhood.

"My dad was a high street branch manager for Indesit – washing machines and dishwashers – in the 1980s and I sometimes went to his shop on

Saturday and became involved in some of the repairs,” he said.

"My nan was also a highly skilled seamstress and had a room in her house dedicated to dress-making and garment repair work following her retirement from the trade. I used to watch her make and repair clothes and I was always fascinated with the equipment she used.

"My love of cars and motorbikes came from a neighbour and life-long friend and that’s where I first got the chance to work on engines, car bodywork etc. My love of Minis and motorbikes was born.”

Retro Electro Workshop starts next Tuesday (July 18) at 9pm on Yesterday.

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