Fwd: Mardle

From: Brundall Men Shed <hello@brms.org.uk&gt;
Date: 8 May 2026 at 11:04:25 BST
To: hello@brms.org.uk
Subject: Mardle

Dear All 

First a couple of thankyou’s .  Mike Ives and his wife took all our spare stock around several garage sales and made £76.  Andy Allen put on the Scalextric event to promote the shed and sell his surplus stock.  After his deductions he made us £63. Steve Reeve well he is just a super salesman.  Jacki had a very close friend that recently passed and donated his shed contents to us.  These contents weren’t just a few hammers and chiels but very high value power tools.   I’ll discuss with the committee the best way to use them, but I know several will be ideal for the garage sale.   More info on the successes of the metal and wood work area will be in the minutes.

 

Lunch times are part of the social event of coming to the shed, being like teenagers using phones isn’t very social,  so please think before looking at that important WhatsApp while having your cuppa.   One of the most important things about the Shed is, it’s an open place for conversation, sometimes it may be very personal, and you may hear things about someone’s life.  What is there to say, just listening is all that may be needed.   Certainly, no criticism. 

The shack/cabin in the corner and computers in it are for all to use,  please don’t be afraid to use them.  If you need help or guidance, just ask, there’s always someone who has a bit of knowledge.  The shack isn’t a hidey hole for the committee!

 Unfortunately, tools do get broken, not because of wonton misuse but because people haven’t been trained.   Many of us have 40 plus years of experience working in workshops, how do we impart that experience – a question we ask ourselves everyday day the shed is open.  There are the training videos and people like Terry W and Ray who have huge experience.  If you aren’t sure how to use a tool have a chat.  It’s imperative you go home with the same body parts as you arrived with, they must be still attached and not leaking! 

 We are having another blitz on the woodwork area.  Most items we have identified but there are some we have discovered that have been here for some years.  If you have something tucked away, could you either donate to the shed or take home?  This is one of the biggest sheds in the UK, but our space is finite.  There are so many active members who are coming on different days, bringing in all manner of things. That makes it difficult for people like Ray and Steve Fisher to keep a track of who owns what. Some of these items are donations, so it gets confusing.  If you bring something to the shed, can you put a label on it “Donation to the Shed”, or project for ??.      Then we will have a clue what is going on.   We have a missing a JCB cordless drill, it’s probably been put somewhere safe as is often the case; if you know where the safe space is let me know.  There was a copper water tank that Dean donated to the shed,  did it get used for a project?

A very important law I’ve mentioned before, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).   In simple terms, if you send out an email and have included various addresses do you have that individual’s permission to use it?  We must be very careful how we share people details and protect their privacy.

 Les, his good Lady Becky and Mrs Clark are going to look after the cake stand at the garage sale.  If you can donate a home -made cake, these always go down well and would be greatly appreciated.  Peter Funnel has tested his patterns for items to make for the sale.  If you need a project, have a quick chat. 

Finally, this coming Wednesday I have a day off so going to treat myself to a morning out at the North Walsham Motorbike Museum, the event that Terry is organising.  If anyone would like a lift I have two spare seats. I can pick you up at the Margaret Harker Hall at 10.   Just drop me a line if you would like a lift.

 

Paul