Fwd: mardle

by

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: hello@brms.org.uk
Date: 23 June 2026 at 08:34:37 BST
To: Brundall Men’s Shed <hello@brms.org.uk&gt;
Subject: mardle

Dear All

Yet again The Garage sale was a massive success, and we are still selling donations that came in,  helping to keep our membership fee to a manageable amount.  We have also built up a reasonable amount in our reserves if we do have to relocate.   Clive Richardson, as you will see from the minutes, mentioned damage to one his buildings and the cost of the utilities.  We have looked around and for what we have, the rent is very reasonable.  A little while ago we did some sums.   Our area of floor space is 4726 s/ft .   The lowest price for commercial rent is £5 per s/ft.   That’s according to Google for Norfolk , which equates to £23,630.   A big number!  Unfortunately the rates rules for charities in Broadland don’t give us as big a discount as they do in other parts of Norfolk.

 

Therefore, we must really work to keep Clive Richardson onside and be sensible with the heating/electric.  How can we think of heating this week ???! The tea bar area must be kept warm in the winter – that’s obvious, but in the workshop areas it’s going to be “keep the body warm not the building”.  The parish council now have a project to identify spare parcels of land.  Could we be given one of these parcels?  They know of our interest, but to get a facility like this one would require major funding, not impossible that’s for sure.

 

Peter and Angela took the stock that they had made with a few shed items to Black Barn.  A big effort on their part, but people just weren’t spending. They are going to persevere and try another craft sale on SATURDAY 11th JULY, 9.30am – 1.30pm  at BLACK BARN FARMERS MARKET, Norwich Road, Salhouse, Norwich NR13 6QG.  If you can pass that on to friends and relatives, hopefully more people will go.  

 

One of our donations was a real antiques road show moment.   It was a small petrol cooking stove which was going to be sold for £25.  I looked and thought” that’s interesting”.  A little research and I found a date of 1944,  it was a GI’s field cooking stove.  Prices on Ebay, Market Place etc are over £200, so Linda has taken it home and is marketing it for us.

 

Mike Ives has been offered a piano, if anyone wants it or knows someone looking for a piano, let me know and I’ll pass on your details.

 

We can use timber;  that’s large bits of wood in its basic form.  These can be ripped down for projects.  However, we have problems using  types of wood such as chipboard, painted laminates etc.  These have very little use.  It’s difficult to say no when you are given these sorts of things, but politely say  “We can’t use them but thanks for thinking of us”.  If you use any material from the shed for personal projects, please think about a donation. 

 

The Beer festival is back on at St Andrews Hall 26-31st Oct.   Its really good fun – I used to take holiday to work there, it’s that good!   What is in it for you I hear.  Free Beer, snacks, a t-shirt etc.  If you do a whole shift,  bit of a long day,  but you get an evening meal and a taxi home.  There are many areas to work, not just the bar.  Here’s the link if you fancy sampling a few ales.

 

https://forms.gle/PdKtTWoZ1UBjLQedA

 

Finally, there’s a considerable amount of stock from the garage sale on the table tennis table.  Open to sensible offers on any of it.

 

Paul