The Rye Repair Café is a brilliant opportunity to have something mended that either has been sitting for years in the cupboard gathering dust or has just broken having been in everyday use. It could be that it has sentimental value or is just ordinary and needs fixing, the objective is to avoid buying something new when there is no need.
The community hall was set up for action on Saturday, November 9 and at 10am the first people began to arrive, registering their item with two charming, welcoming receptionists who took all the details. The item for mending is then placed with the relevant expert and whilst people waited, there was excellent tea, coffee and cake to sample. The whole event is run by volunteers who want to share their expertise, and their reward is the buzz they get when they hand back to its owner the item – now in working order – or at least with advice about how to proceed further. There is no charge for the work carried out but donations are most welcome.
Before the doors were open Dominic Manning addressed the volunteers and thanked them for their continuing support. He explained that next year the plan is to have ten sessions starting on Saturday, January 11 2025 and to be every second Saturday of the month thereafter, other than August and December. He reminded everyone that it was a “clinic not a hospital” and it was fine not to be able to solve everyone’s problem.
Ken arrived with two broken lamps which had been fitted with an obsolete safety feature so that had to be disabled before repairs could be carried out. There were three experts on hand who all have electrical and mechanical knowledge, Mike Boyd, Clive Gilbert and Stephen Cowles. They enjoy working collaboratively because three points of view can come in handy for the more knotty problems.
Shears were being sharpened in one corner by Matt of Icklesham. He told me that he had had the very same shears years ago when he used to shear sheep. Someone brought in scissors to be sharpened, and Matt was kept busy throughout the morning.
Sue Cookson was busy mending a watch and explained she had a love of clocks and jewellery and enjoyed making things work again. She used to work for the BBC as a recording officer and when she was made redundant, she retrained as a clock-maker at West Dean College.
Kay Fox was busy with her sewing machine and said that one of the jobs that had given so much pleasure to its owner was when she turned a collar for an old gentleman because it was frayed, and it was one of his favourites. He went home very happy.
There were other experts on hand: bicycle repairs, a wood-worker, another electrician who turned up for the first time with a soldering iron, a plant repairer who used to work for the Royal Horticultural Society, and more. Other volunteers had made cakes and helped with the café. Other stories will unfold about the volunteers in the new year.
The Rye Repair Café was set up by Ronni Wilson, Dominic Manning, Caroline Still, Jane Munro and Heidi Foster. Rye Repair Café began when Ronni Wilson met Dominic Manning at ‘Love our Rother’ back in February this year. Ronni had been inspired by hearing about the concept of repair cafés and was very keen to start one up in Rye. She discovered that this was also a project that Dominic was wanting to get off the ground. That was the spark they both needed to make it happen, and it wasn’t long before they had gathered together an enthusiastic core organising group and the first Rye Repair Café happened in May this year. Since when it’s been growing strong with a band of 20 excellent volunteer repairers and a café.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .