Friends Overseas and Conkers

First the conkers. As I type this the Eskmouth Cubs may well be going bonkers with conkers. Maybe the Shedders should play too; some need a good rap on the knuckles! It’s good to get stuck into some practical work. It brings smiles.

Adding 3 wise men to a Nativity we made for a customer in Cambridgeshire. A Northern export?

This is Shedder Ted screwing up a door. Let me rephrase that . . . .

 

WHIMS. What’s Robert doing on the stand drill?

He’s going conkers drilling

A good job on a long worktop for the She Shed

60 made ready for the Beavers Conker Competition

Conkers are for the best of friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wallop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we enjoy communications from overseas. SAMS in Littlebeck welcomes passing C2C Walkers to enjoy a cuppa. and discover what Sheds are about. There is a museum of living exhibits they can interact with – otherwise known as Shedders!

We sometimes get feedback and below is an email stream following receipt of greetings from a Brit who lives in Hong Kong. 

Hi Graham

And I remember you too, and in particular chatting with Bob Hodges as he and I shared our common experiences of living in South Africa many moons ago. Hi to you Bob.

Thanks Graham, for cc’ing a few of the Shedders, including I see, a lady with the name Hazel, who is perhaps the

 source of the excellent scones? I’m only guessing here, but if I’m right, Thanks Hazel!

And if I’m wrong, a big shout out to ‘Shedder Don’s wife’.

So it’s a case of Hello to everyone!

In return, I’m cc’ing my friend Tony who was with me that day (20th Sep) with his wife Annie. After we left you we chatted amiably on the trail about what a good set-up you had at SAMS and how it seemed very worthwhile. And very laudable.

All the best

Phil

From: GRAHAM STORER 
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2018 11:24 PM
To: Phil Smyth 
Cc: Robert Hodge; Roger J Gould ; hazel Green ; Graham Storer; Don Brayshaw
Subject: RE: SAMS Shed….

Dear Phil,

You are remembered!

We thank you for your greetings which will be put on our web-site. How about a Shed in HK?

You called on a good day to get a scone (????). It was Shedder Don’s wife that made them for him to come bearing gifts.

Very best wishes,

Graham Storer

 

From: Phil Smyth
Sent: 01 October 2018 11:01
To: whitbyareasheds@gmail.com
Subject: SAMS Shed….

Hello

Greetings from afar – I write to you from Hong Kong!

Recently I walked the Coast to Coast and stopped into SAMS at Littlebeck.

I was delighted to accept a very kind offer of a cup of tea and a scone, as at that time I was in dire need of sustenance. It was very much appreciated.

My two friends and I spent about half-an-hour in the shed and thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the men there.

I would like to send them my thanks, once again, and my very best wishes.

If ever I am in the area (not that I’m likely to walk the C2C again!) I would love to drop in and say hello to old friends.

I could not find contact details for SAMS but perhaps you could pass this on?

Many thanks

Phil

Very soon after this exchange, Len Thompson from Labrador Men’s Shed sent an update. 

Dear Graham and Joan,

It has been a while since we have caught up.  We have been watching out for you being on-line but not seen you! [

We are going well down here just coming out of Winter and in the second month of Spring but so far we are enjoying a gentle introduction to the warmer weather.  No doubt this will be short lived and it will start to heat up soon.  In a moment of madness I went into the pool a couple of weeks ago but didn’t stay long. 

We are, of course in the middle of a very long drought, with NSW 100% declared and over 50% of Qld the same.  Sheds in both States are partnering with Sheds in the drought areas to bring support to both the Shedders and local farmers. 

In support, Labrador Shed is running a raffle of a beautiful doll’s house that was donated in kit form and one of our guys put it together.  It is valued at over $1,100 so we hope to raise a few thousand to donate.  In the course of my campaigning for AMSA I made contact with the Cherbourg Men’s Shed that is very under-resourced.  Cherbourg is an old aboriginal mission and is apparently the most under privileged community in Australia.  During conversation with their Chairman it came out that they have very few resources as far as timber and equipment is concerned.  He scrounges the local rubbish dump for pieces of timber.  I put it to our Committee and we are taking two trailer loads of timber together with machines and tools sourced from donations to our Shed and others on the Gold Coast.

Greetings to you both and to my mates in Whitby district.

G’day,

Len and Ros

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