The repair café opened in the old scout hut on Linden Road a year ago with a borrowed toolbox and a sign on the railings. Every other Saturday since, volunteers have set out tables for electrics, bikes, sewing and anything else that comes through the door, and fixed it for free.
The idea is simple. You bring the broken thing, sit with the volunteer who mends it and learn how it was done. Nobody pays, though there is a jar for tea and spare parts.
The sewing table
Electrics drew the crowds at first: toasters, lamps and the occasional radio older than its owner. A year in, the busiest table is sewing. Zips, torn pockets and coats that have lost their buttons arrive in carrier bags, and the queue for the machines starts before the doors open.
What cannot be fixed
Not everything can be saved. Some gadgets are glued shut and others need parts nobody makes. The volunteers say so plainly and point people towards recycling, or to the shops on Mill Road that still do repairs for a fee.
The café is always looking for volunteers, especially anyone who can solder or sharpen. The next session is listed on the scout hut noticeboard, and nobody needs to book.