I’m impressed by how much has been achieved by the Martinborough Men’s Shed since it began ten years ago.
Peter Gunn, its chairman, shows me around. He tells me that back in 2016, the South Wairarapa District Council made the historic old courthouse in Cork Street available for the group. “It was a mess. The sagging false ceiling needed to be taken out and then the whole place re-lined. It was then upgraded and repainted.” In the first room we come to he points out the penguin shelters and predator traps that the members have made from timber provided by the Aorangi Trust. They are being set out around the South Wairarapa coast and have been successful in saving many penguins. Then we step outside the building and I see some kwila and wrought iron outdoor seats that are being renovated for the Tennis Club. They look beautifully finished with the wood glowing in the sun. On my tour I notice several motor mowers around the premises. I’m informed that these are retrieved by staff at the Transfer Station south of Martinborough for the Men’s Shed members to repair and then sell. Peter is very pleased to see how well this re-cycling project is working. They also repair chainsaws and weedeaters for sale.
In 2019 they were outgrowing the courthouse building with all the machinery that had been donated, so they decided to erect a “back shed”. This was a huge project involving the placement of two shipping containers on the site and then erecting a PVC roof between them. The Facilities Extension, as it is officially known, was opened on 2 August 2022 by Daphne Geisler, widow of the Shed’s founding chairman, Ric Geisler.
To celebrate the ten years of operating from the courthouse, the Shed is holding an Open Day on Saturday 25 July from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.
To celebrate the ten years of operating from the courthouse, the Shed is holding an Open Day on Saturday 25 July from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. They want to raise their profile in the community and explain what they do. Apart from the repairing and construction jobs there’s a tool and knife sharpening service and an annual sale each November. They also want to work out in the community more, doing things like repairing fences. So come along to the Open Day on the 25th and see what this group have achieved over the last ten years. I was amazed. There will be a barbeque and products for sale.
