October Repair Café: Not Too Scary

It was another fantastic repair café yesterday. We were delighted to welcome Nick Waitz and John from Treverbyn Hall, who brought their Really Useful Van to show their support and lend their expertise to our repair efforts. Thanks also to the 1st Roseland Scout Group who did an amazing job running the Toy Swap table and providing toys. More thanks to Tregony Social Club for keeping everyone refreshed with tea, coffee, and hot chocolate throughout the morning. And not forgetting our wonderful volunteers who gave up their time to help out.

Mobile repair van The Really Useful Van from Treverbyn Hall - bringing repair expertise to our community

Toy swap table The fantastic toy swap table managed by the 1st Roseland Scout Group.

Repair cafe crowd Our busiest repair café session of the year so far - the community really came together!

The Starters

It was the busiest session of the year so far, with a diverse range of items brought in for repair. Here’s a glimpse of what our volunteers tackled:

Repairing a bagatelle game One of our volunteers carefully restoring a classic bagatelle game - these traditional games are always worth saving!

Fixing a bike chain Getting a young cyclist back on the road with a repaired bike chain

Blanket repair Some skilled needlework bringing new life to a well-loved blanket

Hi-vis jacket modification Safety meets sustainability: adjusting the sleeves on a hi-vis jacket

The Main Course

Our electronics team had their hands full:

Sewing machine repair Successfully diagnosing issues with a sewing machine foot pedal.

Speaker repair Working on a pair of mobile speakers - these are now ready to get funky once more.

Pressure washer repair Getting to the heart of a pressure washer switch problem.

Radio repair Investigating aerial issues on a transistor radio; we’re filing this one under ‘somewhat repaired’, since it works perfectly with a screwdriver stuck in it! The owner will probably get herself a new aerial.

Hot water urn repair Getting this hot water urn back in service - perfect for community events!

Some items, as usual, proved challenging.

Coffee machine Sometimes even our best efforts can’t bring an appliance back to life - this coffee machine proved too tricky to repair. However, we identified the source of the leak.

Sound system A portable sound system that unfortunately needed specialist tools to fully repair.

Sandwich toaster repair Making sure this sandwich toaster can continue making tasty toasties - though it does need a new cable and plug.

Glasses cleaning Sometimes a good clean is all that’s needed - bringing clarity back to these glasses.

Happy customer One of our youngest visitors finding a new treasure at the toy swap.

Remember, our repair café is about more than just fixing things - it’s about bringing our community together and promoting sustainability. We look forward to seeing you at our next session!