Concreting the Back Yard

  Concreting Day

We decided that the back yard needed concreting. After looking at the oprions we decided to go with pumping the concrete rather than using wheelbarrows. Thanks to funding by Southways Housing (our landlords) we were able to do this and today "Barrow Mix Pumping" came in the morning and completed the pumping, the tampoing and clean up in about 2 hours.

Chris had done a great job (assisted by others) in preparing the shuttering and eveyhing went very smoothly. There is a photo at the end with Aaron, Dan and Steads from Barrow Mix. They even refused to take the traditional tip for their hard work because we are a charity. Many thanks and what a great job you did

Concreting - the video

 

The Day after - all dry and ready to use

Community Workshop Sign

Pete and Nick with the new sign we've  put up at the front of the shop.

Pete is a skilled sign writer as can be seen by the photo of the sign he's made. "Community Workshop - come and learn a new skill" is to emphasise that we are open to all in the community

Saleem Pacha

                                      Saleem Pacha

Saleem Pacha mended bikes at the Men in Sheds for people in the local community on the Merseybak estate in Chorlton. He led our bike project and was critical to its success.

Saleem died in the early hours of New Year's Day. He was a taxi driver and his white Skoda was hit by a black Mercedes which led to his death and left four other men seriously injured

We are all shocked by Saleem's death and we have had to close our bike repair service until we can work out how we can best run it without Saleem's leadership

Ten or more of us from Men in Sheds were at his burial service on Jan 8th as were many members of the local community who came to pay their respects. A collection in his memory was made at the local corner shop on Merseybank parade and supported by MiS which raised over £1000 in his memory

We have accepted the donation of Saleem's tools and bike parts from Saleem's family and we are making and putting up a plaque to Saleem's memory in the Shed

Saleem, we all miss you badly and our sympathies are all with your family and many friends on the estate

building a fold-down workbench

building a fold-down workbench

Sandra and Chris are building a fold-down workbench in the projects room upstairs

 

 And here it is finished...

Men is Sheds - finalists in the Manchester "Be Proud" Event

 Manchester Be Proud

South Mcr Men in Sheds were finalists in the Manchester Be Proud event. The awards event was held on Nov 8th 2019 at a  posh do Manchester Central. We didn't win the Group Volunteering award but we (Bernard, Devon & Bob) had a great night out and are pleased that we made the finals

Planters for the corner of Merseybank Parade

Planters for the corner of Merseybank Parade

In July 2019 we were commissioned by Manchester CityCouncil to construct 7 planters and fill them with soil ready for planting (which Irene from the Community Garden on Merseybank will organise). We constructed the planters a while back and yesterday the soil was delivered

Unfortunately, there was no digger/loader with the soil, they were just lowered down on to the pavementin from of our shop on Merseybank Parade in builders bags and on pallets - all 8 tonnes of them

Day one was not very successful as we attempted to store the pllaets in the alleyway. The pallet loader got stuck on the gritted pathway and we spent a lot of time putting the pallet back on the pavement

The following day was much more successful. After our failure yesterday I thought it might take us all day to successfully put one planter in place and get it filled,with soil but instead we manage to do the lot, all 7 planters, and had a good time doing it too. Many thanks to Miles (yesterday) Steve, Rick, Saleem, Pete Whiteley (from the City Council) and Devon for their hard work, and encouragement from June and many local people

Making a classical American Rocking Chair

Making a classical American Rocking Chair

Nick who joined us in November 2019 is a skilled joiner and furniture makes. He has set himself the project of making from scratch and by hand a rocking chair as designed by the famous American Sam Maloof (1916 – 2009) furniture designer and woodworker whose work now sells for thousands of pounds. You can compare Nick's chair with the original Maloof in these two photos

 

Sam Maloof Chair

 

Nick Larder chair