Hi

A year ago my wife and her friend persuaded her husband and I to go along to the local Wayland Men's Shed to make some male friends in the area. We'd both only moved here relatively recently, and while we had a good social life most of it was with family and long term friends who are not local. Our wives concern was that if either of them were to pass away we'd have no-one local to support us. It turned out be really good advice, and we are now very active within the group. It's quite an unusual Men's Shed in that it has a big social section as well as a woodworking workshop and computer workshop, and with nearly 90 members it has a real mix of characters. I've learnt a lot of new card and board games, and now am both on the committee and run the monthly Music group where 20 or so of us play songs and rank them. I've also got involved with a small group of members who are helping one of the group who has had a stroke build an OO gauge layout, which has highlighted a number of other members who are closet modellers.  It's all been really good for us, and I wonder how many of NGF members are Men's Shed members in their area?

Dave

A few years ago with dwindling railway club membership and the need to expand the membership to survive the then club chairman along with myself did investigate the possibility of "converting" the group and premises into a men in sheds group.

Unfortunately the Chairman was taken ill and ultimately passed away? The idea was shelved.

Incidentally the group I believe still survives with little ambition but I left for pastures new.

We thought with model railways there was many skill sets to learn / teach including basic woodwork, wiring, electronics and many more.