Santa Seats and Jet Engines

THE things that happen in the Upper Hunter Men’s Shed in Scone range from building Santa a new seat to learning about jet engines, but John Pratley explained the most important thing that happens at the shed is local men being able to catch up and have a chat.

“Some people think that to be in a men’s shed you’ve got to be a builder, a welder, a carpenter, a something or other but you don’t,” said Mr Pratley.

“I mean we’ve got a television lounge up there and when the cricket is on, or the golf or tennis some blokes just like to go in there with some coffee and biscuits and sit down,” he said.

“We’ve got a computer room in there and some blokes talk downloads and uploads and and god knows what else and they have the most fabulous day and that’s just what they want to do,” he said.

“Some guys like to work in the shed and others like to watch what is happening and have a chat,” he said.

Val Quinell gave a presentation on jet engines to members of the Men’s Shed.

At an open day today more than eight new members joined the shed and John said he wants more local men to pop down.

“Fellas say to me ‘I’m going to retire in a month what do you think I should do?’ and I tell them ‘what you shouldn’t do is sit down, if you’re a gardener go and dig another garden, if you like golf go and play a round of golf’,” he said.

“And the shed is not just for blokes that have retired either, we get blokes of all ages come down here,” he said.

“We had one young bloke come down because he didn’t know anyone in town really and his woman had shot through, but at the end of the day he knew 26 blokes and he was here for about 6 or 7 weeks and while we haven’t seen him in a while, he’s back on track and that’s what the shed is all about too,

“It’s not all about what happens with the work in the shed it’s a lot about other things too,” John Pratley said.

The Men’s Shed is available to help the community in a range of ways and are happy to do up pieces of furniture or build things for the cost of materials and a donation.

“It doesn’t matter if you can only donate $5 or $100, whatever people can give is appreciated,” said John Pratley.

The Upper Hunter Men’s Shed is open Tuesday mornings 8:30am – 12pm and Thursday from 8:30am – 2pm.

John Pratley, George Clementson, David Spencer and Errol Elliot getting the seat for Santa built.