Napier Menzshed holding first garage sale

Napier Menzshed assistant manager Doug Stewart with some items for their upcoming garage sale. Photograph by Warren Buckland

The Napier Menzshed is having a bit of a clean out and will be hosting its first garage sale this Saturday, May 29, from 8am — rain or shine.

The shed has been up and running at its Latham St venue for nearly six years and has all sorts of things going out the door, says secretary Mike Richardson.

"There's plenty of bits and pieces — tools, toys, books, chairs, electric drills, bric-a-brac — something there for everybody."

A barbecue will be held during the garage sale, with all proceeds going to the Menzshed expenses. The Napier Menzshed began in early July 2014, with the aim "to get retired men off the couch and into some form of club".

A group of giant chairs at Perfume Point were built by the Napier Menzshed.

Since those humble beginnings, "shedders" have been involved in numerous fix-up and community projects, including making stoat traps, a huge bird blind which stands at the Aramoana lagoon for bird watchers to keep an eye on the bird life, bee boxes, school playground gear, planter boxes and putting seeds into clay balls for DoC which were fired out of a helicopter with paint ball guns, allowing the re growth of plant life on the hillsides. One of their latest accomplishments is producing the oversized coloured chairs which sit on the beachfront at Perfume Point.

"We're still busy doing small jobs for our schools when required and we regularly make beds for charity Christian Lovelink. We've also just done a big picture frame for a winery and made stands for recycling bins."

Mike says men love the fellowship and camaraderie of the shed, which now boasts 65 members.

"Wives are our greatest supporters, who feel their menfolk come alive after a day's making, creating and drinking coffee with like-minded men."

He says the Menzshed is about the health and wellbeing of the men.

"The other day I met a guy in the shed who was a butcher from the old days. We get so many stories in the shed."

Keeping up with the times, the recent AGM was held via Zoom.

"We can't travel to these places so had six guys on Zoom introducing remits, etc. That was a first. We also work with our Menzshed brothers in Hastings."

He says one of the highlights of being a member is the annual Christmas float building project.

"A small talented team put together novel floats. We join the town to celebrate the season and show just what our shed is capable of. To date we've been rewarded with a prize in most parades."

Shedders also visit other places of interest, enjoy a meal out regularly with their wives and also assist their sponsors, Mitre 10.

"We help with the Mitre 10 ladies' night each year by helping the ladies put together bird houses, carryalls, or bird feeders — a fun-filled night."

■ Menzshed, 125 Latham St, Napier. Opening hours Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9am-1pm. New members are always welcome. For more information contact Mike on 842 1633.