Newports first ever Repair Cafe.
The Repair cafe came to the Hub, and plans are for it to be a regular fixture on the calendar
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00:00So we're here at the Hub in Newport and Jo, Repair Café, what's going on?
00:04Yeah, we're really excited. We hosted Telford Repair Café here about 18 months ago
00:11and the councillors got together subsequently and decided that it would be a really good thing to have something regular for the residents of Newport.
00:18Yeah.
00:19So this is our very first one and we're very excited. Volunteers have come forward which is absolutely amazing
00:26and we're so thrilled with the volunteers that we've got here today.
00:30And we've already had, we've been open half an hour and we've already had three customers which is absolutely amazing so it's obviously needed.
00:39So what's the plan then? How often is this going to be happening here?
00:42So we're going to start off with every three months because we feel that's a really good starting point.
00:47It's regular enough for people so it will be the first Saturday of the month every three months.
00:53So the next one's beginning of December.
00:55Great stuff. So it's a great idea isn't it really?
00:59A lot of it's to do with saving stuff going into landfill isn't it? And then there's the whole financial cost, yeah?
01:05There is, absolutely yes. So we buddy up with Sustainable Newport as well.
01:11So they're here to talk about how you can recycle more sustainably.
01:15But the big point is, you know, people are struggling with the cost of things so why not just get something fixed?
01:22And it's not as easy nowadays, people don't necessarily have the skills to fix a puncture repair.
01:28So it's more about us, not just about us fixing things, it's about us teaching people how to fix things themselves as well.
01:37So we'll give anything a go. We may say that's a little bit beyond our capabilities because we are all volunteers.
01:43But we'll give it a go and if we can show you how to do it yourself, we'll show you how to do it yourself in the future as well.
01:49And if anyone's got some special skills and perhaps want to help behind the desk there doing the repairs,
01:55I guess come and pop in the hub and get the names down.
01:59That would be absolutely amazing. We do have a Facebook page now, Newport Repair Cafe.
02:04And we have a form on there as well if anyone wants to.
02:07If they want to phone the Guild Hall as well, Newport Town Council.
02:10Any way of getting in touch with us, we'll make sure we put you to the right people.
02:14And of course, there's always time for a cup of tea and a slice of these nice cakes while you're here.
02:20Yes, we absolutely have the hub's delicious cakes here.
02:23Hello ladies, who are you? What's your names?
02:26So I'm Liz.
02:27Yeah, hello Liz. And go on madam.
02:29I'm Pam.
02:30Pam. So you are obviously the Queen of the Sew.
02:35What's your background in using sewing machines then? Has it been a hobby for you?
02:40Yes, just used sewing machines all my life and done bits of sewing for my children when they had to have fancy dress costumes.
02:46Ah well.
02:47And yeah, just enjoy it.
02:49Is that something that was passed down from your parents to you?
02:51Yes, so my mum was a dressmaker. She made dance dresses and tutus.
02:55Yeah.
02:56And yeah, I sort of learnt from her and enjoyed it.
02:58So a dance dress is for you. Were you a dancer?
03:00Yeah, for me. I was a dancer and also for the dance company that was local to us in London.
03:05Great. And madam, how did you get into this world?
03:09Well, I've always been sewing. I was taught by my mother on a treadle sewing machine.
03:13Yeah.
03:14And I've sewn ever since.
03:16So these are skills passed down, aren't they? I'm just wondering, you know, there's less and less people possibly passing them down, which is kind of…
03:24Well, it's only my children, my daughters, and they're not so keen.
03:27So maybe sometime in the future they might come. They can knit and crochet.
03:31Yeah.
03:32They've done that.
03:33Yeah.
03:34But they're not so hot on the sewing machine. But in the future, we'll be able to see if they can get involved in that as well.
03:38Great. So what do you think about the idea of this repair caf then? What is it that kind of drew you to it?
03:43Was it the challenge of stuff coming in or…?
03:46I'm really interested in the circular economy. I think it's really important that we try to repair things rather than buying things new.
03:52Space man economy, they call it.
03:54And so to encourage that, I just wanted to see if I could do my part to help people to retain these skills.
04:00Sewing on buttons and repairing things before we throw them away.
04:04And yourself, madam?
04:06Yeah, and the recycling thing, really.
04:09And since I've retired, I'm looking for ways of keeping my mind…
04:15Keeping you off the streets?
04:16Yeah.
04:17I know, yeah.
04:18Yeah, and motivating myself to do more.
04:22Great idea. And it's a nice little social kind of vibe as well, isn't it, really?
04:26Yes.
04:27Well, thank you, ladies, for getting involved. It helps all of us. Thank you.
04:32How are you doing, gents? We catch you ficking the action here, just videoing for Shropshire Star.
04:38What are you working on, gents? Well, it's a stereo, but what's the issue, then?
04:42So it's got no bass coming out of the speakers.
04:46So what's your first thoughts when that's the problem, then?
04:49So it's got adjustments for all the volume controls and obviously the different frequencies.
04:54It seems that the bass slider doesn't do anything.
04:58Ah, okay. So you've dissected it.
05:02Yeah.
05:03Has that given any indications as to what's going on at the minute?
05:06Well, we're trying to ideally get to behind these to see if we can clean them up or something,
05:11but it's whether it's going to be gettable to…
05:14Yeah, some of these things are not necessarily designed to fully let you in, are they?
05:18No, no.
05:19Cool. So is electronics a passion for you, gents, then?
05:23Just now.
05:26Will be for the next hour.
05:29Are you both local lads, then? Shopping lads?
05:31Yeah.
05:32And Repair Caf, it's a great idea, isn't it?
05:35It is a great idea.
05:37But I guess you've got a few different bonuses, haven't you?
05:41One, you can fix something, it doesn't go in the bin.
05:44There's the ecological side of things.
05:46Yeah.
05:47There's the financial side.
05:49Yeah, it's just good all round, really. A nice community project.
05:52So did you work in electronics or repair, or what's your background, gents?
05:57A bit of everything, to be honest with you.
05:59I used to play with car ECUs, so I've played with circuit boards and bits and pieces.
06:03Okay, yeah. Almost as a hobby, like?
06:06As a job, I did that.
06:07Okay, yeah, yeah. What about yourself, sir?
06:09Electronics was my… but not high five.
06:12Electronics as in industry electronics.
06:14Yeah, yeah.
06:15Control and that sort of thing. Process control, manufacturing control, all that sort of thing.
06:21So you must kind of like the challenge. This is like a challenge that gets set for you, isn't it?
06:26You know what I mean? Like a puzzle of the day.
06:31Well, I won't distract you two much longer. We'll let you crack on.
06:34Cheers, gents. Thank you.
06:35Okay.
06:36You've got an extra little bow to your string, haven't you? You're also part of Adams Grammar?
06:40That's right. So I work at Haberdasher's Adams, and I'm kind of in charge of the Eco Committee there,
06:45which is a group of children who are interested in sustainability and helping the environment in any way they can.
06:52And as a result of that, we went to a conference at Monmouth School.
06:56We found out about the circular economy.
06:59I then went and attended a Sustainable Newport meeting, and this was mentioned.
07:04And we'd like to replicate the repair cafe at school and bring the pupils in the school into this sort of event and project that's happening here.
07:14So would the idea be that the students would help here at the hub, or they'd have their own cafe for fellow students and that kind of vibe?
07:21We're open to ideas. I think some of them have got really good skills and would love to come and help once the repair cafe is established.
07:28And then, yes, we would do the same thing. We would replicate it at school.
07:32So once a month or once a term, once a half term, then people could come and have things repaired.
07:37Blazers that have come as part of the scene, buttons have fallen off, calculators that won't work.
07:44Just planting that seed in their minds, you know, that we can just repair things.
07:48It's not a kind of buy one, throw it away next month, get a new one kind of system, you know.
07:54Great idea. Well done. Well, good luck with that.