AN ELLESMERE resident is looking forward to the opening of the town's very own repair cafe, in the hope they will be able to fix her beloved family heirloom.
Di Parkes is hoping that someone at Ellesmere’s first repair cafe will be able to work their magic to restore her family's mechanical Father Christmas.
She said: "We have had this Father Christmas for some time.
"It was my mother-in-law’s, and we’ve hung on to it for sentimental reasons.
"It’s obviously mechanical but whether it should make a sound or move, we can’t remember.
"It isn’t worth anything to anyone except to us."
The cafe will be held at Ellesmere Town Hall on Saturday, April 1, between 1pm and 4pm.
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At least 10 volunteer fixers have been recruited with skills ranging from bike repairing, through to sewing, gluing and screwing - and all for free.
Organiser Amanda Weeks said: "We are hoping our cafe will help prevent items going to landfill or maybe can restore someone’s quirky heirloom.
"This could become a regular event in our town."
In addition to being able to get some well-loved but broken items repaired, there will be ample opportunity to taste delicious homemade cakes to go alongside a cup of tea.
David Brown, who will be on hand to fix bikes, said: "I have been riding and repairing my bikes for 30 years.
"The repair cafe is a chance to share my enthusiasm for cycling with neighbours, do a few repairs to keep them riding, and pass on some knowledge.
"Bikes are simple machines that have remained basically unchanged for 100 years.
"With basic maintenance, bikes will last a lifetime."
Repair cafes now run throughout the country, and they repair anything from electrical items, like toasters and kettles, to clothes, toys, ornaments, and even some small pieces of furniture.
Geoff Ardill is a fixer who can deal with some wooden pieces.
He said: "One problem with wooden items is that the glue often dries out or cracks appear and things fall apart.
"Armed with a few pots of glue and basic fixings I can tackle small repairs on wooden objects including smaller items of furniture."
Since retiring, Geoff has made a hobby out of making ukeleles.
Stephanie Conover is passionate about extending the life of clothes.
Although she has been sewing since a child, it is only in the last eight years that she has been sewing her own and her children’s wardrobes.
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She said: "I might want my kettle fixing. The guy fixing my kettle might want the hole in the elbow of his shirt repairing.
"I hate fast fashion, it is an evil thing.
"If we can keep our clothes on our backs for a bit longer, the world will be a better place."
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