Man Shed

Wed 3 Jan 2018, 13:59 (last edited on Wed 3 Jan 2018, 16:04)

Just to alert you to a gender-neutral shed opportunity now available to someone who is interested in committing themselves to active upkeep and cultivation of the associated allotment plot on the site opposite Wellington Cottages. See the Wellington Cottages Allotment Association (WCAA) notice in the Adverts section of this website.

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 19:02

This turned up on a website I often drop by:
boingboing.net/2018/01/02/an-inside-look-at-noisebridge.html

Like the "one rule" -
Be excellent to each other.
I found it worth the watch, better stuff towards the end about what a space should be. And room for Harriet's ten yard loom!
Stray bales make excellent cheap, large, and highly insulated spaces...

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 19:00

That's a challenging comment Hans!

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 17:08 (last edited on Tue 2 Jan 2018, 17:09)

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 16:50

I'm now convinced that the Higgs boson particle was found by Harriet in her loom - she is just too modest to claim the discovery so told everyone that it had come from the Hadron Collider.

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 16:01

The website doesn't do Cyrillic though Richard :-)

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 15:59

-'-? -?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-??

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 15:39

å ä ö

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 14:37

I was surprised the website displayed the character å correctly!

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 14:29

Jag studerar Svenska på Uppsala, Hans.

Thank you to everyone who's offered help and advice, I'll be in touch

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 14:02

I was impressed Harriet used the character å correctly.

Tue 2 Jan 2018, 10:27

This thread seems to be diverting somewhat from the original theme. What about a new thread "The Baldwin Loom Project" or some similar heading?

Mon 1 Jan 2018, 21:37 (last edited on Mon 1 Jan 2018, 22:21)

The trouble with that loom Jim is that it's basically what I bought from you with added treadles (foot peddles). It won't have enough heddles (the bits on the shafts for the warp to go through), and because that type is no longer in production it means refitting the entire…

Long post - click to read full text

Mon 1 Jan 2018, 21:05

pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=253335604804&alt=web
Harriet, building a good loom is difficult although I admire the idea. Check out the attached ebay item...a real bargain. Couldn't buy the materials for that.

Mon 1 Jan 2018, 15:19 (last edited on Mon 3 Feb 2020, 13:41)

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Mon 1 Jan 2018, 14:43

Love it.....

Mon 1 Jan 2018, 13:25

Crumbs Harriet. Hats off!

Mon 1 Jan 2018, 13:01

As you say, I'm not sure where in Charlbury there's a suitable building.

Re the loom I also have vague plans for building a double width version of Andreas Müller's flying 8, and possibly doubling the shafts. I don't think that's the kind of thing a shed would help with as he's apparently designed so you can make them without power tools. It's just a question of doubling dimensions I think.

Mon 1 Jan 2018, 11:58

Actually Harriet this is exactly the sort of thing that could be done at a shed -
working on adapting a loom yourself and/or asking for help and advice from other members. So many such projects could be worked on if and when Charlbury gets a suitable space.

Mon 1 Jan 2018, 01:16

Any men planning to go to Yack & Yarn on Tuesday?

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 17:20

Thanks Helen. "Ignorance, pure ignorance"! As a Father of 3 (now adult) children, and Grandfather to 4 - all of mixed gender, I'm very aware of this issue. So when one of my sons wanted to go to ballet classes, I encouraged him and he showed great promise. It ended when one day at a class one of the Mothers told him "boys don't do ballet". He was devastated and never went again. So sometimes it's women who reinforce the stereotypes - and men who challenge them.
Great video Rhona. I hope all who are interested in this issue take the time to watch it.
Harriet. Interesting - I think this was the way the thread was moving. Perhaps we need some sort of facility, where ideas and advice can be exchanged, and where there are communal tools?

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 16:27

Not quite Harriet but I can help you with the weaving and ideas for adapting a loom.

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 16:16

Beer fridge , swearing and a topless calendar !

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 13:12

I'd be interested in a community group which did this kind of thing. I've been to the WI, it's not really my kind of thing. As an example I have a project, I bought a loom from Jim Holah a year ago, and as soon as I got it home realised it was too small. So it needs hacking - more shafts added, and if possible foot peddles, and if I'm really clever some electronics and coding. The WI can't help me with that, it's not what they do. The area weavers guild can't either, so I have to do it myself. Most of it is fairly simple cutting and putting together of bits of wood and thin metal, but I have nowhere to do it.

I do realise this isn't what Rhona is talking about though.

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 12:29

Yes you are quite right Miranda we do have a Probus club for men which anyone who would like to come and meet up is welcome to join.
Although it is a men only club we do have a number of outings where partners are also welcome and we also have some meetings when they can come for a meal.
We meet on the first Wednesday of the month at Witney Lakes and have a good reasonably priced meal with a speaker afterwards
If anyone is interested then they can come along for a free lunch to see if they like it.
The next meeting will be on the 7th February so please just let me know if you would like to try it out

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 12:21 (last edited on Mon 3 Feb 2020, 13:43)

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Sat 30 Dec 2017, 11:08

This is what it's all about. Watch the video. vimeo.com/110898334

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 09:57

Hannen you might like to know that the scouts first started accepting girls in 1976! And haven't been known as the "boy scouts" in many years. But more seriously, this isn't just a matter of "political correctness", it's a big issue. As Liz says it doesn't send a good message to the kids of Charlbury about the roles of men and women (and if you are not a parent of young kids you might not realise quite the mountain that anyone who cares about gender equality faces, with marketing that encourages girls to be princesses and boys to be pirates being just the tip of the iceberg). If this were a community-funded project then it certainly would be unfair to set up a workshop that only men could use. Perhaps a better solution would be to set it up as a resource that any group could book and use, and if there were enough men who wanted to book it for a men's only session then they could do so.

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 09:42

Interesting comments Miranda, and link, but if possible, I think it would be more positive and constructive to move away from the gender battlefield. Malcolm - Oxford Hackspace looks great - and no gender issues as far as I can tell!
Good idea Hans. We could have one room for men, another for women and a model railway setup upstairs. Monthly subs would provide a revenue stream, and I'm sure we could garner sponsorship. OR we knock the whole thing down and start again.

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 08:59

I think this would be a good thing for Charlbury. Finding premises will be a challenge though. Can I suggest as a possibility the former library room in the Corner House?

Sat 30 Dec 2017, 04:57

"Mens" (sic) Shed - or Community Workshop like the one in Oxford by the Old Gaol, and others around the country?
Oxford Hackspace
oxhack.org/
Be much more useful. Much more active movement in the colonies BTW.

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 23:50

Stop the world I want to get off!!

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 20:05 (last edited on Mon 3 Feb 2020, 13:44)

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Fri 29 Dec 2017, 19:37

Actually, Hannen, I can see a time when that might well happen. But this thread isn't about the WI, so shall we stick to discussing the original proposal? It seems to me all those who have responded so far think the facilities themselves would be a great idea.

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 19:16

I understand your concerns Liz, and respect them. So I assume that you are going to remove "Women" from "Women's Institute"?

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 19:06

I very much agree with the points raised by Helen. The facilities sound great, but I would also have concerns about the label 'Men's Shed'. Surely those who wished to use such a facility wouldn't be scared off by the possibility of running into the odd handywoman? Restricting the use of any community facility to just one gender sends a very clear message to the children of Charlbury that the activities promoted by the venue aren't open to all.

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 16:46

Agree Rhona. Your link to the BBC article, which started this thread, was inspiring. Why sacrifice people's happiness, sense of self-esteem, and lives on the alter of political correctness? Whatever next? Abolish the Girl Guides and Scouts, all male sports e.g Rugby, Football - oh, and the WI as well? We need to adopt a proportionate approach to this sensitive issue.

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 14:36

Sorry Helen, but I don't agree. Just occasionally men (and, for that matter, women as well) need somewhere where they can simply have a craic with their mates as they will have done in the workplace. There's nothing wrong with women coming along to help out if the occasion or activity demands it but as soon as that becomes the norm, the dynamic changes and people start to feel marginalised. What on earth is wrong with having a man space for men (and a women space for women if that's what they want). They can even be next door to each other so that there can be interchange where the occasion /activity demands it. At the moment, I'm concerned particularly about the tradespeople, engineers, lorry drivers, etc (who are still statistically much more likely to be men than women though I guess that may change in the future) - and academics - who have been doing the same job for maybe 40 years and suddenly they retire and immediately lose the structure of their day/night. They need to get out and keep active - but that requires having somewhere for them to go and a reason for going. I don't know about you, but I know that there are times when I don't want 'the man of the house' under my feet in 'my' kitchen because he's got nowhere to go.....

Fri 29 Dec 2017, 10:42

Hi Simon, thanks for your answer. I can see that this is well-intentioned. I still remain uneasy about something so specifically gendered though, and the assumption that only men would be intested in learning practical skills like fixing a bike. For that matter, I would be all for opening up things like the WI to men too. Why not let anyone who is interested and feels the need to connect come along?

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 18:10

Simon - agree.
John - ok, so long as we can all have a go!

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 16:36

Simon said it - Model Railway Club... Anyone interested? We'd need a secure shed for that!!

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 14:44 (last edited on Thu 28 Dec 2017, 14:49)

I've taken a look at the Men's Sheds Association website. They look like great places to be in.

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 14:34

Great idea, and dovetails, to some degree with James Styring's idea for a communal pot of tools. (Although it pains me to admit that I agree with James.;-) )
I live in a fairly cramped cottage and am sure that my Wife would love to get me out sometimes. Also, I have some basic carpentry skills (ok, very basic) and would love to continue my exploration of Pyrography, without filling our living room up with smoke (from the wood!). Also, exchanging ideas.
I'd happily put some money in a kitty (can't run to £1000 though) to create a facility.
Sorry, I have no gender issue, but the fact is that "wimmin" appear to me to have more opportunities to congregate, which is wonderful. Not so many, if any, for men. I think this may be a social historical thing. Men get clubby in the pub, which is expensive, ruinous to health, and leads to all sorts of peculiar exchanges of opinions. Bit like this Forum I suppose. ;-)
I went on a spoon carving course at Blenheim recently even though my Wife observed "I thought you were making a spoon, not a mallet." It was great fun, but I simply don't have anywhere to carry on.
On a more serious note, before I came to Charlbury, I was Chairman of the Avon Dassett Men's Club which had been set up by the local Vicar as a place where men could meet and mingle, go for day trips, listen to interesting speakers etc. A sort of male WI.
The number of (male) winter suicides in that rural community dropped significantly. Which was the Vicar's intention and motivation.
Win - happier marital relationship, life enrichment, and reduction of self-harm. Loss? - You tell me.
Please email me here if you would be interested in a man shed/club.

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 13:51

I think that we are in danger here of missing the point about Men's Sheds completely. The idea is pretty straight-forward - to set up a venue where men who are retired (or no longer working) can socialise while doing hands-on things that interest them. Things like fixing the grandkids'…

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Thu 28 Dec 2017, 12:12 (last edited on Mon 3 Feb 2020, 13:45)

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Thu 28 Dec 2017, 10:48 (last edited on Thu 28 Dec 2017, 12:29)

removed.

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 10:43

If you create a space with lots of specialist equipment but then only allow half the population to use it, then I think there is a
problem.

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 10:42

On a lighter note , and I know it wont happen, but I fancy one of those Green Shepherd type caravans as a peace haven in my garden for summer. One can but dream.

Thu 28 Dec 2017, 03:14

The possibilities with CCD, FabLabs are endless:-)
boingboing.net/2017/12/26/high-school-student-built-chip.html

Wed 27 Dec 2017, 03:38

I did mention "startups" as the idea of a Community Resource Centre is a mite more than "a shed". And if you know your history of innovation it ain't all one gender (more like socio-economic valuation of certain "types" of technology .. Etc etc ...

English culture has been awful at innovation since at least Crystal Palace ... and the future isn't going to be just databits. We are on the cusp of something new with materials and it's clear for some time now dominant cultural - e.g gender roles - aren't enabling factors in solving our existential problems. And opportunities.

Don't get me started on gender and technology at this time of night...

Tue 26 Dec 2017, 19:55

Why not. This is not meant to be a gender issue but sometimes men just want to do things like woodwork and engineering stuff and chatting without having women around and I can't see anything wrong in that - not can I see anything wrong in having a ladies shed as well (though I suspect there might be more sewing machines etc) And of course some men like to sew and some women like to change a plug......

Tue 26 Dec 2017, 17:32

Why just for men??

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 18:03

Check out the MIT "FabLab" which I know have had a number purchased by community workshop groups in Canada and the USA. "Making" is much bigger in the old English speaking "colonies" than it is a cultural thing in Britain. There is a community workshop with sophisticated CCD or CCS (what is the right acronym for these machines?) in Oxford down by the Old Gaol somewhere, and a modest British movement for these sorts of facilities, but can't remember what it is called. People use it for things like prototyping, say, disability equipment, and for startups where someone has a bright idea, so isn't all for hobbyists but can be a useful adjunct to small business seeders.

I'd happily put in a good bit of money for access share to these resources, been frustrated for years by not having a workshop! £1000 a share would quickly raise enough for a FabLab! Premises in Rushey Bank eh?

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 13:20

Shepherds huts are beautiful but probably a bit on the small side for several burly men and all their work benches and tools.....

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 12:17

We sell "Man cave" wooden signs like old road signs design only £25.00
open till 4pm Christmas Eve

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 11:59

Great Idea
I believe there is one in Chadlington already see
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/30/downing-street-to-garden-retreat-david-cameron-spends-25000-on-luxury-hut
Perhaps some of us should go along there

Sun 24 Dec 2017, 11:56

Is there anywhere we can set up a man shed in Charlbury?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-42426777