On February 15th, Bryan Pentelow gave a really excellent talk entitled “The Joy of Sheds”.

Bryan told us of his upbringing in rural Northamptonshire, where boot and shoe making was a home-based industry, with workers producing footwear in the sheds and workshops in their gardens. With the demise of hand-made shoes, the sheds were turned into spaces for a variety of hobbies, and the storage of motorcycles.

Bryan spoke without notes, producing a thoughtful talk, evoking memories of the times that members could relate to. In Bryan’s case he learnt woodwork, metalwork and electrics with his father on projects including building a guitar, a crystal set, even a canoe. In Bryan’s stories sheds were places for imagination that resulted in developing craft skills and making valued items – as well as developing philosophies such as ‘never throw anything away, it may be useful one day’.