Saturday, May 10 was full of celebrations and activities in Rye. The mayor and lady mayoress Andy and Niki Stuart and Paul Goring were involved with three events back-to-back in the morning. First, the plant sale at which Paul did his first cry, then the Repair Café for his second and then Gladys’s one-hundredth birthday bash at the Waterworks: a hat trick of cries for Rye.
When the Repair Café started a year ago no-one could have predicted just how popular it would become. When the doors open each month there is a steady stream of people clutching items needing repair. Seated at desks around the community centre are the experts in their various fields all waiting to help. While customers wait there is always an array of beautiful home-made cakes and tea and coffee – hence the name Repair Café. This month Jane had made two special cakes to share with the volunteers after the morning session.
The mayor, Andy Stuart observed: “I was made mayor a year ago in May and this was the very first event that I came to in my official rôle. This year I have been made mayor for a second time and again this is one of the first events I have been to. I am really delighted to be here but there doesn’t seem to be anyone in the room who can look after my dodgy knees. Well done, everyone, on organising these monthly events and thank you so much to all the repairers who do a wonderful job and all those who come along to support it. It is becoming an institution in Rye so thank you very much to all the volunteers.”
In the first year the Repair Café has sharpened one hundred and eighty-five items, mended clocks and jewellery, repaired forty-two textile items, restored twelve bikes and made forty-seven electrical goods reusable, and has assisted with computers and mobiles. In total three hundred and ten items have been brought into the café. This is a remarkable achievement for sustainability and also shows the next generation that we must stop living in a throwaway society.
To mark the occasion a special exhibition created by the Human Magpies was on display. This exhibition was intended to draw attention to what we throw away, including clothes’ packaging, and many more items each year. The Human Magpies re-purpose and re-fashion these items into works of art. Kate Miller and Alison Phillips were on hand to explain how they created the thought-provoking exhibits.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Kt bruce , kt bruce .