Last Ludlow Repair Cafe of 2022 was a record breaker

Some 11 specialist repair experts were kept busy with a steady stream of customers who took a total of 38 items from furniture to cuddly toys to the event on Saturday at the town's Elim Church.

“The atmosphere was buzzing from the start,” said Di Lyle, who set up and continues to organise the Ludlow Repair Café.

"That buzz came not only from the repair room but from the owners who collected in the entrance hall to register their items.

"The repair team don’t really need an input of energy as they bring their own, along with their enthusiasm, but that buzz added something special to the morning.”

A queue had formed before the 9.30am opening time and items started to be booked in once they had been matched with one of the 11 repairers and, unlike previous recent repair cafés, there was a steady but manageable stream of customers throughout the morning.

Di added: "One of the challenges of any repair café is never knowing quite what may turn up and that continues to be true of the Ludlow café."

Ludlow Repair Café is fortunate to have specialists for particular items so there is an expectation that items within those specialist areas will be brought along – but each event still brings its surprises.

At the October event those surprises included a teddy bear with a broken arm and ‘loose’ eyes; a small chaise longue with broken front legs, a child’s pedal tractor, a 100-year-old wooden chair with a broken back and a crystal lamp base.

There were also a wide range of household and garden electrical tools and equipment: hedge trimmers and leaf blowers now that gardens have been put to bed for the winter, vacuum cleaners, lamps, food mixers and kettles - one vintage - a hot plate and a couple of humidifiers – as well as CD and cassette players and radios.

Of the 38 items the repair team tackled on Saturday, 12 had been fixed, 11 had been taken home for repair and 15 had not been repairable.

“While it is always disappointing to have to report that a repair had not been possible, it is still better to have tried,” said Di.

“Owners are always told why their item couldn’t be fixed. This may be because of that appalling ‘built-in obsolescence’ or that it has simply reached the end of its natural usefulness – but whatever the reason, my team of repairers really mind when they haven’t been able to solve the problem.”

This was the last Ludlow Repair Café of 2022 - the first one for 2023 will take place on Saturday January 28 at the Elim Church Hall.

However, the ‘At-Home’ service which was developed during the first lockdown in 2020 continues to operate a seven-day-a-week service so there is no need to wait until the New Year.

For more information or to join the team, contact 07786 620 624 or email ludlowrepaircafe@gmail.com