National Volunteer Week

[optima21]

This week 01/06/20 to 07/06/20 is national volunteer week, so lets see who gives their time to make make the world a better place and what do you do.

so here's my background, if you didnt already know.

..in September 2017 the local industrial museum reopened being run by volunteers after being mothballed by the local council nearly 20 years earlier. as it was local I thought I'd better turn up and see what it was about and in November 2017 I turned up and posted this

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/treadle-powered-metalworking-lathe.77481/#post-1081439

I hadnt been in a museum for around 20 years and then decided that I had an interest in industrial heritage and started visiting local museums.

in May 2018 I visited Bolton Steam Museum
https://www.nmes.org/

and seeing how the volunteers interacted with the vistors on a steaming day I decided that I needed to make a model steam engine and this happened

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/jenny-wren-a-tiny-steam-steam-engine.82984

and the other thing that happened was that I needed to get involved in the volunteering, so in June 2018 I signed up, and this happened

thats me on my first day on the job, I had only called in to pick up a t shirt but they were short of volunteers that day so I thought I'd stick around, and was sent to the basement to explain about the engineering heritage of the town to visitors.

normally at the museum I'd demonstrating wire drawing or the history of John Mackintosh (and Quality Street)

the museums website isnt the most interactive

https://calderdaleindustrial.co.uk/

but on trip adviser we are the no.1 attraction in the local area

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attra...al_Museum-Halifax_West_Yorkshire_England.html


I really miss going there because of the lockdown, hopefully it'll re-open soon, as you never know who you'll be talking to or what you'll be talking about.

so what do you guys out there do.

 

[Migmac]

I’ve taken a step back from being a volunteer coach, kids golf. I’ll still do it once a month over the winter and see if my interest gets rekindled.

 

[Barking Mat]

I've taken a step down from being heavily involved in a Breton Maritime museum and partially involved with a Mining museum, all due to life constraints. (Family and house renovation). They understand, I'll be back one day...

Used to help with 'The Finch Foundry' in Sticklepath, Devon, well worth a visit.

 

[Parm]

I’ve done a shed load of volunteering, I really have

 

[Parm]

I've taken a step down from being heavily involved in a Breton Maritime museum and partially involved with a Mining museum, all due to life constraints. (Family and house renovation). They understand, I'll be back one day...

Used to help with 'The Finch Foundry' in Sticklepath, Devon, well worth a visit.

Is it still there?

I’m only about 1.5 miles away

 

[Tinbasherdan]

I tried to get involved with the museum of science and industry in Manchester, in their neglected aviation hall. I was told no thanks, but did I want to do something a bit more in keeping with what kids want, I could volunteer on a computer games exhibit?

 

[jerrytug]

I've taken a step down from being heavily involved in a Breton Maritime museum and partially involved with a Mining museum, all due to life constraints. (Family and house renovation). They understand, I'll be back one day...
Used to help with 'The Finch Foundry' in Sticklepath, Devon, well worth a visit.

Which one? A huge guess, Douarnanez?

 

[Barking Mat]

@Parm , I think there's two Sticklepaths in Devon, the one I was referring to is next to okehampton, North end of Dartmoor.

Three water wheels and a line shaft driven power hammer, or somesuch.

Well worth a couple of hours, quiche and cream teas are good.

 

[magnet]

https://www.remap.org.uk/ I volunteered with this charity a few years back really rewarding. With the talent displayed on this forum strikes me there's a lot of people here who could make a difference to peoples lives.

 

[Barking Mat]

@jerrytug , maritime museum, hmm, I'd had a few last night.

Inland waterways boats museum type thing more accurate.

Musée de la Batellerie, Redon.

This place is the only place, which owns two original Breton barges, and uses them for teaching children, things, and has a living, museum to the history of the Nantes Brest canal.

I won't bore you.

Rebuilt engines, gearboxes, met some amazing characters and had the chance to work with some of these people over the last 10 / 15 years.

Met some great friends, who had had fascinating lives on the canals, working.

And learnt how to drink.....

 

[bricol]

Flippin' 'eck Mr. Optima 21 . . . you had a PB Mustang when I knew you! With roller clutches in all four drive shafts!

 

[optima21]

Flippin' 'eck Mr. Optima 21 . . . you had a PB Mustang when I knew you! With roller clutches in all four drive shafts!

ohh is a small world and you'll have to give me a hint as to who are

Id forgotten about that it was that long ago, but yeah it would have been a mini mustang in the early 90's, and my name on here is from its predecessor, the Kyosho Optima.

 

[jerrytug]

@jerrytug , maritime museum, hmm, I'd had a few last night.

Inland waterways boats museum type thing more accurate.

Musée de la Batellerie, Redon.

This place is the only place, which owns two original Breton barges, and uses them for teaching children, things, and has a living, museum to the history of the Nantes Brest canal.

I won't bore you.

Rebuilt engines, gearboxes, met some amazing characters and had the chance to work with some of these people over the last 10 / 15 years.

Met some great friends, who had had fascinating lives on the canals, working.

And learnt how to drink.....

Aha thanks Mat. A bunch of us were planning to properly rag the wooden ship/shanty festivals in Brittany this summer on my old gaff cutter Marihøna, starting with Fécamp, then Brest, then DZ, then round to Lorient, but the bat flu has obviously put the kibosh on it. Redon, on my list

 

[Gragson]

@optima21 I believe I have copyright on that haircut, be chasing you for royalties.

Company I work for donate something like 4 days a year of my time for volunteer work, tend do do canal upkeep work, it's actually quite hard to find worthy volunteer work locally sometimes.
Would be interested in doing some restoration work at the local lawn mower museum, might enquire on that..

 

[Barking Mat]

Redon, was a nice town.

TGV links, centrally based, shame about the local council.

 

[bricol]

ohh is a small world and you'll have to give me a hint as to who are

Id forgotten about that it was that long ago, but yeah it would have been a mini mustang in the early 90's, and my name on here is from its predecessor, the Kyosho Optima.

Yep, I had an original Optima (think the drivers figure moulding is still stored somewhere) but went Schumacher CAT after that - and in-fact, there's one in the cupboard right now
Think blue Renault 11 . . . with detachable offside rear door . . . and the track under Sainsbury's petrol station

 

[optima21]

Yep, I had an original Optima (think the drivers figure moulding is still stored somewhere) but went Schumacher CAT after that - and in-fact, there's one in the cupboard right now
Think blue Renault 11 . . . with detachable offside rear door . . . and the track under Sainsbury's petrol station

yeah ohh I remember those days well, and when you say that, looking at your name on here makes the penny drop.

and you were responsible for making me want to build a Westfield, so I collected the mechanical parts I needed and then realised I wouldnt get round to building it and I dont drive fast enough to warrant one.

I can remember that you were relatively successful in your auto testing days with a car that shouldn't have been.