Men's Shed to rescue for show fencing

The annual Made in Wairarapa show in August will have a whole new look, thanks to some shrewd trading and networking by Henley Men's Shed co-ordinator John Bush and weeks of work from a "bunch of blokes" at the shed.

They have produced more than 50 sections of picket fence which will mark off stall sites in the Memorial Stadium for the big event in August.

Mr Bush said the Masterton-based Men's Shed had been given a huge wooden ladder to use or sell.

"The shed had no use for it, so it gathered dust for a while."

Then, during a visit to Kiwi Timber Products, he noticed they had to hire a cherry-picker for regular roof maintenance. He also noted a pile of fence pickets, some singed by fire and all weathered by years out in the open.

A swap was quickly arranged and the ladder and pickets changed hands.

During another networking session over coffee Juken NZ, a friend and benefactor of the Men's Shed, offered free timber for the fence rails.

A number of pickets had to be discarded, but eventually there were sufficient for 52 sections of fence. The picket faces were machine-sanded at MB Brown Builders.

Men's Shed members sanded the edges and then began assembling them, glueing and nailing hundreds of pickets to the rails.

Mr Bush said it was a massive job.

"It took weeks of work. Every nail hole had to be filled and sanded."

Finally, "sheddie"' Bruce Levy sprayed the fence sections with recycled paint donated by Resene Paint Wise and the fences were handed over to Made in Wairarapa co-ordinators Alister Dickson and Pete Nikolaison two weeks ago.

Mr Nikolaison said the fences, combined with the existing partitions would enhance the show.

Approximately 60 sites will be leased to exhibitors at $100 each for the two days, compared with $2000-$3000 at a similar show in Wellington, Mr Dickson said.

About half the Masterton spaces have already been sold.

Made in Wairarapa is a non-profit organisation which aims to showcase innovation in Wairarapa.

This show, on August 24 and 25, is the sixth to be held.