News

A Personal Story: Tom Hollins The SMSA interviews father-of-five, armed forces veteran and Comrie Shedder Tom Hollins (53) who following medical discharge from the army found his local Men’s Shed and is now embarking on a new venture—to set up a veterans’ hub a stone’s throw away from the Shed base at Cultybraggan Camp. Tom, originally from Belfast, had a military upbringing from day one, his dad was in The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) providing recovery and

A Personal Story: George Smith The SMSA interviews 49-year-old George Smith from the Black Isle Men’s Shed who, following a major accident at work, had to give up work in 2005. At a loose end, George started delivering green woodworking tutorials to members in Feddanhill Wood behind Fortrose.George said: “I had been a carpenter and joiner since the age of 16—travelling all over the UK to wherever the work took me on projects of a transient nature and thoroughly enjoying

A Personal Story: Alex Hunter Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood Men’s Shed (KBMS) member Alex Hunter—a Ministry of Defence veteran in his mid-70s with a newfound passion for bodging garden planters—reflects on the impact that the Shed has had on him. Alex said: “I joined KBMS when it first started up in 2019. We all had a meeting in the local community centre and the place was full with people keen to have their very own local Men’s Shed. “Forms were handed