Warwickshire County Council’s Registration Services team has taken inspiration from TV’s The Repair Shop to save a much-loved ceremony item.
Warwickshire County Council’s Registration Services team has taken inspiration from TV’s The Repair Shop by working with the Men’s Sheds Association to save a much-loved ceremony item located at Pageant House in Warwick.
A 1930s oak perpetual calendar, which has been a part of the ceremony room furniture at Pageant House for as long as staff can remember, had gradually fallen into a state of disrepair through old age and regular use over time. The calendar is updated to the correct day and date each day by the staff working at Pageant House and is a cherished item by many couples who marry at the venue and choose to feature the calendar showing their wedding date in official ceremony photographs.
Anni Clarke, one of the Registrars, looked after the calendar with her husband Peter, who was able to repair the calendar for a time. However, signs of wear quickly began to re-appear and it became apparent that more serious restoration work would be required in order to secure its future use at Pageant House.
Anni reached out to fellow Registrar Chris Deakin and her husband Graham, who is a regular member of the Moreton-in-Marsh branch of the Men’s Sheds Association, set-up by the charity Cotswold Friends. Members of Men’s Sheds Association (which can be men or women) attend communal spaces to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills on both community and individual projects, and to enjoy making and mending. The association focuses on improving wellbeing by reducing loneliness and social isolation through uplifting camaraderie, friendship, fun, and peer support for those whose attend. To find out more about loneliness and isolation support available in Warwickshire, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/loneliness
Graham received the calendar from Anni already disassembled and set to work on repairing the calendar at the Moreton-in-Marsh Men’s Sheds group. The repair work included restoring the numbers and dates printed on the linen strips and reassembling the multiple oak panels to form the calendar’s elegant exterior casing. The work took several weeks to complete, but Graham was able to restore the item back into good working order, and safely return it to Pageant House for both staff and couples to enjoy in the ceremony room for many years to come.
Cllr Andy Jenns, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation, said:
“Warwickshire County Council is very environmentally conscious and so anything that we can repair or reuse helps to support the environment, save money, and reduce our carbon footprint. The Registration Services team have taken this approach in their stride, and I am delighted to see that the much-loved perpetual calendar at Pageant House has been so wonderfully restored, ready to be enjoyed once again by the people of Warwickshire celebrating life’s most special moments.”
To contact Registration Services to discuss a new or existing ceremony in Warwickshire, visit the Ceremonies in Warwickshire website or email registration@warwickshire.gov.uk
To find out more about how to reuse and recycle your old items in Warwickshire, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/reuse.
Warwickshire’s network of Repair Cafes provides tools, resources and expert help to help repair and restore items. There are currently locations in Rugby; Southam; Harbury; Stratford-upon-Avon; Budbrooke; Leamington Spa and Henley-in-Arden. Visit https://www.repaircafe.org/en/ for more information.
The County Council is also currently engaging with residents about the draft Sustainable Futures Strategy, which establishes the County Council’s approach to reducing carbon emissions, supporting biodiversity, and promoting economic growth in Warwickshire. You can find out more and have your say at https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/sustainable-futures-strategy/.