From up-cycling a workbench to buying a washing machine!

As both Jamie and Gill are into up-cycling/recycling, Gill was very excited to learn more about Jamie's new project for 2025 having seen his post on IG and watched his video on YouTube (The Worcestershire Cabinet Maker)  

Jamie's taking an old, somewhat flimsy workbench and basically rebuilding it into a much sturdier one using a lot of bits that he has rescued and are in his workshop like old drawers and other bits of wood. He'll be filming every step so people can learn from what he is doing and see how to reuse other items they might just have thrown away. 

In her own workshop (aka garage) Gill has been working on a couple of up-cycling pieces and sold a small cabinet last week - not making a profit but at least covering her costs. She explains to Jamie that she doesn't do it to make money (although that would be a bonus of course!) but because she really enjoys it and wants to save things from landfill - currently over 30 items of furniture - by giving them a new life. Plus she couldn't keep stock piling all the finished items in her workshop as she was runnning out of room!

Meanwhile 2025 for Gill started with a bang and a horrible burning smell - her trusty, old washing machine sounded like it had pebbles in it and was emitting an acrid smell! She'd had it for years and it had finally died so it was time to do some research.

Wow, she discovered how things have changed and thinks she'll need a computer science degree to do her washing! Begs the question how many people use ALL the programmes and various options? Seriously do people need to start their machines from an App on their phone?? And, as she says to Jamie to think she used to believe her washing was clean years ago when she had an old twin tub and wooden tongs to transfer the washing from washer to spinner!! She'll be reporting back as to how she gets on.