By Margaret Maccoll
Members of the Maleny Fix-it cafe brought their tools and expertise to the Noosa Regional Gallery on Saturday to join the Christmas Market and Repair Fair.
A broken ear from a toy monkey, a push mower, electronic goods and a bracelet were among the objects needing their attention.
Spokesman Paul Williamson the fix-it cafe crew volunteered their time to raise money for the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre and fix items others wouldn’t.
“We get anything from electronic goods, toasters, vacuum cleaners, chairs with bad legs,” he said. “We got a didgeridoo that removalists snapped in half. A man who specialises in wood fixed it. One guy specialises in push bikes.
“It’s just $5, and we’ll try to fix anything. We’re not competing with a repair place if it’s beyond repair. We’re about teaching people to repair things and learning about them ourselves.”
Darryl Bartlett said his repair of a bracelet which required the addition of other elements took on the Japanese tradition of wabi-sabi, the acceptance of transience and imperfection.
“It’s more perfect by being imperfect,” he said.
The Repair Fair joined a diverse group of artists displaying their works from jewellery and paintings to fabrics and an array of craft items at the market.
