Tuesday 1 October 2019

Satisfied Screwfix Super-Scrounger

Last Friday morning I went with Bob, and our friends Alan and Dave, to the Screwfix Live 2019 exhibition at the Farnborough Exhibition and Conference Centre.
This is an annual outing. Bob and his friends go because they can look at tools, and try out equipment, and even occasionally, purchase something [at a better price than usual] It's great fun.

I wandered around, and stopped to look at the JigTech- a tool which enables you to fit a door handle easily. "Oh go on. Have a try!" said the chap on the stand. 
"We haven't had a woman make an attempt yet" So he talked me through the process [fix the jig, drill the big hole, change the chuck, drill the small hole, fit the hardware, tap it in with a hammer]
"OK, here I go" I said - and picked up the cordless Makita and did the job. I realised two things as I finished- [1] there was quite a crowd watching and [2] he hadn't even bothered to use the stopwatch.
Felt slightly aggrieved by this - was it that he thought I would take half an hour? or was it that he was afraid I might complete it faster than the blokes ad damage their male pride?
But my main activity was to explain to the stallholders that I was collecting freebies for Christmas shoeboxes, which would go to teenage lads in Romania. I said that I was just there to scrounge their freebies on behalf of young people who have very little. 
Thank you to all those generous exhibitors who gave me stuff- I came away with over eighty items. Pens, pencils, screwdriver sets, beanie hats, water bottles, keyrings and more...
Do you remember Neil Buchanan on Art Attack? He used to lay everyday items out to make a big picture.
When we got home, I decided to do that with my Screwfix Haul. Here's hoping these things put smiles on the faces of the Romanian Recipients.

6 comments:

  1. Your creation actually reminds me of Mr Buchanan a bit!

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  2. A very clever bloke - I used to enjoy watching him on TV when my girls were small [in my childhood, it was Tony Hart and 'Vision On'- in rather more limited black and white]

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  3. I remember Art Attack - brilliant. Love your representation and good for you for collecting and making use of all those freebies.
    Wish he'd timed you!

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  4. You made a great picture with your freebies! I'm sure the recipients will be happy with their gifts.

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  5. Well done to Screwfix for being generous and to you too for collecting the items - I am sure they will love them.

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  6. And it's good to make shoeboxes for teenage lads - they are always the hardest, so I imagine there are fewer people putting them together. I'm sure your gifts (or rather, the stall holders' gifts) will be appreciated.

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