Making old things new

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 It was on the charity shop floor, surrounded by plastic toys and mismatched crockery. A plain plastic binder, closed with a simple clasp and complete with a carry handle. Suddenly I was 8 years old again, sitting on the floor at home, opening that clasp and poring over the contents within. I had spotted a copy of the 'Readers Digest - Complete Do It Yourself Manual'


Not traditional childhood reading matter, but  a reminder that with a few notable exceptions I have never been one for fiction. Within these grey covers lay a real world of possibility. Opening out to reveal two loose leaf sections, to the left pages of instruction on a myriad of techniques, to the right a series of brightly illustrated projects for every room in the home. I was gripped by the right hand side, often wanteddad to bring them to life, from a funky music centre to an indoor swimming pool. I don't think any ever materialised despite his constant DIY activities, but more significant were my dreams that one day these images would become inspiration for my own home. The resulting urge to make and mend things has been there ever since, and I hope will flourish now that time and space allow me to do more.

This book was definitely a 'penny in the foundations', but like so many of the memories and influences have unearthed over the last couple of years, getting reacquainted with this deep seated set of memories comes with the reminder of how much has changed with the passage of time and of the truth of the adage 'what goes around comes around'. 
Some of the information in the 'how to' sections presents a clear reminder that while many basic techniques which have been used and perfected by craftspeople over thousands of years have not changed, new materials, labour saving tools and safety standards lead to new ways of doing things. So new types of paint and wood finishes are available and the recommended way of tackling electrical installations has moved on with new legislation. Incidentally, the lack of QR codes and links to instructional YouTube videos is striking!


On the other hand, the style and colour pallete of the projects have an uncanny contemporary feel. The mid century vibe is of course bang on trend once again and here it is laid out in technicolour. Fashions seem always to come around. Rooted firmly in a past era, I was at first shocked to think that how much I used to covet some of these bit of furniture, but quickly realising that yet again that nostalgia was offering new possibility.

In my final letter to the churches in Hackney I described some of my hopes for refurbishing furniture and my plans for a new studio/workshop.  I wrote about how I intend to spend time 'making old things new - including myself'. My rediscovery of the DIY Manual encourages me to believe that those old things, even me, are still relevant, and that half of century of experience, wisdom and innovation mean their best is yet to come.






 


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