Wharfedale Men’s Shed in the shape of Stuart, Bob E and Bob M attended school for three days replacing some large planters for the school, part of the headmaster Chris’s drive to make the outside area more green for the children. Work commenced on a very hot summer day which continued over the three days taken to complete the project.

With the recent heatwave giving everyone a good reason to step outside, members gathered for a group photo in front of the Shed. Fifteen familiar faces, blue polo shirts and bunting overhead — a snapshot of the friendships and community spirit that make Wharfedale Men’s Shed what it is.

All Saints Primary School in Otley heard on their grapevine that WMS had created planters for specific locations at other schools in the town and so made an enquiry with the increasingly busy Shed.
A quick visit and measure up of what they wanted resulted in 3 planters being produced to brighten their main entrance and positioned ready to help celebrate the schools 50th ‘birthday’.
After their large scale event, we were delighted to receive this photograph and their thanks for a job well done.
So any size you want just let us know.

Four WMS committee members — Stuart, Bob E, Neil and Bob M — marshalled the Ilkley Half Marathon on a scorching Sunday, keeping 2,500 runners safely on course. Finishing times ranged from just over an hour to beyond four, with every runner cheered loudly across the line by the enthusiastic WMS gang.

WMS volunteers Bob Miles and Bob “Jim” Johnson restored two weathered wooden benches at Bramhope St. Giles church, sanding away years of wear before applying protective oil finishes over two sunny days. The transformation revealed stunning wood grain beneath. Church Warden Gill praised the results as “a fabulous job.”

Wharfedale Men’s Shed members have been busy crafting bird nest boxes, feeders and planters for Westgate Primary School in Otley, as part of a growing partnership with local charity Wildlife Friendly Otley. The handmade boxes — designed for robins, wrens and blue tits — were presented to the school’s Eco Team during a recent visit to Grove Hill Park.

After more than seven years of running the WMS workshop, the committee — a hardworking, if perpetually grumbling, bunch — finally sat together for a group photograph. The result was less than inspiring. Whether they couldn’t muster the enthusiasm or simply refused to, another seven years may pass before we get a better one.

Members of Wharfedale Men’s Shed built specially adapted bird boxes for Leeds Libraries as part of the Leeds Storytelling Festival. Children used the boxes to create miniature worlds that inspired new stories. The collaboration brought together community groups, libraries, and young creatives in a project celebrating imagination, storytelling, and craftsmanship.