Gravesham Repair Café

It's now April 2026 We've been running Gravesham Repair Café for over two years and some types of repair have cropped up many times. Bicycle brakes It might be that brake pads or blocks have worn down and need replacing. but it's pretty usual that they are rubbed smooth or out of alignment.  A bit of sandpapering can roughen them up temporarily and adjusting their position can fix the alignment. Another common issue is the brake cables stretching over time and they need adjusting to take up the slack. Bicycle chain and gears Bikes are lightweight for obvious reasons so the metalwork isn't particularly strong.  We often receive bikes that have been dropped or knocked over resulting in misaligned gears and chains.  This might require a bit of brute force bending things back in place but usually just needs adjustment. Bicycle punctures Unlike car tyres bikes have inner tubes inside their tyres.  When these are punctured they can be patched with a sticky patch ...

Recently, a lovely couple visited our Repair Café with a cherished musical snow globe that holds deep sentimental value. This snow globe is a precious souvenir of a trip to New York 20 years ago, where bride-to-be Lenalouise and her mother chose wedding outfits together, just eight years before Lenalouise’s untimely passing.   Lenalouise was a remarkable talent, winning numerous trophies for her singing and dancing. At just 10 years old, she performed in a London theatre, where she had the incredible opportunity to meet Princess Diana and many stars. Her passion for performing shone brightly, and her mother recalls how she truly came alive on stage. Though her time with her family and friends was far too short, Lenalouise filled her life and theirs with joy and achievement, leaving behind a legacy of love and cherished memories.     Unfortunately the snow globe was now leaking so her parents brought it to our Repair Café. One of our repairers was glad to refill it and rep...

This was our last Repair Café in Vigo for 2024 hence the Christmas outfits. We had another successful event with plenty of items brought for attention.  So many that one of us was still reassembling a repaired vacuum cleaner after colleagues had cleared away the other tables and chairs. Record player, coffee grinder, music box, valve driven tape recorder, antique clock... you name it. As ever we captured some photos of the day. And some ladies returned to continue making emergency blankets from crisp packets.  How clever!

This was our first Repair Café at St George's Church Hall. Since first running our Repair Café events a year ago we steadily saw an increase in the number of visitors wanting things mended.  It reached the point where our previous venue in Northfleet could no longer cope so this month we relocated to larger premises.   It's as well we did relocate.  This was our busiest event ever.  At times there were people waiting up to an hour for attention, but at least they could sit and enjoy tea and biscuits (still free of charge). We were also joined by representatives of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and Bellway Homes as a follow up to the generous support they have given us. As ever we gathered a number of photos from the day - here are just a few.  You may be able to guess what each item was that came in for diagnosis and repair. Time for a cuppa ! And finally some group photos while one member treated us to Christmas carols on his flute.