Necton Men's Shed

02/06/2026

🌱🌿 June Gardening Tips from Necton Men's Shed – Mr Greenfingers Reporting for Duty! 🌿🌱

Hello gardeners, plant whisperers, enthusiastic weed-growers, and everyone in between!

After what felt like a prolonged argument between spring and winter, the sunshine finally arrived with a vengeance and our gardens have responded with an explosion of growth. Blink once and the grass has grown another inch!

Remember, a garden isn't just somewhere to work – it's somewhere to enjoy. Find a quiet corner, grab a cup of tea (or coffee), sit back and watch the birds, bees and butterflies go about their business. If you haven't got a peaceful spot yet, perhaps June is the perfect time to create one. Every gardener deserves their own little slice of tranquillity.

🌱 Grass Cuttings – Don't Waste Them!
The lawn mower is probably getting plenty of exercise at the moment. Rather than sending those grass cuttings away, why not start a compost heap? Fresh grass helps generate heat and gets the composting process moving nicely. You can even line the bottom of a pea trench with grass cuttings to provide a little extra warmth for germinating seeds. Nature's underfloor heating!

🥗 Keep the Salad Coming
If you enjoy fresh salad leaves, now's the time for another sowing of lettuce and radishes. Tomatoes can also be planted outdoors, with bush varieties often giving the best results.

🥕 Vegetables to Sow Outdoors
Beans, beetroot, carrots, courgettes, kale and turnips can all be planted now and will reward you with plenty of home-grown flavour later in the year.

🪴 Short on Space?
No problem! Sow seeds thinly in pots, tubs or window boxes and arrange them however your imagination allows. Gardening isn't about having a big garden – it's about making the most of the space you've got.

🌹 Jobs for the Flower Garden
Keep an eye on your roses, tie in those towering delphiniums before they attempt a dramatic collapse, and encourage your sweet peas to climb wherever you've persuaded them to live.

🌸 Plants for Borders and Patios
Begonias, geraniums, dahlias, nigella, cosmos and salvias will all add colour and interest throughout the summer months.

Most importantly, remember there are no gardening mistakes... only experimental landscaping projects! If something doesn't work, try something different. Gardening is all about creativity, patience and occasionally pretending you meant it to look like that.

❓ Have a gardening question? Pop it in the comments and we'll do our best to help.

🏆 Necton Garden Competition Reminder
Applications close on 12 June. Entry forms are available from the Village Butchers and the Village Shop.

Happy gardening from all at Necton Men's Shed! 🌿

01/06/2026

Another enjoyable Tuesday morning at Necton Men’s Shed last week, with plenty of stories, laughter, and biscuits!

As part of our ongoing series discovering more about the fascinating lives of our members, it was Ralph’s turn to take centre stage. Originally from North Shields, Ralph shared memories of growing up playing on the coal mine slag heaps — a sight that has long since disappeared along with much of the coal industry.

A keen sportsman from an early age, Ralph spent many hours on the football pitch and had ambitions of being picked up by a football club. Life had other plans, however, and instead he headed to university before embarking on a career as a P.E. teacher.

We were treated to some amusing tales from his teaching days, heard how he eventually found his way to Necton, and learned that his passion for football continues today through mentoring referees.

No Men’s Shed meeting would be complete without refreshments, and this week Graham kindly supplied some delicious biscuits he had brought back from his recent cruise. We can confirm they didn’t last long!

We also discussed several upcoming events, including the Necton Classic Car Show in August. Keep an eye out for posters appearing around the village and future Facebook updates.

If you own a classic vehicle and would like to display it, we’d love to hear from you.

As always, good company and good conversation.

30/05/2026

🌼🌿 Necton Garden Competition – Friendly Reminder! 🌿🌼

Right then, Necton… time to have a quiet word with your weeds and give your garden a pep talk 🌱

The Necton Men’s Shed Garden Competition is blooming again on 25 July 2026, and we’re still welcoming entries – but don’t hang about! ⏳

👉 Application deadline: 12 June 2026

Entry forms are waiting patiently for you at the Village Shop and the Butcher’s Shop – pop in, grab one, and return it there once completed. Easy as planting a petunia 🌸

This year, both front AND back gardens are in the spotlight, with five glorious categories to choose from:
🌺 Ornamental
🌿 Vegetation (plants & shrubbery)
🌼 Combination of Ornamental and Vegetation
🪴 Hanging Baskets
🌻 Planters
💥 It’s free to enter… and yes, there are prizes up for grabs!

“Mr Shed Greenfingers” will be sharing some handy hints and June Gardening Tips soon, so keep your eyes peeled 👀

27/05/2026

Phew… it’s a warm one!

Looks like summer weather has arrived early, and while we’re all enjoying the sunshine, ice creams, and finding any excuse to sit in the shade with a cold drink , this hot weather can be tough going for some people.

Please spare a thought for elderly neighbours, friends, and anyone who may be vulnerable during the heatwave. A quick check-in, a phone call, or even offering to pick up a few essentials can make a huge difference.

And don’t forget to look after yourselves too:
Drink plenty of water
Keep cool where you can
Avoid too much midday sun
And maybe swap one pint for a glass of water!

Let’s all help keep Necton looking out for one another during the hot spell.

Stay safe and enjoy the sunshine!

26/05/2026

Another entertaining week at Necton Men’s Shed as last week’s meeting had a bit of everything…

Julian gave us a fascinating talk about life on the farm, including the introduction of “Daisy May” — his new cow, who may already be more popular than some of the members! 🐄

He also explained how he built and runs his impressive irrigation system to keep his greenhouse plants growing at top speed. Very interesting stuff indeed. In fact, many of the Geraniums brightening up the village were kindly supplied thanks to Julian. 🌺👏

Then came Cedric’s famous quiz… always great fun and guaranteed to get the brain cells rattling. Huge thanks to Cedric as always. Be sure to watch Jacob’s reel to witness the calibre of questions the group had to deal with — University Challenge may be calling soon! 🤔🤣

If that still wasn’t enough entertainment, Les treated us to one of his own poems — a genuine masterpiece! Very impressive indeed… and proof that perhaps he did go to school after all. 👏📖

Looking forward to today’s meeting 😊

25/05/2026

On Sunday, several members of Necton Men’s Shed volunteered to help out at Necton FC’s Presentation Day and Fun Day, celebrating the end of the season for the children. ⚽🎉

Our important duty for the day? Supervising the bouncy castle… although it seems a few of the supervisors felt the need to carry out some “rigorous safety testing” before the public arrived! 🤔😂

Two of our brave volunteers successfully negotiated the obstacles and emerged triumphantly at the other end. But where was Derek?

Well… Derek managed to remove his shoes, stepped onto the castle… and almost immediately fell over. Unfortunately, he then discovered that getting back up on a bouncy castle is not quite as easy as it sounds! 🤣

After several moments spent bouncing around helplessly on his back like an overturned tortoise, he eventually had to be rescued by fellow Shed members.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported — apart from a slight dent to Derek’s dignity! 😄

We’re sure the photos and videos provide plenty of evidence… and entertainment!

24/05/2026

23/05/2026

Another glamorous day for the lads of Necton Men’s Shed! 🚜✂️

This time we’ve been out strimming the grass verges along St Andrews Lane — and before anyone asks, yes, we do know how to live dangerously on a narrow country lane! 😄

The tidy-up will help make passing places easier for vehicles to navigate, and it’ll also make things a bit safer and neater for the many walkers who enjoy this popular village route.

Armed with strimmers, determination, and varying levels of coordination, the team got stuck in and did a cracking job. 👍

If you see the verges looking smart, you’ll know who to blame!

20/05/2026

The planting has begun! 🌺🌼

Members of the Necton Men’s Shed gathered at the top of the village today by Costa to refresh the wooden planters with bright and cheerful geraniums. In the coming weeks, they’ll grow into a colourful welcome for everyone arriving in our village.

And we’re not stopping there! More planting will be taking place around the village and beneath street signs, adding little splashes of colour here and there to brighten our days.

Keep an eye out as Necton starts to bloom! 🌸

flowers