Sanquhar & District Men's Shed

11/06/2026

Hi everyone, Karl here.

For our upcoming August 2026 Away Day, we are implementing a new voting system rather than just selecting the destination.

We are currently testing this approach with two viable options:
- Dumfries Museum
- The Devil's Porridge Museum
Please cast your vote in person at the Shed.

The deadline to vote is 8th July 2026. Once the vote closes, we will begin planning the trip for the winning location...

As always, this away day will be available to all shed members, with all travel, entry, and £10 towards food costs covered.

See the attached flyer for details on travel times, costs, and amenities for both locations....

15/05/2026

15/05/2026

What a Fantastic Day at Kelvingrove!...

What a brilliant day out for the guys at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum today! From the world-class art to the incredible history, it was a trip to remember. Here are a few pictures from myself and various members.

What’s Next?...
As we look ahead to future "Away Days," we want to do things a bit differently. This trip was planned at relatively short notice, and since the Shed belongs to the members, we want you to have the final say on where we head next.

To get the ideas flowing, we’re putting together a "Shortlist" of potential locations. We want to keep that "no pressure, no expectations" vibe while ensuring we pick spots that our members (ranging from age 18 to 90) will all enjoy for a day out.

Got a suggestion? Whether it’s a historic site, a technical museum, or just a great spot for a wander, let us know in the comments or grab a chat with us at the Shed!

So, from me and all the members, goodnight and have a great weekend.

— Karl

07/05/2026

ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO!...

Our FREE trip to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is happening next Friday, the 15th of May. We’ve still got a few spaces left...

Important: We need final numbers by Next Wednesday, the 13th of May. If you haven't put your name down yet, make sure to visit the Shed and sign up before the deadline.

Don't miss out on a great day of art, history, and a good catch-up with the chaps!

01/05/2026

Next Away Day: Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum!
On Friday, 15th May 2026... This Completely FREE for Shed members thanks to our supporters and fundraising, The Shed will provide £10 towards your lunch at the museum café/Local shop

Spaces are strictly limited to 16 people, So don't wait! Get your name on the sign-up sheet at the shed by Wednesday, 13th May to secure your spot.

We know this is a bit shorter notice than usual, but bus availability is very tight at the moment, if we didn't jump on this date now, we wouldn't be able to get a bus again until July!...

30/04/2026

A visit today to Ayr and Prestwick Men's Shed. Always interesting to see the different projects taken on by other Sheds and the amazing array of skills spread across the network.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/688205522306929/?ref=share

27/04/2026

Missed out at our Coffee Morning? Well You're in luck!
We still have a fantastic selection of handmade items left over from the event, and we need to get them cleared out to make room in the workshop for our next projects!

From beautifully turned wooden bowls and our hand-carved walking sticks to planters, birdhouses, bug hotels, and more—there is plenty left to choose from....

Come down to the Shed and have a browse! Because we really want these items to find good homes (and we desperately need our bench space back!, So if you ask nicely... you might just get a wee discount! 😉)

📍 Where to find us: The Shed (St Brides Church Hall, St Mary's St, Sanquhar)

When to pop in:
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

23/04/2026

Spring is finally here, and the guys have been busy at the shed!

Andy and Karl have been putting their heads together to give our local Swifts a much-needed helping hand as they migrate back for the summer.

The Woodwork: Andy has been hard at work at the benches knocking together some top-notch Swift nest boxes... We still have a few left in stock, so pop in during our normal opening hours if you want to stick one up on your wall!

New Shed-Made Tech!!: Of course, an empty nest is no good to anyone. So, to make sure the birds actually find these new boxes, Karl has been tinkering away on something a bit different this year. He made some Solar Powered Swift Callers! These clever bits of kit run completely off the sun and play a lure to draw the Swifts to the nesting sites. We are officially in the "Alpha Testing" phase now (making sure they can handle the Scottish weather!), with some excellent guidance from swift enthusiast Andrew Turney. We have a few up around Dumfries and Galloway... so keep an ear out!

Want to set one up? Karl’s callers are available to order through our Shed. Because every single unit is hand-built and tested by us, they are made-to-order, so please bear with us for a few days while we put yours together...

Karl has put together a cracking webpage explaining exactly how the system works, the tech specs, a demo of the caller's web portal thingy... and some great photos of the units up on the wall. Have a read here:
👉 https://draco.work/projects/swift-caller

16/04/2026

(🏆 PLEASE READ IF YOU HAVE ENTERED OUR RAFFLE THIS MORNING 🏆)

WOW! A massive THANK YOU to everyone! 🎉
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our Coffee Morning raised an incredible £1155 for our Men's Shed!

Thank you so much to everyone who came along, bought a ticket, donated a prize, baked some lovely treats, and supported us. We are blown away by the generosity of our community.

Our Raffle was a huge hit, but we still have a few lucky winners who weren't there at the end to collect their prizes! If your name is on the list below, please pop down to the Shed during our regular opening hours to claim your winnings:

🏆 RAFFLE WINNERS TO COLLECT:
* Jenny Kinnear - Victoria Chocolate biscuits (Ticket 256-260) & Black label Shiraz (Ticket 566-570)
* Lea Speawall – M&S Baskets (Ticket 316-320)
* Mirian Hunter – Set of four mugs (Ticket 251-255)
* Elizabeth Williamson – Nivea Lotions (Ticket 586-590)
* Heather Grierson – Montevento Rose (Ticket 556-560)
* Maureen Robinson – Smirnoff Vodka (Ticket 291-295)
* Paul Davidson – Gordon's Dry Gin (Ticket 286-290)
* Yvonne Hazelwood – Cotes Du Rhone (Ticket 226-230)
* Michelle Lockwood – Prosecco (Ticket 51-55)
* Agnes Telfer – Sauvignon Blanc (Ticket 396-400), Serenity Collection (Ticket 471-475), Boxes of Chocolates (Ticket 491-495) & Easy Home Bathroom set (Ticket 491-495)
* Brian Driske – Amber Scented Candle (Ticket 666-670)
* Marion Stewart – Baylis & Harding Bath products (Ticket 866-870)
* Gillian Bianchins – Assorted products (Ticket 356-360)

📍 Where to collect:
The Shed (St Brides Church Hall, St Mary's St)

⏰ Opening Times:
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wednesday Evenings: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Thank you once again for yet another unforgettable coffee morning. We couldn't do it without you! See you next year?

19/01/2026

There are still a few places left for the visit to Riverside Museum on 23rd January.
Please sign up in the shed, if you want to go.

We will be leaving the shed at 9:30am and aim to be back late afternoon.