Please help my friends and I recover from a fire

Hi I’m Geoff. I’m a passionate and lifetime engineer, car, bike and design enthusiast. You could call me a garagista with ideas above his station I guess!

I’ve a story to tell you that I’d like for you to read though if you know what the humble shed means to some people, it’s not a nice one. People go through some terrible terrible times and in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t one of them. But if you’ve got a few minutes - I’ll try and explain what the wreck you see in those pictures was, what it could have been and why I need your help :)

Up until 24hrs ago I spent practically every waking hour in the place you see in those pictures - sketching ideas on random bits of paper and passing them around, talking, laughing, building, teaching and dreaming of what it all might become. People sometimes forget that engineering is a cathartic, creative and wonderful thing to do that can benefit so many - its not just getting greasy in overalls, though that’s obv fun too :) 

On Friday last week, my amazing intern Molly and I had been installing an ebike charging station that we had designed and built at Vindolanda on Hadrians Wall. 

She is studying for a product design degree and has been learning how to weld and fabricate in the evenings in what we call the night shift (though we would finish at 9!) Even her boyfriend, a PPE student, has been coming along and the two of them have been building things together and imagining their new skills put to use converting a campervan ready for when they graduate. We even had playlist wars to see who could get the best motivational tunes on the unit stereo - Cameron’s were amazing running the gamut from some sweary down with the kids stuff to jazz!

After drizzle at Vindolanda stopped progress, I came back, did a few little jobs and closed the roller door as I had done every day for nearly 5 years. 

I remember thinking that I would need an early start to sort out a few remaining jobs before a big week.

My phone went off on the pillow next to me at 3am. I must have been on my phone until I fell asleep again - a very bad habit! As soon as I saw it was the landlord calling I knew it wasn’t good. 

My incredible friend Emily insisted on driving me as fast as she could to the unit, though when we got closer, it was obvious we would be spectators rather than participants in this surreal scene.

A bright yellow glow was visible shooting increasingly high flames up into the sky the moment we crested the hill. It was my and so many of our worst nightmares all in one overwhelmingly dramatic and yet slowly evolving scene.

When the fire crews had done that incredible and humbling thing that they do and the flames had finished burning the last of everything, daylight would reveal a pretty comprehensive loss.

I’ve lost everything spanning 30 years of my life from vintage tools, equipment, project cars and silly little things I made and my neighbours who are good friends and wonderful people have lost everything too.

Inside my unit was a friends MK Indy kit car that I was storing for him and helped him to build in the early 2000s - I learnt so much being involved with that project and made lifelong friends too. It had a zzr1100 engine and I remember thinking it must be illegal to own something this fast when he drove me out along the A184 to the western bypass the bike engine wailing and the manic bang of the sequential gearbox!

In a little spot on its own between racks of random bits was an ex-students 1989 Land Rover 90 pickup that he was restoring for the family of the owner after they tragically passed away. He had bought a new galvanised chassis and was slowly swapping new parts over in between finishing his PhD, starting his first job and meeting his first girlfriend. He would bring his good friend over who was also studying for a PhD and we would talk about things and discuss ideas.

Outside and thankfully ok in the main is the internet famous Cals Braai Box, a horse box partly converted into a food trailer for Calvin (and crashed into for a laugh by Molly) - a great friend, chef and local business owner. He is planning to teach South African style cooking and deliver delicious food on location from this when it’s ready. Unfortunately, inside the unit was all of the steel and parts we had bought and a lot of the fabrication we’d already completed ready for initial fitting. I can’t bear to look but I’m certain it is now twisted and charred beyond use.

No amount of money will ever cover the loss of these projects and what they meant to us and the people they were destined for. Gone too is the place where we found excitement, sanctuary and met each other. Never underestimate the importance of sheds and good people - it’s sometimes all anyone needs!

Which brings me to how you can help.

You can donate anything you feel able to. £1 will buy a (very bad quality but not melted) spanner and £10 will buy Molly enough potatoes to last her most of a day.

I’m wary of dreaming too big here but you can see what a place like this means to all of us.

Anything you can spare is so gratefully received.

Update:

I am completely bowled over by the generosity of friends, family and everyone who has donated so generously to help bring this place back to life. Thanks to you all, we have ordered some new parts and equipment to fulfil our existing orders. I think we have a route through this and your generosity and kindness has made every difference.

Please do share this page as we try and raise a little bit more to allow us to equip our new space in whatever shape that might take.

Keep watching this space and if you’re going through something, it will get better and there’s always hope