User Profile

Paul Blanksby

Pull up a bar stool for a chat

By Paul Blanksby of Helensburgh Men’s Shed Darkes Forest. Such an interesting place, just south of the Burgh, and nestled in the bush. The area was named after surveyor John Darke in the mid-19th century, but the Dharawal people were here long...

Paul Blanksby

9 hours ago

Clubs & Community

Campfire tales from the Shed in the Forest

Well, it’s winter. And who would believe it’s colder at Darkes Forest than in Helensburgh? Like, 77 metres difference in elevation drops the temp THAT MUCH? Yep. Hardy folks at Darkes. Good for the apples and peaches, though. So, what does...

Paul Blanksby

August 2025

Clubs & Community

Helensburgh Walks for Him, raising $5k in prostate cancer fundraiser

Friday, June 13th, 6pm. It was a dark and cold night, but not stormy. Soup bouquets swirled through the Thistles clubhouse, mixing with the nostril-twinging aroma of Goanna Oil. The under-13 girls are out on the pitch, the middle-aged blokes are...

Paul Blanksby

July 2025

Clubs & Community

Okanui! How Helensburgh Men’s Shed restored a surfer’s pride

Okanui! What is that?! Godzilla’s bride? Frankenstein, when he dropped a hammer on his toe? No! An Okanui is a 1950s-era hollow timber surfboard, made in the hundreds in Australia. Ken Holloway had one, rescued from Maroubra SLSC. But it wasn’t...

Paul Blanksby

April 2024

Clubs & Community

This is the place: Helensburgh Men’s Shed welcomes new members

Newly retired? Perhaps made redundant, but still want to make a difference in people’s lives? Maybe you want to learn a new skill. Or you’re recovering from an injury or illness? Or you just need to get out of the house! (Did your wife say that?...

Paul Blanksby

January 2024

Clubs & Community

Merry Christmas from Shedman

What a great year Shedman and his mates have had at your Men’s Shed! Here’s a snapshot of what Shedman, the blokes in the photo plus lots of other shedders have done in 2023: An easel for Kids Korner Preschool; a Very Excellent Country Fair...

Paul Blanksby

December 2023

Clubs & Community

Helensburgh Men’s Shed going strong since 2016

A bunch of blokes from Helensburgh, Otford, and Stanwell Park got together in 2016. ‘Let’s start a Men’s Shed,’ they said. ‘It’s been tried before, but let’s make it happen this time. Plenty of land in the Burgh, we’ll be right.’...

Paul Blanksby

November 2023

Clubs & Community

All that glitters: Shed helps restore family photo frame

“After my uncle passed away,” writes Helensburgh resident Donna Sloan (pictured), “I visited family in Cessnock and found an old frame with a hand-coloured photo of my pop, Jared Hill. “He was born in 1917 in Durham, northern England, and...

Paul Blanksby

October 2023

Clubs & Community

Helensburgh celebrates 30th anniversary of Men’s Sheds in Australia

This year is the 30th Anniversary celebrating Men’s Sheds in Australia – and who do we have to thank for that? A woman, of course! In 1993, Maxine Chaseling (nee Kitto), coordinator of The Heritage Club, an activities centre for the older...

Paul Blanksby

September 2023

Clubs & Community

Scooting along with the Shed

Although we are Helensburgh Men’s Shed, and have been serving our community since 2016, we often carry out projects for people outside the Burgh. We recently made a new ‘scooter-board’ (sounds good with an American accent) for Family...

Paul Blanksby

August 2023

Clubs & Community

Julie’s Garden Seat

For news and information, call us or visit our website at helensburghmensshed. org. au or info@helensburghmensshed. org. au

Paul Blanksby

July 2023

Clubs & Community

The walk to save your men

‘What is that noise? That clanging, bongoing, and scratching? It’s enough to wake the dead!’ We were walking along Cemetery Road, a motley group of men, women, and Peppa the Pig (dog). There was a bongo drum, indeed. Maracca’s, tambourines (we had...

Paul Blanksby

June 2023

Clubs & Community

Ugly Duckling or Beauty under the Calico?

We get regular commissions at your Men’s Shed. So we were ready when Alice brought in a piano stool she’d found at a bargain price. Loose legs? Reattached and firm for more fortissimos and then polished. But that calico covering! All torn at one...

Paul Blanksby

June 2023

Clubs & Community

Shed restores the Pentridge Cruiser

John Bucknell. Ace wood-carver, teller of martini-dry jokes, and always up for a story over a cuppa and an Anzac or two. A few years back, JB brought his bedraggled pond yacht into the Men’s Shed. This little boat, about 50cm long, made of timber...

Paul Blanksby

May 2023