DIY SOS as tradesmen come to aid of pensioner
MAT’S TEAM BUILDS WALL FOR FREE AFTER DEATH OF ROD’S WIFE
KIND-HEARTED tradesmen built a widowed pensioner a £3,000 wall for free after being touched by his story.
Mat Tonks got a team together and called in favours to help him build the wall for 77-year-old Rod Williams.
The pensioner called Mat to build a wall in his back garden in Hinckley after he made a promise to his dying wife, Mave.
“Mave was of a nervous disposition and wanted a wall building in the back garden as she thought it was bit exposed,” said Rod.
“She would often wake at night worrying that we might be being burgled.
“She said the wall would make the garden much safer for us. I told her I would get a wall built.”
Rod called a builder in May, but he was let down and no wall was fortcoming. Sadly, Mave died in October, aged 89.
“My wife died before I could get that wall built for her, so I wanted to get it done so as not to let her down,” said Rod.
“She kept asking about the wall and I never did manage to get it built. That made me sad.”
Mat, who runs First Class Building Services Ltd in Hinckley, sprang into action after hearing about Rod’s reason to build the wall.
“After hearing how Rod had been let down and how he wanted to build the wall for his late wife, I knew what had to be done,” he said.
“I told him we would build his wall and would not charge him a penny.
“I called other builders and suppliers and they all agreed to help for free.”
Mat and a small team worked in their own time at weekends to get Rod’s wall finished in four weeks.
The wall was completed last weekend.
“It was a pleasure to be able to help Rod like this,” said Mat.
“It was a bit like the TV show DIY SOS but without the camera crew.
“Rod was very appreciative and tried to pay us but we would not hear of it. In the end, he was so insistent that we took some money from him but we all donated it to local charities.
“It felt good to help him after what he had been through.”
Rod said he would be eternally grateful to Mat and his team.
“What they have done for me is wonderful,” said Rod.
“It was lovely and so generous and kind. The wall they have built is splendid.
“My Mave will be looking down on me and smiling. I know she would approve.”
Mat said the roll call of heroes who pitched in to help are builders Lee Nunn, Andrew Geeson and Ben Bates, Craig Rowan, Luke Winstanley and Ian Harper from Buildbase and the firm Ibstock Brick.