MEN’S SHED BREATHES LIFE INTO OLD FAVOURITE
GINA Buswell was five years old when she was given a rocking horse for Christmas in 1971.
Now, 50 years later, the prized possession has been refurbished by the Pimpama Men’s Shed so her own kids can enjoy it.
The mother-of-two grew up in Launceston in Tasmania and said the horse was originally crafted by one of her dad’s friends.
“The two round pillars that the rocking mechanism sits on were made out of solid Tasmanian cedar, from an old table that my grandmother used to have,” she said.
“The horse, when finished, was kept at a neighbour’s house across the road until late Christmas Eve when my dad, my brothers and I carried it home. I still remember to this day my special gift on Christmas morning.”
Ms Buswell looked to get the horse, called Ronald, professionally refurbished but was quoted thousands of dollars for the job.
“That’s when I discovered the Men’s Shed in Pimpama,” she said.
“For a small donation they stripped him back to the bare bones and basically gave him a new lease of life.
“I only wish I did it a few years earlier so my late mum could have seen him, but at least now my sevenyear-old twin boys can get as much enjoyment out of him as I did when I was their age.”
Gordon Barker from the Pimpama Men’s Shed said the group’s 55 members worked on projects ranging from restoring furniture for families to building stools for local schools.