Patrick is the host of the ‘Shed Happens’ radio show, leader of Frome Shed, and winner of our special volunteer Award he is a UK Men’s Sheds Ambassador
Q: What’s your full name and title?
A: Patrick Abrahams
Q: What part of the world are you based in?
A: Frome in Somerset
Q: Tea or coffee?
A: Coffee – With the occasional shot of George Botanicals Black Forest Gateau Flavoured CBD Oil.
Q: Guilty pleasure when it comes to fast food?
A: Not fast, but quite quick – Crispy Peking duck with pancakes.
Q: What are your favourite films?
A: Local Hero, The Bourne Trilogy, Back to the Future, La La Land.
Q: What is your favourite book?
A: My next Travel Guide – With recent trips being Guatemala, Antarctica, Peru, Borneo, Vietnam, China & Russia – I can’t wait for the Covid to pass – so we can visit South America again.
Q: How good a Maker/ Shedder are you? choose one option below
A: I’m like a child, who has just learnt to read in a Library.
Q: Besides Shedding, what’s your favourite pastime?
A: Hill climbing – I used to be a rock climber, but lost my nerve – most notable mountain climbed – Mount Kinabalu in Borneo (4,095 metres / 13,500 feet)
Q: What one thing we’d all be surprised to know about you?
A: I sometimes struggle to remember my own mobile phone number, but I can still remember the telephone number of the Saturday night show, presented by Mies Bouwman that we used to watch on Dutch Television when we lived there in the early 1980s – It’s: nul vijf en dertig, acht nul vier, acht nul vier (035-804804)
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: Lots of things – Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, Mock the Week, Withnail & I, Hot Fuzz.
Q: What makes you sad?
A: Animals becoming extinct. The tech firm Amazon being valued at $1.021 trillion, whilst the Amazon rainforest does not appear in any accounts, until it is burnt for farmland.
Q: If you were a tool in a Men’s Shed which would you be and why?
A: Dustpan and Brush – Because that’s about the only tool that most Frome Shedders see me use in the Shed.
Q: What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned this year?
A: That we should really appreciate more just being able to visit and hug our friends and family, and visit pubs.
Q: What surprised you the most this year?
A: The number of people who believe that Donald Trump won the election, that Coronavirus is a myth, that COVID-19 Vaccines are some kind of government or Bill Gates control conspiracy, plus the number of people that still believe that Brexit is a good idea.
Q: Can you summarize what you believe Sheds have learned this year?
A: They’ve learnt a lot – Much more about personal protective equipment, appreciating meeting friends. How to use technology to stay connected – typified by the name of Sheddington’s WhatsApp Group: “Ready, Sheddie, Go”
Q: Thinking forward to next year what can Shedders be optimistic about?
A: Most Shedders are generally positive, creative, constructive, pragmatic and sensible – these talents will be sorely needed next year, and will be much needed and appreciated by the communities they serve. This is grounds for optimism.
Q: You’ll probably get more socks, but what do you hope you get for Christmas?
A: A Mini DV Video player – to convert the many videos I have of my three daughters from the 1990s.