the terms Men's shed
or Mens shed
bring thoughts to me of bullying, exclusion and homophobia,
hardly surprising really when the aim is to have a space with "no rules"
but then I have only experience of one Mens Shed, one men's shed
recently I say to people who might ask
please dont ask me any questions about Holywood Mens shed, as I would not have a good word to say about it .
or My mother instilled in me that if I dont have a good word to say about anybody or anything, I should say nothing. and in that vein I have nothing to say about Holywood Men's Shed .
one idea behind the mens shed movement was told to me,
that more and more 3rd age men were sitting idly about the house
getting under their wife's feet,
what a great idea, to get them out of the houses into sheds (to replace the shed at the bottom of the garden modern apartments didnt have) where they could join with like mindedmen to work on projects for the betterment of themselves and of others.
I dont think anyone would have been enthusiastic about an individual men's shed take on that idea, of getting the husbands out of the house from under their feet, to go into the shed and besides men, mix with women other than their wives.
