A tea party marking the first anniversary of Corsham Repair Café took place last Saturday.

Tea and slices of cake were all part of the celebration, during which nearly 20 people turned up to have items repaired.

The café, which is staffed by 20 volunteers including a seamstress, electrician and retired engineer, is designed to encourage people to learn how to mend their broken household appliances, clothing and furniture, rather than throwing them away.

The most unusual item to come into the café to be repaired is a marionette puppet from eastern Europe. All repairs are free but donations are welcome.

Bar supervisor Kathryn Houldcroft said: “It went really well – we had lots of repairs from bikes, a toaster, lamp and broom.

“People have been very supportive. We have now made over 100 repairs and hopefully people have picked up a few tips on how to mend things.”

Electrician Andy Ward has been volunteering his time and electrical know-how for the past year. He said: “I have been busy at every Repair Café with a line of people wanting help with mending their electrical appliances. With some repairs we are able to fix them straight away. At other times I can offer advice and the customer is able to complete the repair at home.

“Over the past year I’ve mended eight toasters, even fixing one that had become home to a mouse.”