[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next date => thread ]
On Tue, 9 Sep 2025, Sebastian via list wrote:
Dear Gordon, On 09/09/2025 14:35, Gordon Henderson wrote:I did like the little meet-ups. There is nothing like it where I am now. There is a ScotLug - but that's in Glasgow and I don't think they've met up in some time. Both Edinburgh and Newcastle (both 1.5 hours away) have hackspaces - The Edinburgh one is expensive and has expensive parking, the Newcastle one is cheap and free parking, but while I do visit Newcastle regularly, it's not on a convenient day for me....Actually, we have a "mans shed" in town, but they're mostly woodworkers. There is another in Kelso which is only 10 miles away, but it's mostly crafts, there is little that goes on in the way of electronics and computing. Or was, last time I visited. Maybe I ought to try them again... Who knows.I have never been to a hackspace in Britain, but my impression from visiting them in other countries is that they are often closely affiliated with the anti-fascist movement, having historically served as an incubator for what is now the European Pirate Party (not to be confused with the European People's Party!)
I've not heard of anything remotely like that, but I've not been abroad for a number of years now and my relatively recent experiences of speaking with a friend who did some work in a sort of hackspace/incubator project in India was quite the opposite.
Although I'm relatively apolitical and quite often miss nuances like that.
In contrast, the hackspaces in the UK seem to be less overtly political and have more in common with the Do-It-Yourself and Maker philosophies. I'd be interested to hear whether this matches your experience or whether I'm describing a distinction which does not really exist.
Limited experiences in the UK - Devon LUG meets weren't quite a hackspace, although Paul did try to get get and keep things going with the Tech Jams. A Makerspace did kick off in Exeter - they're a different thing having to meet certain criteria to become part of "Make" so they managed to get funding for it via the ne wLibrary project. There was briefly an attempt at a hackspace in Exeter some time back though, I visited them once, but it wasn't going anywhere.
There was one in Penzance which I visited a few times, but it sort of faded out, I think more due to personalities than anything political, but personalities and political leanings? Who knows.
But essentially, a bunch of like-minded people wanting to do "hacks" - ie. "cool things" with technology. e.g. When I visited the Newcastle one there was someone tinkering/reverse engineering and older ANPR camera system - it ran Linux and downloaded a database of numberplates to look out for and ping-back the results... Another was tinkering with LED matrix signs and there was access to machine tools, lasers, and so on. Paying members could have a bit of storage space, etc.
I only visited the Bristol one very briefly and got a similar idea, but that was pre-covid. Not visited the Edinburgh one. (yet). It's just a bit tricky for me to get to and at £35 a month too expensive.
Manchester? they hosted the first Pi Jam from what I remember - and again a bunch of like-minded geeks who just want a nice communal place to tinker.
The Kelso Mens shed has areas for communal knitting and fabric crafts, as well as metalwork. They did have a lot of old schools electronics projects. (as in electronics kits recoverd from old schools when they were torn down) They do a lot of stick making too (That's walking sticks and shepherds crooks to the uninitiated - we have world famous stick makers in the locality) Maybe I ought to visit again.
I'm probably lucky in that I have a nice office space at home with most of the tools I need, but I lack a 3D printer. Back then I bought a laser cutter an it's been put to good use, but now I think a 3D printer might be nice, but I can't justify the spend on one right now. (Anyone need a self-employed remote-working geek to help fund my toy collection? ;-)
Cheers, Gordon
-- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG FAQ: https://www.dcglug.org.uk/faq/