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This is a great thread If people in and around Exeter want to the Fablab is still in the Exeter central library which you can join and use their printers and laser cutter and other machines If people fancy meeting up to talk Linux, microcontrollers and robots and such the Raapbery Pi Jam also still runs on the first Saturday of the month in the Robough Room in the central library 10-12. That tends to be a bring and share (either your project or why your project isn’t working). Plenty of arduinos and other microcontroller too. Or just come and have a chat. Trevor > On 10 Sep 2025, at 12:21, Gordon Henderson <gordon+lug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > 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/ -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG FAQ: https://www.dcglug.org.uk/faq/