RETIRED farmer Rod Nott wants Devizes to join the growing number of towns that are members of Men's Sheds.

Mr Nott is in negotiation with Wiltshire Council over a building in the town centre which he hopes will become home for the Devizes branch of the UK Men's Shed Association.

He said: "I want to start spreading the word in Devizes and surrounding villages and to start collecting tools that we will be able to use once the shed is up and running."

Grandfather Mr Nott, 79, from Worton, said: "I'm an avid lover of tools and enjoy obtaining them, repairing them and of course using them. In that respect it seems to be an inbuilt characteristic of many men, and some women as well, and to enable 'things' to be constructed or repaired you require a special area, hence The Shed.

"But many of our present housing developments are such that a shed in the garden is not possible."

He believes the Men's Shed idea allows older men to form new friendships and have a purpose in life after retirement.

He said: "The really important spin-off from this is that it provides the work force with something to do, plan, discuss, learn new techniques and in the end, create.

"This can bring together a group of men who want to work with their hands but have no tools or knowhow, or shed; and if they live alone for any reason they will have plenty of opportunity to share, discuss and advise one another on life's challenges. A teapot is mandatory in a shed.

"So the theme of sheds is both activity and companionship."

The Men's Shed Association, which now has 300 sheds in the UK, is non-profit making and any money made from selling goods would be used for overheads and materials.

A spokesman for the association said: "A Men’s Shed is a larger version of the typical man’s shed in the garden – a place where he feels at home and pursues practical interests with a high degree of autonomy. A place of leisure where men come together to work.

"A shed’s activities usually involve making or mending in wood but may include metalworking, bike repair, gardening, electronics, tool renovation, boat renovation, model engineering and even building a car.

"Although sheds mostly attract older men, some have included men of any age, women and young people.

"Whichever activities are pursued the essence of a shed is not a building, which some don’t have, but the network of relationships between the members."

Mr Nott is on the look out for tools of all types and sizes and would be happy to collect them.

He can be contacted on (01380) 699032 or email rodnott77@gmail.com