We all like to do our bit for the planet. Recycling is one thing, but increasingly people are looking to repair items rather than replace them.
Anyone that watches The Repair Shop on the BBC will be well aware of how important artefacts can be to families, sometimes passed down from generation to generation.
The ‘green’ element is important also, as the more we can re-use items, rather than send them to landfill, the better.
This is where Marlon comes in. He is a local guy that has had an interesting career in the automotive industry.
Having trained at Aston Martin’s Heritage Division in Newport Pagnell, learning how to craft and shape metal with hand tools, he went on to work for various classic car companies before setting up his own custom motorcycle business, creating hand-crafted bikes for clients around the UK.
Marlon soon realised however that there was a lot of ‘down time’ when building motorbikes, waiting for parts or services to come in, so he began fixing things.
“You know, those kind of things that break but you can’t bring yourself to throw them away as they have sentimental value” he explained. “I restored an old sledge and personalised it for my daughter, then I was approached by someone that had a vintage bicycle that needed restoring and soon word spread around Olney, where I live, and people started bringing their prized possessions to me to be brought back to life.“
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Marlon continued, “Someone pointed out to me that I was like the metalwork guy on The Repair Shop. I hadn’t seen it myself so tuned in out of curiosity and it’s a fair comparison, so that’s why I use ‘The Repair Guy’ tag”.
Marlon admits that he can’t repair everything, it’s more the metal or mechanical side of things that he specializes in: “From tin toys to lawnmowers, bicycles to bird tables”.
A year on and Marlon now has his own workshop in Hanslope where he splits his time between building motorbikes and restoring cherished items.
“I love working with my hands and it’s a great feeling bringing something back to life, then handing it back to the grateful owner. Nice to know too that we’re doing our bit for the environment.”
If you’d like to see more of Marlon’s work, visit his website here You can also follow him on Instagram: marlon.the.repair.guy
