BROKEN and battered household items were given a new lease of life at a make-do and mend event.

The Fix-It Cafe was held at Voodoo Cafe, in Skinnergate, Darlington on Saturday (September 20) to help people repair and restore items that would otherwise be confined to the scrapheap.

Specialists were on hand to offer advice on fixing an array of items, from lamps and smartphones, to musical instruments and sewing machines.

Organised by artists Lindsay Duncanson and Marek Gabrysch, from Newcastle, the event also gave people the chance to share their own skills and offered free PAT tests for all participants.

Speaking before the event, Mr Gabrysch said it was designed to teach people how to repair their own items, rather than fixing them for them.

He added: “We live in a world where things are designed to break and designed with a low lifespan in mind – it’s an unsustainable way of living and we don’t want to see it.”

The Fix-It Cafe is one of the attractions at the upcoming Festival of Thrift, due to take place in Darlington on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28.

The award-winning festival promotes thrifty and creative living, and staff at Lingfield Point, the venue behind the event, have explored new ways to live frugally.

The development encourages staff to take money-saving measures and has welcomed a new study showing that thrifty people in the UK are being offered better deals on their car insurance.

John Orchard, a director of Marchday, owners of Lingfield Point, said the study shows thrift has now become mainstream and is bringing real benefits to consumers.

“Insurance companies are pretty savvy, and they’ve realised that people who know how to make the most of their pennies are also likely to have other safe habits,” he said.

“It means thrift is adding real value for money by providing reward in all sorts of elements of people’s lives.

“Thrift by its very nature leads to sustainability - and sustainability is what Lingfield Point is all about, and it’s very gratifying to us to see our principles reflected in national trends.”

For more information visit festivalofthrift.co.uk