Bored retiree creates supersized household objects
Bored Retiree Creates Supersized Household Objects
Steve Wainwright, a retired ambulance worker from Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, has transformed his post-retirement downtime into a unique hobby by building massive versions of everyday items. From a colossal pencil to an oversized plug, his creations have turned his home into an unusual gallery of giant objects.
A New Perspective on Routine
After retiring in 2020, Wainwright found himself with limited time for tasks like cooking and cleaning. Seeking a creative outlet, he began crafting oversized replicas of household objects, inspired by the whimsical world of the 1980s film *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids*.
“Once retired, you can only cook and clean for so many hours,” Wainwright said. “Men generally say my stuff is amazing, but women often ask, ‘Where does your wife keep it all?’”
His fascination with scaling things up began as a playful idea. “I just got bored and wanted something to do,” he explained. “I decided to make things 10 times larger because I’m not very good at maths.”
Several of his oversized creations have been repurposed into practical items, such as a giant tape measure now serving as a coffee table and a large plug converted into a cupboard. A self-built garden workshop acts as his base for all the crafting, where he combines materials like wood, metal, and plastic to bring his vision to life.
Wainwright’s projects, which have cost around £2,500 so far, require up to two weeks of effort each. While some have been sold to locals through word-of-mouth, he said his primary goal is to continue creating as a personal passion.
Sparking Joy and Conversation
His wife, Cat Thompson, 53, praised the way his projects keep him engaged. “He puts his stuff mainly on the garage wall, and we have a summer room where he stores more of his creations,” she said. “It mostly keeps him out of mischief. When I saw the plug, it was just complete joy.”
Wainwright has also shared his work at charity events, where he noticed blind attendees particularly enjoyed touching the large items alongside their normal-sized counterparts. “The public’s favorite item of the 20 or so things I’ve made has to be the five-foot-long HB 2 pencil,” he noted.
For those interested in seeing his work, the supersized objects will be on display at the Feel the Force Day comic book convention in September at Peterborough Cathedral. The exhibit offers a humorous contrast, making visitors feel surprisingly small beside his creations.
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