WOMEN keep turning up on Fred Bott's Heathcote doorstep and his wife, Rhonda, doesn't seem to mind at all.
The unsolicited visitors are always armed with the same thing — broken-down sewing machines of various vintages.
Mr Bott, 82, is the saviour of their sewing machines and many of his visitors have been to see him before.
"Sometimes there aren't any parts to repair the sewing machines and sometimes I have to make the parts myself," he said.
"I don't get nearly as much work as I used to.
"Not so many people sew [as] everything is so much cheaper to buy today, things from China.
"I know with my own grandchildren, it's cheaper to buy outfits for them. It's cheaper than buying a zipper."
Mr Bott does his repairs in what was intended to be a granny flat but was never used for that purpose.
The "business" is not a profitable one any more because sometimes the work can take four hours or even a whole day and if Mr Bott charged the right amount people wouldn't be able to afford to pay for his service.
As for his own sewing ability he tried it once only — and went back to repairing machines.
The most common problems he fixed were untidy stitching, needles, electricals and broken gears.
A New Zealander, Mr Bott first went into the business in 1963, having previously been a car mechanic and a tractor salesman.
He became a self employed in 1975.
His "official" repair sewing machine repair businesses were in Miranda and Caringbah.
