80-year-old turns scrap timber into miniature masterpieces

Tarentaal Village resident Mimmo Spagnuolo is a creative role model at 80.

Born in Italy, Spagnuolo moved to South Africa at 10. The 80-year-old has lived in Rand Aid’s Tarentaal Village since May; he previously lived in Dowerglen.

Having lived a full life, Spagnuolo has plenty of stories to tell about jewellery making, travelling, boating, fishing, and time spent in Zimbabwe.

He spent much of his working life in manufacturing and qualified as a jeweller. His eye for detail and ability to work with his hands have come in handy for his latest hobby, which he started about six years ago.

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Before moving on to building models of buildings, wagons, and other structures, Spagnuolo started with birdhouses. He used whatever materials he could find.

“I use dowel sticks, timber that I have, off-cuts, whatever I can lay my hands on,” he said.

Spagnuolo explained that he doesn’t know how to draw, so his models don’t have an elaborate drafting process behind them. Instead, inspiration simply strikes.

Sometimes it comes from a building he has seen on his travels. One of his models was inspired by a mosque in Turkey that he fell in love with. Other times, a model develops as he goes along.

“If I make a mistake, sometimes it turns out better than if I had planned it,” he explained.

His pastime requires considerable patience. A larger model may take about six months to complete, but Spagnuolo said he cannot wait until morning to start his latest creation.

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He has two sons: Damien, who lives in the UK, and Eric, who lives nearby. Among the models he is particularly proud of is a house he made for his son’s mother-in-law, an artist who lives in Pretoria. The colourful creation features bright gutters and downpipes.

His home is filled with models, and other creations have found homes with family and friends.

Spagnuolo lived in former Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) from 1956 to 1983 and travelled extensively, including to the UK.

During his travels, he gathered ideas for his jewellery designs and absorbed the architecture and character of the places he visited.

But his interests have never been confined to making things. Spagnuolo has always loved the outdoors, particularly boating and fishing. He enjoyed tiger fishing and spent many happy hours on the water.

These days, Spagnuolo’s workshop may be smaller, but his ambition is not. There is always another model to start and another cup of coffee to get through.

Recently, Spagnuolo began drinking his coffee without sugar, the day after his 80th birthday.

“It’s awful,” he said.

The change was significant for Spagnuolo, who drinks up to 10 cups of coffee a day and previously added a spoonful of sugar to every cup. This meant he could get through as much as 10 spoons of sugar a day.

Giving up sugar may have been his latest experiment, but it was certainly not his first. Spagnuolo remains eager to try new things, whether that means changing his coffee habits or turning a few scraps of timber into an intricate miniature building.