From Scrap to Story: How One Little Robot Helped Us Build Weebert’s World
Two years ago, my husband Andy made a robot from scrap. We called him Justbert. He was built quietly in the garage, from bits and bobs Andy had lying around, old metal parts, tools that had outlived their use, and things most people would’ve thrown away.
At the time, we had no idea what we were starting.
Andy has always been a fixer. After 27 years in army aviation and another 16 in civil aviation, he’s worked on helicopters most of his life. But when he hit 60 like so many veterans, Andy faced the quiet challenge of finding something to help his mental well-being. That’s when he started making things with his hands, not fixing aircraft anymore, but building robot sculptures
Justbert was the first. A scrap-built robot, made for no one but himself. But something happened the day Andy finished him. I saw a spark in Andy’s eyes I hadn’t seen in a while. That little robot did more than just sit on a shelf. He gave Andy a creative lifeline.
And then came Weebert.
Weebert was made from an old Cold War spy camera, vintage opera glasses for eyes, and a tangle of copper wire for hair. No bigger than a can of beans. I don’t know what came over me, but I looked at this tiny robot and started imagining his adventures. The words just poured out, and the first Weebert story was written.
That’s when we realised: this wasn’t just a hobby anymore. We were building a whole world.
Weebert’s World.
Every Bert Andy makes has a personality. They’re not just robots, they’re characters, each one telling their own story. Some are made from helicopter parts, some from clock springs, old cameras, or vintage tools. All of them are handmade with love, imagination, and a good dose of humour.
But what surprised us most was how much children connected with them.
We started taking the Berts into primary schools, alongside the stories I’d written. We’d read the adventures of Weebert and his friends, and then let the children meet the actual robots from the stories.
They were enchanted. Wide-eyed. Curious. Suddenly they were asking questions about how things work. They wanted to build their own robots from junk. They wanted to write stories, draw Berts, and invent new ones.
And that’s when the penny dropped. This wasn’t just storytelling, this was STEM outreach, without any worksheets or whiteboards. It was creative learning, powered by imagination.
Our approach is simple: give children permission to play. To imagine. To explore. To create.
So many children today are overwhelmed, by screens, by pressure to perform, by feeling like they have to get things right first time. But when they meet the Berts, when they see that something beautiful can be made from scrap, it gives them freedom.
Freedom to fail. Freedom to invent. Freedom to just be curious again.
And the truth is, Andy and I are doing exactly the same. We’re not following a traditional path. We’re in our 60s, trying to build the children’s brand we wish had existed when we were little. Or when our children were small. Or when our grandchildren ask for “one more Weebert story” at bedtime.
We never set out to start a business. But now, here we are, two grandparents living in Shropshire, building a world of robot stories, visiting schools, and dreaming of a stop-motion animation series.
We call it Bagpuss meets Wallace & Gromit, with a dash of copper wire and Cold War gadgets thrown in.
Weebert’s World is handmade. It’s hopeful. It’s built from things most people overlook. And we believe, with all our hearts, that it can inspire the next generation of inventors, storytellers, engineers and dreamers.
All because one little robot, made from scrap, gave Andy a way to keep going.
And gave me a story to tell.
If you’re a school, a parent, a teacher, or just someone who loves a good story made from scrap, we’d love to welcome you to Weebert’s World.
Follow our journey on Instagram @weebertsworld, visit our website weebertsworld.com, or get in touch for school visits and corporate partnerships.
Because sometimes… the best stories start with a spark, a screw, and a bit of copper wire. 🔩✨
