Selvin Semple, the Mechanical Maestro

Jul 20, 2025 News

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By Shermon Hawker

Kaieteur News – Even before the very first hint of the July-August Summer holidays, lads and lassies would already weave a thousand ideas about what they would lavish their youthful vigor on, as school would be out. Selvin Semple, however, crafted other plans, all of which would chisel the footpath of his life, and which to this day remains essential to him. As his peers frolicked in fields or invaded trenches, Semple, at just about 10 and in Grade 5, resigned himself dutifully to a workshop.

Decades later, the once curious 10-year-old whose eyes and mind were enchanted by anything mechanical and their operations, is now the proprietor of his own workshop, and a reputable one at that.

Origins

Selvin, a young man rarely referred to as on account of multiple nicknames, is a resident of the storied community of Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam, Berbice. By virtue of his inventive skills and high level of efficiency as a mechanic, his name seeps beyond the crevices of the community and into the broader town, where he is esteemed among the most proficient motor vehicle repair mechanics in Berbice, and one of the most sought after in his line of work.

Modest in his assessment of self, but in actuality a magician for anything with an internal combustion engine, the 29-year-old shared the pieces that eventually became a whole.

“As a child growing up, for some reason or the other, I always found myself loosing and fitting things like silver torch lights. I would loose it up, fit it up back.” For him, it was more than curiosity. It was an adventurous mind gamed to take on the fascinating challenge of seeing the inner constructions of any mechanical object, dismantling and thereafter repairing same. Many clocks, torch lights and radios were fiddled with as Semple strove to gain experience, backdropped by trial and error. Success eventually came, and of his little accomplishments he said, “After a time of doing that, I recognised that God blessed me with a special skill.”

His most impressive feat as a young man was that of building a bicycle from scrap.

The Inspiration Factors

On his journey, he recalled the many afternoons after formal sessions at the New Amsterdam Primary where he would take indirect lessons from a renowned bicycle repair technician, ‘Kutchu’. While there, he would also frequent the scrap piles for anything he can salvage, and with his determination and creativity, put together his bicycle.

His breakthrough came when, through his grandmother’s friendship with a recognised mechanic named Thomas Bowman, he was prompted to visit Bowman’s workshop, despite his young age. “The boy wants to be a mechanic so you have to send the boy to the workshop,” he recalled as advice given to his grandmother, who initially was hesitant. Bowman would then bequeath his vast knowledge of all things mechanic on the eager and receptive young man. Semple would also credit David Lambert for showering upon him insights, tips, guidance and opportunities that would for years ahead affirm his post as a mechanic of merit. Lambert himself carries weight as an established motor vehicle mechanic.

Candid Assessment

Any spontaneous stop-by would find Selvin heavily engaged in his craft, donning his overalls, and partially hidden by a stack of vehicles randomly arranged and awaiting service. As one could imagine, it is one of the most physically demanding jobs. It comes as very rewarding all the same for the young husband and father of one, and while upholding the importance of academics, he also carries equal respect for the positive socio-economic impact of manual and mechanical skills or trade. “Everyone cannot be lawyers or doctors.”

Even with experience spanning almost two decades, Selvin’s personal philosophy encapsulates humility and an ever-abiding willingness to learn regardless of age and skills.

“You need to keep your mind open to learn new things. The minute you tell yourself you know everything, that’s the minute your brain shuts down and stops taking in things.”

Life of a Motor Vehicle Mechanic

It is a well-respected trade, and for him, it teaches a lot of patience. The mechanic flicked a soft dismissal to any opinion which casts contempt on the literal smudges and smears of such a course of work. His own upbringings in the workshop, he disclosed, left his wardrobe challenged as he toiled in greasy undertakings as an underling to whom was handed down all the messy tasks by his seniors.

“They (people) often say that you have to deal with a lot of grease, your skin is always black, you’re always looking unkempt. But I am a product of success that would’ve conquered that stage.”

Creating Opportunities

The many years of engaging with his accumulated thousands of customers have been satisfying, but another source of fulfillment is being in a position to influence the younger ones. To date, Semple hold two young men under his employ, imparting his expansive knowledge in this field. Additionally, owing directly to his official recommendations, many youths have gone on to gain employment at major international companies.

“It really pleased my heart to see that they would’ve come to a workshop in Angoy’s Avenue where persons think that there is no good thing that can come out…”

The ‘skills man’ seeks to expand in all aspects, goaded by the desire to have his workshop attain renown or national proportions, in that persons from all sections of Guyana would want to employ his services.

Beyond the Grease and Smudges

When not mixed into the clanging or buzzing of machinery, Selvin enjoys a refreshing motorcycle ride, which features occasionally in his life as a rider, and in a modern era where entertainment and leisure are primarily hinged on social media and the broader internet, he still holds the radio in good regard, particularly tuning in to Voice of Guyana (VoG).

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• Mechanic, Mechanical Maestro, Selvin Semple, Shermon Hawker

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