Thanks for headsup to Slang Dict, Will. I find it is in fact in my Partridge Dict of Slang & Unconventional English -- meaning 'repair', & (confirming my above suggestion) possibly a variant of 'botch' [of which 'bodge' as I used above, a variant.]

Roger & Out!

≈M≈

...but still don't see why only silly old buggers like me should be expected to repair things, at that! Is a young shoemaker, or the girl who puts on the patches at the dry cleaners, a 'codger', then? I think we should be told!