Friday Finery: Alvaro Barrington's To Be Heard

If you're in the Netherlands any time from now up to October 11, pop across to Arnhem and this year's iteration of the annual public art project Sonsbeek 2026: Ik hoef geen tuin, ik deel een park (I don't need a backyard, I share a park). 

Pick of the attractions in the park is Alvaro Barrington's To Be Heard, pictured above, and this is what he says about it:



Entering the structure, the visitor is invited to sit and allow themselves to hear the world. There is no programmed audio. Instead, what is heard is the rustling of leaves, distant footsteps, one’s own thoughts. Distinctly architectural, the work mediates between nature and shelter, solitude and collectivity. It asks whether hearing, as a deeper attunement to environment and the self, might reshape how memory is formed and proposes that sharing and building space requires learning how to hear within it.

 The whole thing is free for everyone to enjoy.

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First steps to building a shed in France

Longstanding friend of Shedworking Nick Inman who is a long-term resident of France has started a short series about building sheds for the excellent connexionfrance.com site.  Well worth a read and you can catch up with it here.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master, bespoke garden rooms and offices designed, manufactured and installed throughout the UK 

 

Charles Dickens's writing chalet open to public

Now is your chance to have a look around Charles Dickens's writing chalet in Rochester. The ground floor will be open to the public as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme on September 12, 13, 19, and 20 (click link to book).

Visiting hours are between 11am and 4pm at Eastgate Gardens off Rochester High Street where members of the council's Heritage Team, the Friends of Eastgate House and the Charles Dickens Fellowship will be on chat about the building.

There will also be talks and tours throughout each day, full details via the link above. Booking is not necessary. 

Image courtesy Visit Medway 

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

 

 

Malvern Garden Buildings' ex-display sale

 

If you're looking for a new garden office, this is a good time to peruse the roughly 400 offerings from the various Malvern Garden Buildings' show sites around the country where they are renewing their stock. Reductions are 25% and upwards off the original price, and includes delivery and installation when the garden building is installed within 25 miles of the showsite where it’s located.

According to Malvern, each ex-display garden building is a one-off, available on a first-come, first-served basis, and often finished to a higher specification, having been designed to showcase the possibilities.

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information 

 

Research reveals importance of solid wi-fi connection to shedworkers

Around one in eight workers in the UK are struggling to work from home because their wi-fi connection is not fit for use, according to research from comparison site Uswitch.

The poll of more than 2,000 people revealed that just over a third felt their home wi-fi connection was poor, affecting their ability to work remotely or from home. Worryingly, 
only 15% said their home office was one of the best rooms for getting a good connection while 9% struggled to get any connection in their home office at all.

A fifth say they they have consequently been forced to work from other rooms, such as the kitchen and their children’s bedrooms, and the same figure had experienced work calls disconnecting.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master, bespoke garden rooms and offices designed, manufactured and installed throughout the UK 

 

 

UK’s best value beach huts

 

According to new research from Monzo the best value beach huts for a day out are:

1. Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan Council: £24/day
2. Swanage Beach (Spa Beach Huts), Swanage Town Council: £26/day
3. Bournemouth Beach, BCP Council: £30/day
3. Crooklets Promenade, Bude-Stratton Town Council: £30/day
3. Lowestoft & Felixstowe, East Suffolk Council: £30/day
3. Swanage Beach (Shore Beach Huts, Upper Level), Swanage Town Council: £30/day
4. Thanet Coastline, Thanet District Council: £35/day
5. Mablethorpe Promenade, Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council: £35.95/day

and for a longer trip:

1. Lowestoft & Felixstowe, East Suffolk Council: £100/week
2. Belvedere Beach, East Riding of Yorkshire Council: £130/week
2. Hornsea Beach, East Riding of Yorkshire Council: £130/week
3. Swanage Beach (Spa Beach Huts), Swanage Town Council: £151/week
4. Whitby West Cliff Promenade, North Yorkshire Council: £187/week
5. Swanage Beach (Shore Beach Huts, Upper Level), Swanage Town Council: £190/week

In terms of accessible beach huts, the researchers name East Suffolk as offering the widest range of accessible hire options, starting from £50 per day or £145 per week during the summer. 

Photo courtesy MrMatt1 

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

 

Last chance to enter Love Your Hut of the Year 2026

Summer is always shed competition time and you've only got a few days to enter the annual Love Your Hut of the Year competition which celebrates the many wonderful beach huts up and down the country. The winner receives a luxury hamper (Champagne, exotic cordial, jam, sea salt crackers, tapenade, sun cream and aftersun), a LYH logo beach towel, LYH sunglasses and a £25 Blackhawk voucher, plus the Love Your Hut of the Year plaque. There are also runners-up prizes.

Details of how to enter at the link above and the closing date is September 1. 

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information