Lancashire tabletop gaming shed wins 20th Shed of the Year Competition

A hobby shed has scooped the overall winner prize in the 20th annual Shed of the Year competition, this year sponsored by Tiger.

Chris Otterburn’s Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0 was actually entered by his friend Dave who said: "Chris would never have entered it himself. He’d also never admit just how much work has gone into creating it or how much it means to all of us. It’s become somewhere we meet every week, enjoy our hobby, make endless cups of tea and remember our friend Scott.”

Built as a base for the group's wargaming activities, Chris's friends helped to build it while their number, Scott Forrest, was undergoing treatment for cancer. Sadly, Scott passed away before the shed was completed.

Features include an 18-foot gaming table, storage for battle boards and miniatures that the group has painted themselves (in a separate painting shed), a tea-making station and a memorial area for Scott.

“Winning Shed of the Year is an incredible honour," said Chris, "and means so much to everyone who’s been part of this journey. What started as a hobby project has become somewhere our friends can come together every week, enjoy our shared passion and remember Scott. It’s far more than just a shed, and knowing other people have connected with our story makes this award incredibly special.”

Andrew Wilcox, Founder and Head Judge of Shed of the Year, added: “The standard of entries this year has been exceptional and proves that in our twentieth year the sheddies of the UK are still creating stunning spaces and inspiring others.

“Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0 perfectly captures what Shed of the Year is all about. It’s an outstanding build, but it was the story behind it that made it our overall winner. More than a garden building, it’s somewhere friendships are strengthened, memories are preserved and people come together to share the hobbies they love. It perfectly demonstrates how a shed can become a truly special sanctuary.”

Sam Jenkinson, Head of Marketing and Chief Sheddie at Tiger, said: “We’ve been amazed by the quality of entries during the competition’s 20th year, and it’s been a privilege to celebrate the incredible creativity and craftsmanship found in gardens across the UK. While every category had a unique story to tell, Otty’s Hobby Shed 2.0 truly captured the spirit of what makes this competition so special.”
 
The Shedworking staff were also delighted to see Clare Muir's marvellous pottery studio, Tea Shack (pictured below), win the Workshop/Studio category.

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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

 

Garden offices bloom at RHS Sandringham Flower Show

There was a wonderful selection of garden offices and studios at this week's RHS Sandringham Flower Show. 

Pictured above is The Rhythm of Rainwater designed by Anthony Purdy focusing on turning rain into a visual and musical experience while underlining the importance of rainwater harvesting. At its centre was this lovely bespoke artist’s studio for a songwriter to work surrounded by inspirational landscape.

Below is 100 Sweet Summers designed by Kitti Kovacs with an oak-framed cabin at its centre, decorated with recycled wine bottles collected from those shared with friends and family over the years.

Here's The Butterfly Sanctuary Garden designed by Amanda Thomas which features a garden room with decking...

 ... and here's the RHS Pollywiggle Garden, a wildlife-friendly garden (pollywiggle is another word for tadpole in Norfolk) with a garden room as a key section. Designed by Joe and Laura Carey.

 

And finally The Thomas Gainsborough Garden which launches the 300th birthday celebrations of the artist with an artist's garden studio at its heart, designed by Frederic Whyte.

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Monday's posts are sponsored by Smart Modular Buildings, the UK's best garden room company

Friday Finery: The Alison

This week's Finery is The Alison, one of the models from Pennsylvania-based Hillbrook Connections founded by Alison Caribasi who specifically says it works ideally as a home office. Features include a hipped roof, French doors, and side windows.

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

 

Joanne Harris's shed posts

A reminder that if you enjoyed shedworker novelist Joanne Harris's imaginative posts about her writing shed on Twitter, she's not there any more but she is doing the very same thing most days on Bluesky. Here's today's, above. Well worth a follow.

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

Edna St. Vincent Millay: Shedworker

Edna St. Vincent Millay- who wrote 'My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends— It gives a lovely light!' - was one of the most famous poets in America when she moved to her new home, Steepletop, aged 33 in March 1925. As well as the main farmhouse building, the property including hundreds of acres of land and various outbuildings.

Among them was a small outbuilding in a blueberry field which she claimed as her writing cabin, and she worked there - often with her German shepherd, Altair, as a companion - until  it burned down in 1928. Rather than give up on the shedworking lifestyle, she simply built another (pictured top) on the hill behind the house.

This was a simple garden office, constructed of unpainted pine boards, and surrounded by white pines planted to commemorate her mother's life, while around the cabin she also planted daffodils. It was modelled on George Bernard Shaw's revolving writing hut in Hertfordshire which she had visited. She wrote inside for three to four hours a day, inspired by the lovely environment around her - during her time at Steepletop she wrote several poetry collections, an opera libretto, and translated Baudelaire’s Fleurs du Mal.

The interior was furnished with a wooden desk and chair, stove, wing chair, and, a nice touch this, a chaise longue. Much of the estate has undergone conservation work by the charity that now runs it, and this includes the cabin which has been kept uncluttered.

Photo by Daniel Case

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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

 

Multi-purpose garden office

An interesting 8.4m x 4m build from Eden Garden Rooms which they describe as "a large holistic L-shaped inside-outside living space complete with concealed storage shed". 

It's in a large back garden plot in Surrey, a two-room building with distinct entrances combining an art studio (measuring 3m x 4m with letterbox window for additional light) with a general family retreat space (4.8m wide with room for a sofa and bar areaq plus full-height window), a large decking area, and separate shed storage room. Features include three-door bifolds, and combi-air-airconditioning units.

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Monday's posts are sponsored by Smart Modular Buildings, the UK's best garden room company

Friday Finery: garden room with canopy

As we go into another week of sunshine, here's a very summery garden office set up for this week's Finery from Cosy Garden Rooms which also features a rather inviting hot tub area.

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