Friday Finery: Rotating Seater

A lovely view from one of the smaller models in the Ornate Garden pod range, the Rotating Seater.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society's garden office in the Idler magazine

My latest garden office shed column in the new Idler magazine features an interview with Dinah Johnson (no relation) who runs The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society which now brings together nearly 1,500 members from 36 countries from her B&Q summerhouse. Here's a snippet:

“It faces north and is painted a ‘medium oak colour and has recently been re-roofed and clad because it was starting to rot quite badly. We’d discussed replacing it and maybe getting a slightly bigger one to store the growing collection of letters, but it would’ve been like selling a friend,” she says.

 

“The door-hinge still needs mending and the gutters putting up but hopefully if not completely airtight it’s much improved. I love the front with the two doors and the eight little windows and the angle of the roof. I love the position of my writing desk tucked just round the corner by the windows so I can watch the garden goings on, like a blackbird washing in the birdbath and the gradual changing of the seasons, when I look up from my bureau. I’m not too keen on the fusty shed smell it leaves on me but that has a charm all of its own and will certainly bring back memories of me “up the shed” in years to come for the kids. I love all the postal paraphernalia I’ve managed to cram into it including an ever growing postbox shrine.”

You can read the rest in the issue with the cover below, available from all over the place including Waterstones, but best enjoyed via a subscription.

------------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

Bespoke garden room in Chartwell Green (video)

A 4m x 2.4m garden room built and installed in Graffham, West Sussex by Eco Garden Studios. Here's what they say about it: "We brought to life out customers vision of a garden studio that complimented the surrounding scenery with a unique custom colour scheme. Full package including armored cable connection to the existing power supply was all done by our team."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

Custom-designed garden studio to showcase motorcycle collection.

Housed in a Smart Modular Buildings 4m x 4.5m Key Studio with bifold doors is this marvellous motorcycle collection owned by David Jacob, a replacement space for the old, damp garage that came with his new propety. Here's what he says about it:

“The “showroom” as it has been dubbed by friends has removed all issues I had previously had when storing bikes over winter. With them being in a dry, warm and secure building there are no problems when firing them up for the first time at the start of the riding season. The full-width doors are what make me happy every time I use them. Being able to pick a bike and take it out without a lot of hassle is such a luxury. When they were in the garage, they were tucked up at the back, behind the car. I really enjoy lazy summer evenings in the garden with the lights on in the showroom and the bikes all on display. For a petrolhead like me, it is a form of art installation.

“An unexpected upside was when I recently sold one of the bikes. The purchaser was simply blown away by coming to view a bike which was “on display” in such a perfect building. He was also a collector and was used to seeing bikes in a tatty shed or garage. He had driven five hours to view the bike and sent me a message the night before saying he hoped it would be worth the trip. As he sat on the sofa with a cup of tea looking at his new purchase shining under the spotlights, he said it definitely was…”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

 

Shed insurance survey suggests more than half of owners are not covered

New research from Go.Compare home insurance suggests that while the average UK shed is used to store around £455 worth of valuables, 55% of shed owners don’t have insurance to cover their sheds or outbuildings, haven’t thought about it, or don’t know if they have the right cover.

While the survey looks at sheds in general rather than garden offices in particular, the findings might also serve as a wakeup call for shedworkers to check that they are covered too. 

The new research asked more than 1,300 shed owners about how they used their garden buildings - one in ten shed owners use them as a “hobby space”, and 8% have converted their sheds into gyms, a further 6% using them as a games room.
 
According to the data, the average value of the contents that UK householders keep in either a shed or outbuilding is £455, though for 1 in 6 people it’s more than £1,000. However, despite the high value of these items, only 44% of those surveyed are certain they have insurance cover in place.

Ceri McMillan, home insurance spokesperson for Go.Compare, said: “We did a similar survey in 2021 when we found that UK adults had spent an average of £1,976 on their gardens during the pandemic. We wanted to find out if the way people are using these spaces has changed four years on, and whether or not these former havens were now defunct so it was heartening to see people are still making the most of these spaces.

“It’s clear many people are keeping quite valuable items in their sheds. But whether you’re using your shed to store gardening tools or gym equipment, it’s important to know if it’s properly protected. Many of us may not think about the value and security of our garden contents in the same way as we do about our homes, but when you start adding up even the average garden can house several thousands of pounds worth of items. 

“Sheds and other outbuildings are often covered under your buildings insurance but this just covers the structure, not what you keep inside.   Instead, these items can be covered by home contents insurance under ‘contents in the open’, which provides cover for loss or damage to contents left outside but within the boundaries of your home. While there’s often a degree of cover for gardens and outbuildings in a home insurance policy, the amount and level of cover can vary significantly.  So, if you’re keeping valuable items in your shed, you may want to check your insurance cover and make sure it’s right for your requirements, or even buy additional garden cover.”

-------------------------------------------------

 

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

 

Bournemouth beach hut waiting lists reopen for first time in seven years

Residents will have the opportunity to apply to rent a beach hut in Bournemouth this summer when Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council open waiting lists for the first time in seven years.

Bournemouth was the first place in the UK to have purpose-built beach huts. Their position on the seafront has meant waiting lists for each of the 15 locations along Bournemouth and Poole have been historically oversubscribed. To manage this high demand the Bournemouth waiting lists were closed in 2017. Since then, numbers on the waiting lists have significantly reduced, and the Council is now looking to reopen eight of the lists in Bournemouth.

The opening of the lists will be staggered over a few weeks and each list will be capped at 500 applications, to manage volume.

BCP Council’s Head of Seafront Services Anthony Rogers said: “We are pleased to be reopening the beach hut waiting lists in Bournemouth for the first time in seven years. Our new management system aims to ensure an enhanced and consistent service for all residents.”

Beach hut applicants can choose to join any of the 15 beach area lists between Bournemouth and Poole. The cost to join each list is £50. Any specific health requirements, such as mobility issues, will be taken into consideration when huts are allocated. Information relating to the joining process, eligibility criteria, and terms and conditions is now live on the Council’s website.

The waiting list opening dates and times are:

* July 9 - Bournemouth East and Bournemouth West

* July 11 - Boscombe East and Boscombe West

* July 16 - Alum Chine and Durley Chine

* July 18 - Fisherman’s Walk and Southbourne

There are no waiting lists in Christchurch, where huts are sold on the open market. Poole lists are already open, but will be closed for maintenance June 20 - 26. Beach hut waiting lists will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and further changes may be enabled through the development of a new digital management system.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Plankbridge looking for manufacturing designer

Shepherd's hut specialists Plankbridge (pictured above is the new Sauna Snug model) are looking for a manufacturing designer to join their Dorset-based family-run business.

The job spec states that the right candidate "will be the architect behind our beautiful huts. Your primary responsibility will be producing accurate and detailed workshop drawings for each hut, capturing bespoke features and precise measurements. You’ll ensure that these designs are ready for manufacturing and meet customer specifications. Your technical understanding of manufacturing and excellent communication skills will be essential in collaborating with our sales and workshop teams." If this sound like you, email Plankbridge direct at enquiries@plankbridge.com

------------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

New studies back hybrid working on all fronts

A series of studies have backed the idea that hybrid working, ideal for shedworkers, is an ideal way forward for many people.

Most recently, a study published this week in academic journal Nature showed that over a six-month trial investigating the effects of hybrid working from home on 1,612 employees in a Chinese technology company, hybrid working improved job satisfaction and reduced quit rates by one-third (especially among women and those with a long commute). Nor did it affect performance grades over two years of reviews or make any difference in promotions, or have any effect on the lines of code written by computer-engineer employees. The paper's conclusion was: "These results indicate that a hybrid schedule with two days a week working from home does not damage performance."

It follows a similar study by IWG last week which revealed three quarters of the 1,026 people interviewed who work hybridly suffered less burnout than when entirely in the office. Other results showed a majority felt less drained (79%), less stressed (78%), less anxious (72%)  and enjoyed a better quality of sleep (68%)
, more exercise (54%)
, healthier meal preparation (58%)
, and better health overall (68%)


As with the study above, three quarters were more motived and more productive and 85% reported that it had improved their job satisfaction.

Finally, a new report released by The Stepstone Group, parent company of IrishJobs, indicated that hybrid working is a major deal breaker for jobseekers in Ireland - nearly half  (47%) said they would refuse a job offer if there were no hybrid/fully remote working possibilities. Overall, 42% of European job seekers would refuse a decent job offer if the employer had no hybrid offering.

Image courtesy Cedar Living

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Garden Build UK launches with self-build kits

Sustainable building specialists SBUK, is expanding to launch a new brand, Garden Build UK which will offer SIP and timber frame garden building construction kits, made in Yorkshire and certified by various leading accreditation bodies. 


Garden Build UK is focusing on quality assurance, offering an array of accreditations including NaCSBA Gold, STA Gold, ISO 9001, and Structural Timber certifications. The company's kits can be tailored to meet building regulations and fire-accredited to FR60 standards.



Chris Duckworth, MD at SBUK, said: 

"Our mission is to offer a superior alternative in the garden building market, from an established company with a great track record. We understand the importance of investing in a quality product, especially when it comes to creating additional space in your home. Our kits not only meet but exceed industry standards, providing customers with a reliable and sustainable solution for their garden building needs."



Garden Build UK is part of the established Sustainable Buildings Systems UK (SBUK) group which also includes SIP Build UK, Frame Build UK, MET Build UK and Clad Build UK. The group was founded in 2012 and has been featured several times on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

 

Shedfest 2024

The UK Men’s Sheds Association annual jamboree, Shedfest, returns on July 11. Held at at Worcester University Area from 9am until 4pm, tickets are free and include lunch. As well as the afternoon AGM, there will be chances to meet shedders from sheds all around the UK, plus talks on technology, mental health and DBS mythbusting. As usual there will also be live demonstrations.

Organisers say it's looking like it will feature the event's largest ever exhibition hall, not to mention prizes for the best turned item, and the best animal habitat. Tickets are available here.
 

-------------------------------------------------

 

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

Friday Finery: shepherd's hut workspace

This week, the inside of a Meridian Workspace Hut from Blackdown Shepherd Huts which has been designed specifically for shedworkers featuring a bespoke-made rise and fall desk.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Garden building for entertainment

 

 

Malvern Garden Buildings has an interesting case study of a couple giving a new look to their town house garden using one of the company's Studio Pavilion models. The build features a gin bar, television, and covered outdoor space. You can read more about it on Malvern's website here. 

-------------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

UK Men’s Sheds Association launch new Shed beer

The UK Men’s Sheds Association and Hobson’s Brewery have collaborated to produce ‘Shed’, a light aromatic IPA with less than 0.5% alcohol.

According to the association: "‘Shed’ provides an opportunity for people to enjoy the taste of a good pale ale without the alcohol and at the same time raise funds and awareness for the UK Men’s Sheds Association." Hobsons describe it as: "a light alcohol free beer in the style of an Indian Pale Ale. With a large dose of hops, this beer has a captivating smell of citrus and tropical fruits, followed by a pleasant bitterness." It's also only 22 calories a bottle.

You can order it at the Hobson's Brewery website.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

Decorating tips for garden offices

Some useful thoughts in this short '7 Practical Tips for Decorating Small Workspaces or Micro Office Pods' advice from Warwick Buildings. Here's a snippet:

In small office setups like micro pods, using mirrors and reflective surfaces can significantly boost your sense of space. Mirrors expand the visual field, making any area feel larger and more open, and they reflect both natural and artificial light – brightening the space and creating a more airy atmosphere. Strategically place your mirrors opposite windows or next to desk lamps to light up corners that might otherwise appear dark and cramped. This not only makes the pod feel more spacious but also more vibrant and inviting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

Arctic Cabins summer show programme

Arctic Cabins is one of the busiest garden building suppliers on the summer show schedules. If you want to have a look at one while you're making up your mind about buying one (which we'd always recommend people do before parting with their hardearned cash) then you can catch them at the following events over the next couple of months:

June

13 - 16: Gardeners World Live, NEC
14 - 16: Royal Three Counties Show, Three Counties Showground
18 - 19: The Royal Cheshire County Show, The Royal Cheshire County Show ground
19 - 20: The Lincolnshire Show, Lincolnshire Showground
21 - 23: Blenheim Palace Flower Show, Blenheim Palace
26 - 27: The Royal Norfolk Show, Norfolk Showground
29 - 30: Homebuilding & Renovating Show - Surrey, Sandown Park

July

2 - 7: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, Hampton Court Palace
5 - 7: The Kent County Show, Kent Showground
9 -12: The Great Yorkshire Show, Great Yorkshire Showground
12 - 14: The Norfolk Garden Show, Norfolk Showground
17 - 21: RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Tatton Park
26 - 28: The Garden Show at Broadlands, Broadlands Estate
27- 28: Heckington Show, Heckington Show
27 - 28: Three Counties Food & Drink Festival, Three Counties Showground
30 - August 1 : New Forest & Hampshire County Show, The Showground

-------------------------------------------------

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.

Friday Finery: outdoor shower

You can get all sorts of additional features in your garden office, but here's one of the more luxurious, an outside shower on the Plankbridge shepherd's hut sauna which debuted at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, alongside its splendid new outdoor privy, admired by the King and Queen.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Paula Sutton: shedworker (video)

Norfolk-based design blogger and writer Paula Sutton is better known as the creator of Hill House Vintage (also available on Instagram) but she has also just published her first cosy crime novel, The Potting Shed Murder (which she describes as "cottagecore crime"). In the video below she takes us on a tour of her writing shed from around the 9:54 mark

-------------------------------------------------------

 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

Ecofriendly Hully Garden Pods

Although they do have larger models, Shedworking is particularly taken by Southampton-based Hully's smallest garden pod, The Dory, pictured above. Inspired by the hull of a boat (but upside down, of course), they have all the must-haves (electrics, insulation, etc) and are delivered fully assembled. The Dory has a very compact 1.2m depth under its fibreglass shell and perhaps best of all is made from more than 300 500ml recycled plastic bottles (the bigger models reuse even more, obviously). The official office pod version of it also comes with a built-in desk.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

Beach huts in danger at Milford on Sea to be removed

The New Forest District Council is to begin removing 31 damaged and at-risk beach huts at Hordle Cliff, Milford on Sea imminently.

The huts, along the eastern section at Hordle Cliff (pictured above), have been badly damaged because of beach erosion and ground movement following a series of winter storms, meaning the plots are no longer viable. The removal is planned to start on June 10. 

Steve Cook, NFDC coastal service manager, said: "We have actively engaged with hut owners and the New Forest Beach Hut Owners Association, and have every sympathy with those who have experienced impacts at this very challenging coastal area. The removal of the huts is a challenging operation, made more difficult by the limited beach access and tidal working. We hope to complete the works before the end of June and reopen the beach for residents and visitors to enjoy in the summer months.

"We advise anyone considering buying a beach hut or other asset on, or close to, the coast to consider the risk before purchasing. People are welcome to contact our coastal team to understand the risks."

NFDC has already closed a section of the cliff for safety reasons and terminated some beach hut licences. 
There are currently 300 beach huts at the Hordle Cliff site - huts that have licences terminated cannot be relocated as there are no available plots. 

The beach huts along the eastern section have become increasingly vulnerable to erosion and ground movement, particularly since Storm Eunice in February 2022. This winter has been one of the stormiest of record with Storm Ciarán (1st to 2nd Nov) causing further erosion, which has been compounded by high levels of rainfall. February 2024 was the wettest on record for Solent and South Downs (SSD) since 1891 and the area received 300% (174mm) of the (LTA) rainfall (58 mm). 


Image courtesy New Forest District Council

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

 

Garden room vs extension: case study

Following on from last week's discussion about the relative values of garden rooms and offices vs home extensions, here's a case study from Cosy Garden Rooms on this very subject.

So, Ian and Sue recently downsized to a bungalow in Belper, Derbyshire, with stunning views across the town and open countryside. After living in the house for a little while they missed a second reception room. Initially, they started looking into getting an extension to the rear of the property, but for various reasons this proved to be costly, time consuming and would mean quite a lot of disruption which they didn’t want.

Instead, Ian went for a multi-purpose, 5.5m x 3m garden room solution from Cosy Garden Rooms, a composite clad model, which is now a sitting room/television room with a pool table giving them the extra room they required.  

"I chose this solution," said Ian, "because the garden rooms are built so quickly and with very little mess or disturbance. It only  took the Cosy guys three days including building the base and it was hassle free. We didn’t need planning permission, so it really was an easy way to add space to the house. The room is really well insulated, it’s never that cold, it’s easy to heat and once you are inside, you would barely know the difference, using it all year round isn’t a problem.

“We have the extra space we wanted, and we added a canopy to the front so we can sit comfortably on the patio in the sunshine. We’ve used the room for relaxing, watching TV, enjoying the view, hosting parties, pool tournaments, and family nights. We’ve even had birthday parties for our grandchildren with a bouncy castle on the lawn. We use the garden room a lot, all year round. It never gets freezing cold and is quick and efficient to heat up. The garden room looks fantastic and has added a "wow" factor to our garden."

-------------------------------------------------

Monday posts are sponsored by Cosy Garden Rooms, the UK's No. 1 bespoke garden room designer and builder.