Charles Dickens’ writing chalet restoration update

There are optimistic sounds coming from the campaign to restore Charles Dickens' writing chalet in Rochester which as you know has been in an increasingly poor state of repair for some time now. 

The project - a partnership between Medway Council and the Friends of Eastgate House - now has its own website where its mission statement is "to revive and reimagine Dickens’ Writing Chalet as a vibrant cultural space for the community". Here's what they say:

Alongside other key heritage sites — such as Eastgate House, the Six Poor Travellers, Restoration House and The Bull Hotel – the Chalet will become part of a compelling story about place, history and imagination. It will also serve as a platform for events and fundraising activities to secure its future use and ongoing maintenance, helping to preserve its legacy for generations to come.

Recent events over the summer have included opening the chalet to the public during August, and the presentation of a mini chalet scale model to the Annual Conference of the Dickens Fellowship. We'll keep you posted on further updates on this extremely worthy scheme.

Image courtesy Rye Design

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Cognito's wins Pub Shed of the Year competition

Wolverhampton Wanderers fan Glen Gandy from Willenhall has won the fifth Pub Shed of the Year competition run by Two Fat Blokes Bar Signs and and Ngage Radio.

His pubshed Cognito's cost him around £20,000 to build and took him two years. Features include a DJ booth, hot tub, jukebox and Space Invaders machine, Wolves tops around the walls, a large television, and fridge stocked with beer, as well as a beer garden with barbecue seating area and shower room. The name is a tribute to his late friend and comedian Ian Cognito.
 
The other finalists were The Cattle Shed in Walsall, pictured below and created by West Bromich Albion fan Kev Cattell (coincidentally a friend of Glen's), and the BrennInn in Burnley by Chris Brennan.
 
Glen wins a range of personalised items for his pub shed, including beer mats and a bar sign.

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