Garden office conference to focus on writing huts

Intriguing news that there is to be a conference later this year at the Justus Liebig University, Giessen, in Germany entitled 'Forest Cabins, Garden Sheds, and Other Niches: Spaces of Retreat and the Potentiality of Writing'.

In her call for papers Professor Kirsten von Hagen writes:

"Writing practices have long been associated with withdrawal and retreat, often into nature. From Henry David Thoreau’s cabin in the woods to Virginia Woolf’s garden shed in Sussex [pictured top in my recent book Rooms of Their Own and illustrated by James Oses], spaces of retreat appear central to creative practice. They promise time, focus, and a calmer environment removed from everyday distractions, raising the question of what constitutes an “ideal” space for writing and creative work.

"This conference seeks to examine secluded, marginal, and sometimes remote spaces of retreat more closely, with a particular focus on writing as practice. What forms of writing emerge in such settings? How are writers shaped by spaces of withdrawal? Which strategies accompany retreat-based writing practices, for example, walking and writing or a particular attunement to surroundings?"

It follows the 2025 conference 'The Cabin in the Woods and Other Utopian Confinements: Hopes and Horrors of Living in Small Houses in Remote Areas' and aims to place "creative practice and writing at the center of its exploration of spaces of retreat, including cabins, garden sheds, and other hut-like environments."

More details at the link above but a list of possible topics - deadline for submission is March 26 for the July conference - included in the call suggests:

• The potentiality of writing and creative practice
• Retreat as a space of withdrawal or resistance
• Ecocritical perspectives on writing retreats
• Ecofeminist and posthumanist approaches to retreat
• Entanglements with the more-than-human world in times of withdrawal
• Blurred boundaries between fiction and non-fiction in literary representations of retreats

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

Cosy Garden Rooms scoops business award

Congratulations to Cosy Garden Rooms who have won the Micro Business of the Year prize at the East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire) Business Awards.

The award is contested by entrants with one to 10 employees. "We’re proud to be recognised among the region’s outstanding businesses," said a spokesperson. "Here’s to continuing to grow, innovate, and deliver exceptional garden rooms."

East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Nottinghamshire is known the world over for its rich history of making, creating and is home to some of the country and the world’s best innovation. Whether skill in trading within the county or far and wide at international level, what I see continually across Nottinghamshire’s business community is a forward-thinking approach, focused on overcoming challenges, seizing opportunity and on growth." 

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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

 

New beach huts go on sale in Great Yarmouth

Newly built beach huts on the Esplanade have put on sale in Great Yarmouth, with £12,000 and £20,000 price tags attached to 10 and 25 year leases.

The 3m x 1.8m beach huts (pictured above) come in a range of colours, double doors, use of an exclusive amenity block nearby, a dedicated seating area at the front, and are all close to the Golden Mile set between the seafront and North Drive. There is also free annual parking (car park to the rear) with permit included.

The huts are being marketed by East Commercial Chartered Surveyors for Great Yarmouth Borough Council. Details on Rightmove.

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

 

Friday Finery: Concave Room

This week's Finery is a Concave model build from Modern Garden Rooms with rather pleasant nearby swimming pool as well as nice blue sky.

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

 

Garden room trends for 2026

An interesting post by Cabin Master looks at garden room trends for this year makes for intriguing reading. Their figures indicate:

* average sizes rising over the past year from 16.3m² to 17.5m² in floor space, with decking/verandas less common

* fully timber buildings falling in popularity from 7.7% of builds in 2023 to 3.1% in 2025 with hybrid finishes combining natural timber with composite Marley board cladding on the rise

* growing interest in home saunas and cabins 
 
* increasing statement glazing, installations of Cabin Master's largest size of doors growing 30% in 2025, and builds which used their largest window sizing rose 18% year on year - this marries with a drop in the average number of window units per build

* the rise in sliding doors, featuring in 58% of its garden room builds in 2023, increasing to 62% in 2024 and up to 64% in 2025 - at the same time there has been a slight decline in bifold doors

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

 

Shedworkers and other homeworkers must be protected like any other employee says the HSE

Although more than a third of workers in Britain now work remotely or in hybrid arrangements, not all employers realise health and safety responsibilities apply equally at home as in the workplace according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Britain’s national workplace regulator is running a campaign to remind employers of the need to assess the risks for all home workers.  

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in January 2026, 38% of workers were working remotely or in some kind of hybrid arrangement (25% hybrid and 13% fully remotely).  

HSE is advising employers to pay particular attention to three areas - stress and mental health, the safe use of display screen equipment, and the working environment – including accidents, emergencies, and lone working. This is a legal duty, not optional guidance.  

“Working from home can deliver benefits to both employers and employees," said Barbara Hockey, from HSE Engagement and Policy Division, "but it’s important that employers understand their responsibilities.  

“The good news for bosses is you don’t need to physically visit someone’s home to fulfil your duties. Most of the time, the risks are low and the steps to manage them are straightforward and HSE provides free guidance to support you. Practically, this means managers keeping in regular contact with their teams, talking openly about workloads and training needs, and making sure people aren’t under pressure to work outside their normal working hours. 

“It also means having simple conversations about the physical environment by asking staff to visually check that their equipment is safe and not damaged, keeping work areas clear of trailing wires or obstructions, and making sure everyone knows what to do in an emergency."

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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

 

Vinnie Jones's log cabin

Ex-footballer turned actor and television presenter Vinnie Jones is also the proud owner of an Arctic Cabins cabin. You can see it on the latest season of his Vinnie Jones in the Country on Discovery+ (pictured above and below).

It is one of the supplier's solar dome cabins beside Vinnie’s lake on his 2,000-acre West Sussex estate, built without the central barbecue unit as a lakeside retreat.
 
"What Vinnie needed was a cabin that blended into the surrounding natural environment and allowed for beautiful views from inside the cabin," said an Arctic Cabins spokesperson. "By choosing a solar dome cabin with an extension, it maximises the internal space of the cabin for a variety of uses. Additionally, to make the most of the beautiful views around the lake and maximise natural light, Vinnie chose to have larger windows looking out on the surrounding countryside."

You can see it featured in the episode below.

 

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