Shed of the year 2024, Sponsored by 
Although it is not a gipsy caravan it is very colourful and attracts the eyes of passers-by as they walk down our lane. Because it has been in both our gardens our children cannot remember a time when we were without it and so it is part of our family history.
The shed is a roadman's van. It provided his living accommodation as he travelled from one job to another, towing the van behind his steam- roller which flattened the road as it went - hence no need for tyres or suspension. The walls were of thin boarding fixed inside and outside a timber frame, making the van cold and draughty. The original structure is still intact, and I have added a third layer of boarding over a two inch layer of insulation. The floor and the roof have also been insulated so a small oil-filled electric radiator keeps it very cosy; the steam- roller driver had a solid fuel stove - and free coal from the steam-roller. We have used it as a playroom, a tack room, a spare bedroom and now, with electricity and telephone installed, as an office. It is called the Orange Box because it was painted orange when we first acquired it nearly fifty years ago.
