The Summerhouse

Shed Features

I built this shed about 15 years ago with an ex-boyfriend. I was crazy about him, partly because of his hands- he could build anything, with grace and skill. He was a cross-dressing French anarchist lumberjack and drummer who had dreams of pop stardom which bored me. I was more interested in his superstar carpentry skills. He was also a master roofer, used to redo cathedral roofs in France.

This shed was made, apart from the roof, entirely from things from skips. We even recycled many of the screws and nails. (I remember the look of love he had for a box of interesting screws we'd found, a look he never gave me). It took 3 months to make, during a sun filled spring and early summer. I learnt to glaze a window, to hammer and to saw. I loved it. I've always wanted to build my own house and this was the nearest to it. Inside it has a bed, a wood burner and a desk. The drawers of the desk are the changing baskets from the London Fields Lido where he used to squat. On the top of the roof there is a weather vane, a car boot find. As the pioneer of supper clubs in the UK, I also used to have private supper clubs in the shed. Guests included the American ambassador and the singer and star of 'Glow' Kate Nash and Ryan Jarman of The Cribs. I did have to knock before entering, I often found guests in bed between courses. The last couple of years I've had problems as a jealous neighbour has put a fence next to it so I cannot remove the ivy coming from that side.