Shed of the year 2024, Sponsored by 
It is a recreational area for myself, my wife (Helen) and our 4 children (Daisy 17, Lewis 15, Emily 12, George 9). During Lock-down, with the pubs, play areas, bowling alleys, snooker club all closed, and with me and the wife with no work (me a photographer, Helen a hairdresser) for several months ahead lead me to think that we should build a wooden shed at the bottom of the garden to keep everyone sane, active, incorporating all the above, and importantly give us all a purpose and learn to build and create something that we have never done before!
Literally built from scratch, by watching hours of YouTube as information and advice, I started measuring and drawing what could be possible at the bottom of our garden. I then ordered (from one of the few open timber yards) the wood needed. For the doors and windows I appealed on Facebook for anyone who had doors they didn't want & successfully obtained a set of french doors, a back door so we can open up straight onto a lovely cornfield at the rear of our house, and a window to accentuate the view obtained from eBay. Most importantly, I also found a second hand old pub pool table which I successfully won also on eBay, so we went to collect it. The weight was incredible & we all had to lift it together to get it back & basically we had to build the construction around it as we wouldn't be able to get it through the door once built! It really was great fun to do, and a real family affair. Daisy cut the wood and the ship-lap cladding, Emily and George painted the sides, Lewis helped with the lifting and Helen insulated the whole thing and painted the interior. It is as big as we could go under permitted planning - so it is 28sq meters and under 2.5m in height. A slightly sloping roof to take the rain onto the cornfield which is protected with some rubber roofing to eliminate me needing to re-felt it every few years. It really makes an excellent place to hang out. It was great for the mental health of all my children to both build it and hang out in it during lock-down and beyond. Oh - and it has a bar in it! designed and built by Daisy!
