The Humble Garden Shed

They say everybody should have a shed and when the number of different types and sizes are examined you would think that everybody has one, but the market is ever growing with a growing population and an ever increasing desire to collect more and more possessions that all require storing.
In many cases the shed has become somebody's prize private space where the garden potting is carried out or the woodwork project studied, designed and built.
The humble shed has almost become an icon and they even have a "shed of the year" contest such is the degree of customisation that goes on, it has now even expanded to become the National Shed Week.
This contest was started by Andrew Wilcox or "Uncle Wilco" as he is known to a dedicated band of "sheddies" developed on competition for the most quirky shed in England.
It started in 2007 with a National Shed Week and the winner was a shed converted into a Roman Temple, in 2008 the winner was an octagonal Pub Shed, with no doubt a dedicated function in mind, in 2009 the winner came from Wales with a shed on stilts known as the Kite Cabin.
The 2010 winner was a pirate themed shed with the grand name of "Lady Sarah out of Worthing".
This year's winner was a delightful one called "Songs from the Sheds" which started life as First World War billet hut but the present owner Jon Earl from Clevedon, Somerset converted it into a music hut and invited many bands from all over the country to use it as a video recording shed.
It has hosted hundreds of bands and is reputed to have a waiting list of over 100.
The humble building is just 12 ft.
x 10 ft.
and has even hosted Fairport Convention as well as Steve Harley and the US group, the Water Bucket Boys came to do their video in the shed.
May be the contest is a little quirky but so are the sheds and the history and development of some of them is absolutely fascinating.
Today's sheds start life a little more simply but it is still a cheap way to start life and perhaps a little imagination can turn the standard shiplap 6 ft.
x 8 ft.
garden shed into something that fits a person's character and will in times to come be regarded as something special and even if not will be special to the owner.