Dad burned shed down dangers family = no jail

A father-of-ten who put his family's life at risk after starting a blaze in the garden shed has escaped a jail term.

He had been on a drink and lighter gas binge when his wife threw him out of the house in October last year.

The 44-year-old bedded down in the shed and started a small fire in a container to keep warm but the blaze got out of control.

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Garden shed windows are £200,000 Church treasure

The northern echo says

A MAN whose garden shed looks more like a mini-church is hoping to return a set of stained-glass windows worth thousands of pounds to public use.

Sid Hogg, 71, who lives in Stockton, rescued the windows from St John's Church, in the town's Durham Road, after he formed a boxing club in the church hall more than 30 years ago.

Voodoo shed

Our strange world reports about a shed with a difference.

Within what looks like a simple garden shed — a place where most people might ordinarily store a lawn mower — small red lights are pinned to a low-hanging ceiling, and a humble altar is stocked with symbolic favors people leave for the spirit, including alcohol, folk art and a pipe.

Railway carriage used as shed, now for community

Milton Keynes today (the other day) reports on a Great old shedlike railway carriage

A railway carriage that has stood in someone's back garden for over a century is to be given a new lease of life as a community hall in Wolverton.

The history-steeped carriage - which comes complete with an original 'Do Not Spit' sign - was the pride and joy of a railway works employee, who used it as a garden shed for 50 years.

Russian gangsters giant shed

The torygraph reports with some great pictures of a massive shed/barn/cabin combo.


the say....

For the one-time gangster who built it, it is nothing less than "the eighth wonder of the world". The less charitably disposed dismiss it as a glorified barn, fire hazard and eyesore.

But on one thing everyone agrees: Nikolai Sutyagin's home is certainly different.

Dominating the skyline of Arkhangelsk, a city in Russia's far north-west, it is believed to be the world's tallest wooden house, soaring 13 floors to reach 144ft - about half the size of the tower of Big Ben.

National shed week - Downing Street rejected

I put the national shed week up for petition on the govenment website the other week, but its been rejected :(.

Hi,

I'm sorry to inform you that your petition has been rejected.

Your petition was classed as being in the following categories:

* Intended to be humorous, or has no point about government
policy

If a week to celebrate the importance of sheds on British life has "no point about government policy" then it sums up today's politics, load of rubbish

so make sure you sign our own petition now.

Video of the week : Pottery Shed

Alan Frewin talks about how he first started as a potter and progressed from working in a garden shed to running a successful and highly individual pottery business.

You want a treehouse? how about this mother

Following up my tree-shed post the other day, saynotocrackhas a great post and wonderful pictures of this massive treehouse, or house in the trees if you are picky.

In 2005, the world’s largest all-wood treehouse was built amongst the lime trees of the non-profit Alnwick Garden in Northumberland County, UK. This 6,000 square foot treehouse is comprised of walkways, cottages, shops, a restaurant, and play areas. It is even wheelchair accessible, and holds close to 1,000 people, so everyone can play.

Cracking Idea, Gromit

The Patent Office has got Wallace and Gromoit on board to encourage young inventors.

Nick Park, of course the man behind the two chesse loving characters, say when he was eight years old he'd already decided on his career.

"I really wanted to be an inventor," he says. Inspired by film versions of stories by HG Wells and Jules Verne, he says he planned "to build a time machine and visit the dinosaurs".

Wallace and Gromit, described by the Patent Office as "Britain's foremost inventors", are spearheading the Cracking Ideas initiative, which will invite youngsters to come up with their own inventions.

Wallace, the creator of automated trousers and elaborate knitting machines, follows in the long tradition of "eccentric inventors", says Mr Park.

Of course we have our very own "eccentric inventor" right here on readersheds.co.uk, Lyndon Yorke.

Have any of you sheddies, invented anything in your shed?

'Anyone seen our garden shed?'

A New Zealand, couple is totally wossnamed as their garden shed was stolen from their new property, before it was even completed, the times from nz reports.

“It wasn’t complete but the wall panels were screwed together and leaning against the fence,” the Howick husband says.

The pair, who doesn’t want to be named for fear of further building site thefts

They had instructed their builder son to put the 2.8 x 2.8metre galvanised steel shed together last Monday afternoon.

“He and his workmate had done the floor, but the side panels wouldn’t fit. So in the afternoon they left it leaning against the fence and went back to the shop,” he says.

After being told the manufacturers had labeled the instructions incorrectly, the builders planned to return and finish the shed on Tuesday morning.

Spring has pring bonfire warning

This time of the year, we are getting out in the garden a lot more, but be aware that if you are having a bonfire to clear those excess garden waste, its better to compost, but like these sheddie look out as reported by the Burnam on sea wossname.

Two garden sheds were destroyed during a fire at Highbridge on Saturday afternoon (March 24th).

Two Burnham-On-Sea fire crews were called to Orchard Close at 4.30pm after a garden bonfire got out of control.

Burnham station officer Ian Hazelton told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "The fire destroyed 20 feet of fence and two sheds."

Burning sheddie saved by wifes beating

According to the sunday mirror, Stephen Smith was engulfed in flames when his motorbike's petrol tank exploded as he worked on it in his garden shed.

When wife Gill saw him rolling on the ground in agony, she waded in with her bare hands.

"She slapped and kicked me until my burning clothes were extinguished.

Muso shows support for Shed Week

Singer/Songwriter and Sheddie Polly Paulusma has put her support towards our campaign for National shed week.

she says

"My shed is where i do all my music. it's a place far away from the phone and the front door, peaceful, wonderful. sheds should be available on prescription for anyone that needs some space to make things. i love my shed."

so come on make it happen.

Beer of the week : ginger tosser

A nice fresh brew from Skinners Brewery, Truro, its light in taste and not strong so a good session beer and the sting in the tail it contains cornish honey which gives a nice sweetness.



not one for wossnames out of X but I give it 4 out of 5, a winner

It's grown in sheds and harvested by candelight

Of course its rhubarb!

The beeb has a good piece on this veg, to be honest I never liked it as a kid(and have not had it since) but some do!



Yorkshire's biggest growers are attempting to get Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) from the EU for the dozen producers across the region in whats called the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle.

Good luck to them, as protecting your traditional wossnames is very important

The current PROTECTED FOOD include Modena balsamic vinegar, Parma ham, Newcastle brown ale, Kalamata olives, Roquefort cheese and Arbroath smokies.

Clocks forward = theft from sheds

The cotswold journal rightly are giving warnings

"Sheds are a favourite target for criminals because many can be broken into relatively easily and they often contain expensive items such as lawn mowers, power tools and bikes. Shed owners should make them more secure by investing in metal grilees for windows, reinforced hinges and strong locks and shed alarms.

of course if I was that way inclined, I would say you can win some shed security right here.!! ;)

National shed week sign the online petition

You can now sign an online petition here

Neolithic axe (not guitar) found in garden shed

A NEOLITHIC flint axe estimated at being between 4,000 and 5,000 years old that has been sitting in a garden shed drawer for 40 years will be available for all to see at the Worcestershire City Museum, the Evesham journal reports

Shed or Treehouse or both

Saw this great shed on a nice walk in chepstow on Sunday, it's been put up on a platform and looks great, could not get any closer.

Shed security

Co-operative Insurance has done one of those weekly survey/info things that go on the news and tell us what we need to know about Garden security, but one of things they are telling you to be aware of is, shed security they suggest which is quite good -

"Try to screen your shed’s windows, so thieves cannot see what is stored in there "

But how would you do this if you have a potting shed and used the window as a sun trap, of course you could cover it up at night, but when on one is there in day (when the best of the sun) then ho hum..