Sad is the Shed Man - not

What could be nicer than your own shed? Of course it depends on circumstances but, hopefully, all of us will end up with our own shed at some point. In today's world, more than ever, you need a retreat, not exactly a hide away, but your own space, surrounded by your own things, be that only stuff salvaged from the house, knick-knacks, bits and pieces and stuff rescued from the bin. This will inevitably, for the likes of us, include large quantities of motorbike bits, or as your other half probably thinks of it, 'that useless rusty old scrap'. If you are indeed blessed, you could even have one shed as a chill out zone, and with another for actual storage. Once you've got one shed, you invariably need another, almost for its own sake, like another motorbike. 

It's so restful down there, a real haven, just the sound of the birds and the buzz of an occasional aeroplane. On a sunny day it is fantastic, basking in peace, out of harm's way - it is fairly screened and inaccessible although enough room for a bike or two. A timeless world out of the hussel and bussel, away from household duties and disturbances yet within reach should one hear a call for 'lunch'. Shed life can have similarities with camping, it doesn't hurt to have a camp stove and a kettle on hand but it's better than camping as there's the house, with its toilet and kitchen, just a few minutes away. That garden path, linking the shed and the house is more than just a path; it's a bridge between quiet on the one hand and the real world of responsibilities on the other. Separate, yet tantalisingly close at hand.

The downside is that sheds tend to be hot in summer and cold in winter. However, you can leave the door open when it is hot, and maybe wear thermals when it's chilly if necessary.  Mainly a day time thing though, as hooking up power is a pain, plus bugs tend to be drawn by the light. A torch or lamp is really all you need for the inevitable evening rummage. Now, a radio. That's different. You'll definitely need a radio, battery or wind-up. Maneuvering bikes in and out of your average garden-type shed can be a bit of conundrum, but where there's a will there's usually a way. A friend is carving out a new opening in one of his shed walls, but me, I just heave bikes around as best I can and normally manage it through the existing doorway after a bit of minor straining.

I tend to use one shed more for a workshop as it is less confined than the other. Bike fettling and messing with parts mostly, for taking engines out the garage is better, as I can fix a hoist and use mains power as required. The shed is therefore primarily for fiddling, mulling things over, cleaning and painting components maybe but mostly day dreaming. A tranquil place surrounded by bike stuff, to contemplate rides, go through boxes or just day dream. There was a time when the boss wanted a document produced, in a hurry. The office was noisy, not an environment where you could think clealy for something like that. The shed was the ideal solution with its old basket chair, a discarded cushion that doesn't match the others in the living room, and a redundant waste bin for the false starts. The document got written, slowly to be sure, and with pauses for a stroll across the divide for a cup of tea or to use the bathroom, but it got done. Best thing I've written.

Once, tracking down spares, I ended up outside someone else's shed while they hunted a part down. It was full of used motorbike stuff, with a couple of half-dismantled machines nearby for good measure. From where I was standing, looking in, I could see the legend, "I'm OK, they know me here", painted on one of the roof beams. At the time this seemed slightly odd, but now, in retrospect, I can understand and endorse the sentiment. The shed is a highly personal place where interference is not expected, a friend was rebuilding an old motorbike, he had carefully placed all the engine parts in order pending the rebuild, some on shelves but mainly on nails tapped into the shed wall frame. Somehow, when children were playing in the garden, the shed took a blow or two. Small components ended up on the floor, out of order, oh dear.

Sheds, bikes, a dog, wives and kids. They go together for a rounded life - you need the first three to be at your best with the last two. It's yin and yang, two different but complementary worlds. More than one shed and bike is good - however, generally speaking, one dog, one wife and one set of kids will suffice. The dog hasn't taken to the shed for some reason, so it's old bikes for company. A shed is more than four fairly insubstantial walls, a plank floor, and a flimsy roof. It's a mini holiday, a private zone, somewhere with its own sense of mystery and promise. Am I mad to imagine these things? I don't think so. There's definitely something magical about 'escaping' to a shed and, in my opinion, it's definately better with a motorbike or two to share the space with. Icing on the cake, as it were.

You have to love your shed, and the slower pace of life it represents, down there at the bottom of the garden, somewhere to collect your thoughts and come away refreshed, better able to face life's facts. figures, problems and aggrevation. In fact, it is relaxing simply to envisge the shed and it's pleasant ambience.

Living in a corner house with no real 'back garden', what I really need is a much bigger garage..!

2 hours ago, Snakebite68 said:

Living in a corner house with no real 'back garden', what I really need is a much bigger garage..!

never mind mately, the romance of the shed was the subject but, really they are hot in summer and cold in winter so not actually that useful lol.

my old sheds - now gone