Over the last 65 years, (I am now 74), I have had several sheds, all at different stages of my life.

My first was as a boy helping my granddad making chicken houses chicken runs and rabbit hutches. I must have been about 10. I used to cut up all the old wood and chop into fire lighting sticks, made up into bundles, which were then stacked in the end of the shed, ready for use. Many hours were spent doing this.

My dad came home from the war in 1946. He saw I was keen on woodwork so he bought me my first tools, 5 chisels, tenon saw, brace and bits. Small smoothing plane and an oilstone, and he let me use his shed to work in. One day I came home from school to find a pile of timber ready shaped as windowsills and glazing bars. We were going to make a greenhouse, with some instruction the size was worked out and I had the job of cutting mortises and tenons using my new tools. It took several weeks to build this 12’x 8’ greenhouse. Pitched roof as well, most of the cutting was done in the shed. When it was completed and glazed I had to paint it. I still hate painting.

Before I got married I used dad’s shed to make Betty a bedside locker, table lamp and jewel box. I also made a needlework box for my mum. I spent 2 years in National Service and then I was married and we moved into a council house. My first job was to build a shed. The shed was 8’x 6’ and I was soon making things to improve the house. Then the kids came along so I was Father Christmas’s toy maker, push toys, forts, dolls houses, etc.

All this time I was working hard to make ends meet. I did the odd contract in the shed. I had to make an outside escape staircase 3’ wide, 12’ high with a 3’ square landing. The loose timber I carried through the tunnel and round between the houses to my shed. I made the straight flight and fixed it together. Then I found it would not go round the corner the way it came in so I had to put it through the sitting room window. It was lucky that the lounge door and front door were almost in line. Lesson learned. I joined a self-build scheme in 1968, which took 2 years to complete. We moved in after one year and I then put up my shed in the garden, which I used to make things for our new house. After the scheme I put the shed on the back of the garage and knocked the end wall out making a large workshop. Over the next few years I put in good machinery, Dewalt radial arm saw, D.W. planer thicknesser and D.W. bandsaw on wheels. Some time ago I put in a large Harrison Jubilee lathe with over the end turning. I enjoyed many hours on this lathe making things for many craft fairs etc.

This year 2008, I have sold off my radial arm and lathe and can now get the car back in the garage. When I want to use the planer etc. I wheel them into the garage. Tools have changed so much from when I started carpentry. I have a collection of moulding planes. Wood and steel rebate planes all replaced by the router. Pump screwdrivers, 3no. Wheel brace for drilling small holes in wood etc. replaced by a cordless drill driver to mention but a few. I have over 30 boxes of slotted screws all sizes replaced by the best invention ever, the pozzi screw and not to mention the workmate.We have all found improvements in the tools we use. The work results speak for themselves. Quite often it takes as long to do as it did with the old tools and I still enjoy making things.