Page 31 - ALG Issue 2 2015

Feature on...sheddies
Britain’s sheddies are secret hoarders
Ex-husbands’ possessions, retro cassette tapes and World War 2 gas masks are just some of the bizarre items that Brits are guilty of hoarding in their garden sheds, according to the annual Shed’onomic’s report.
The new research released by Cuprinol today reveals that the garden shed is worth over £8billion to the British economy, with over 21million people in the UK now owning a shed. The research forms part of the annual Shed’onomic’s report, an in-depth study of the nation’s shed behaviour, to mark the start of the annual ‘Shed of the Year’ competition, sponsored by Cuprinol.
The report also found that ‘Sheddies’ will spend nearly a year in their sheds during their
life, but that nearly three quarters of Brits (71%) are hoarding useless items in sheds, with nearly a third (32%) admitting their shed is so messy they can barely get through the door!
Whilst the latest Shed’onomic figures certainly supports the notion of Britain being a nation of shed lovers, it seems shed neglect is a problem sweeping the nation and endangering our garden staple.
Given this, Cuprinol is urging sheddies to clear
out the junk and cheer up their sheds into a garden sanctuary and enter it in the Shed of the Year competition. The best sheds of this year will also feature in the second series of ‘Amazing Spaces
Shed of the Year’, produced by Plum Pictures, airing on Channel 4 in the summer. Following its success last year, this year’s show will feature an extra episode.
However, it’s not all junk that we are storing; the
shed has really become an extension of the home
with the average shed-owner filling their shed with contents worth over £458. 32% of Brits also have electricity, 41% have heating and lighting in their shed allowing them to house expensive game consoles
(6%), TVs (7%), a sofa (5%) and 3% even have a sunbed.
And it’s no wonder we’re investing time and money in our sheds, as 5% of Brits admit to using it to partake in sexual activities, while 12% of Brits use their shed to get away from their partner and 9% revealed it’s the preferred place to make secret phone calls. Most Brits, 30%, will also use the shed to hide items from their partner, including things like presents.
Jane Yelloly, Cuprinol Senior Brand Manager, comments: “It’s clear from this year’s report that the nation are still fanatical about their sheds. Both ownership and value figures are up on last year, which is great for the annual Shed of the Year competition, which keeps growing in popularity year on year. We really do hope it will inspire those who are hoarding useless items to clear out their sheds and show them some love.
“Whatever you use your shed for, the annual Shed of the Year competition celebrates the best of British sheds and Cuprinol are proud to be the official sponsors for the fourth year running. If you think your shed deserves the worthy title, make sure you enter via www.readersheds.co.uk until 7th April.”
The shed of the Year competition sponsored by Cuprinol, is the brainchild of shed-fanatic Uncle Wilco, who launched the nationwide competition nine years ago to celebrate the best of British sheds.
Andrew Wilcox (Uncle Wilco) said: “Since launching the competition I’ve certainly seen a trend towards people viewing their garden shed as an
extension of the home. We’ve had some brilliant winners over the past few years, from a Roman Temple shed and Pirate shed, to pub and music
themed sheds. With the TV series launching last year it’s great to see the great British shed getting the recognition it deserves.”
Last year’s winner was Joel Bird from London for his Allotment Roof Shed, built from scratch using recycled materials and used to grow an array of
vegetables. Eco-friendly lights, powered by a solar panel, are used to light the inside and when winter sets in, a wood burner keeps the fire alive and
heats the shed without the need of a gas supply or radiator, proving its eco-friendly credentials.
Key Regional shed habits:
• People in Wales admit to having the messiest sheds, with 39% admitting they can barely step through the door.
• The Welsh spend the most time in their sheds, an average of 120 hours a year, closely followed by Northern Irish folk, who spend an average of 119 hours a year. Londoners are third, spending an average of 102 hours a year.
• 19% of those living in London claim that spending time in their shed lifts their mood compared to just 7% of those who live in the East Midlands.
• 13% of those living in Wales have spent time in their shed to think about their relationship problems, compared to just 2% of those who live in the North East.
• 18% of the Northern Irish have used their shed to make secret phone calls.
• Those in the North West are the friskiest, with 9% admitting to using their sheds for sexual activities.
• The Northern Irish are still the biggest spenders purchasing the most expensive sheds (£402.32) and spend the most on doing up their shed (£119.82), compared to those in the East Midlands who spend the least at £198.31 per shed and only £63.75 doing it up.
• The Northern Irish are the most likely to hide cigarettes in their shed with 21% confessing to do so.
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Top five useless
items kept in sheds:
1. Old tools (77%)
2. Rusty bikes (39%)
3. Old house furniture (34%) 4. Broken deck chairs (34%) 5. Old sports gear (33%)
Most unusual items people admitted to having in their sheds: 1. Ex-husbands’ old
possessions
2. Mannequins
3. Old bird food
4. A stuffed owl
5. Punctured paddling pools
6. False teeth
7. School memorabilia
8. Hamster cages
9. Cassette tapes
10. Broken toilet seats