Eastbourne railway man wins Shed of the Year with train-themed creation

Adrian Backshall called his shed Old Bill in tribute to a toolmaker friend of his who lived to the ripe old age of 101.

The shed, which triumphed in the ‘Unique’ category at the Curpinol Shed of the Year 2020 contest, is winch-operated and travels along 30ft-long rails in his back garden.

Inside it features seating, a wood burner and a 12-Volt power supply.

Adrian, who worked on the railway for 40 years before recently retiring, said, “I accumulated so much old railway stuff over the years that I thought I should put some of it to good use.

“When I retired I already had the trolley base, so it was just a case of adding to it.

“I named it in tribute to Bill who I used to live over the road from. He was a toolmaker by profession and I used a lot of his tools in making the shed.

“He was a really great guy. I’d take him out on weekends and we’d go for a drive and get some cake.”

Adrian can often be found enjoying a night under the stars in his shed.

He said, “It’s a great place to sleep in summer. You wake up to the sun streaming in from the east – fire up the stove and have a cup of tea. There’s not much better than that.”

Head Judge and competition founder Andrew Wilcox said they have been ‘blown away’ by the imagination and creativity on display from sheddies up and down the country, during these strange times.

He said, “Adrian has created a truly unique space inspired by his lifelong love of railways. Naming it after his old chum Bill is a great tribute.”

Kirsty Woodbine, marketing manager for Cuprinol, said, “The extraordinary events of this past year have seen the nation’s sheds take on a host of new roles in our lives - from a family refuge to a sheducation hub.

“It highlights how creative and considerate we can be even through the most difficult of times.

“At Cuprinol we’re committed to helping people make the most of the outdoors so they can enjoy all the benefits getting closer to nature brings.”

This year’s entrants competed across nine categories – with two new lockdown-specific categories introduced called Lockdown Repurpose and Lockdown New-build.

A public vote through readerssheds.co.uk decided each winner.

NHS worker distraught after two bikes in a row stolen

Talk is increasing of further lockdowns in the UK. What do you think of the situation? Join the Big Conversation and have your say on everything from healthcare to how the pandemic has affected you personally and how we make our communities stronger: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/bc-eastbourne