[scentedstock]

It wasn't my intention to live on my allotment. I was renting a one- bedroom flat in south-west London, on a very low income. I needed a garden shed, so I started collecting scrap material from skips. Before I knew it, I had built a shed that was bigger than necessary. I was enjoying it more down here than I was in my flat, so I thought, "Why not give living here a go for a while?"

It was pretty basic at first - one room with a wood-burning stove. Security wasn't an issue because I had nothing of any value to lose. A lot of the sheds have been broken into, but mine doesn't have a lock, so it never has - it's less tempting.
That first summer, the council came to see me. I assumed I'd be turfed off, but they didn't seem to give a stuff - they just asked me to lower the roof. From then I started thinking about staying long-term and upgrading. I expanded to two rooms, plastered, painted and added a toilet. There's no electricity and rainwater is collected in a butt, gravity-fed to the sink.

I'd just finished the improvements when I came home one night to find a candle I'd left had burned down the whole building. It was a shock, but I rebuilt quickly. I haven't painted or made it pretty this time. I've got curtains, tables and chairs, but very little that's personal. I didn't want to "finish" it because of the heartache of losing the first one - I'm much more attached to this way of living than I am to the building itself. It's the garden around it that I take pride in. The skills I've learned there have allowed me to earn a living as a gardener and to help put something back into the allotments - I've taken on a lot of maintenance and made good friends with my neighbours. They're 70-plus and give me great strength.

It's always been "one more year", but I've lived here 10 years now. I wonder how long it can last. House prices in the area are unbelievable and I worry this is a prime bit of real estate to be sold off. I couldn't go back to the flat I was in - that was hell: tiny, on a main road, no garden.

Because I'm here on my own at night, everything within the gates of the allotments feels like home. Living here has given me freedom not to work like mad to keep a roof over my head. It makes my life a lot freer. I do a lot of meditation and a lot of voluntary work. And, of course, I spend hours and hours every week in the garden. That's what I'm addicted to, being near my creation.

This was printed in The Guardian last year.

[flowergirl]

:? is that about you living in your shed :? im easily confussed!!

[scentedstock]

No. Someone I read in the newspaper.

[SnooziSuzi]

WOW!  

I've often thought about bedding down in my shed but haven't because the OH would come looking for me  :evil:

Mine is warm now that I've put a solid fuel stove in there and there's enough space to put a single bed in... it might foil some of the barstewards that occasionally come calling at 3am  :twisted:

On that note I've just heard that the guy who broke into all of our sheds recently is currently inside for burglary so we should be safe for a few months.

I've been thinking more and more about living self sufficiently but couldn't do it just now - too much debt to repay.  As soon as I'm free of it I'm going to buy a smallholding somewhere and make a go of it!

[Selkie]

there are too many spiders in our shed :shock:

[scentedstock]

You could stay over and if you heard someone coming then you could stand behind the shed door with a pitch folk and scream when they open the door! lmao.

[flowergirl]

The chap who does our deliverys at work says someone on his site lives in their shed, i couldnt it gets soooo dark on my plot id be terrified and i couldnt fit in a 10 yr old daughter and an insane springer spaniel

[gobs]

 

Good story. I'm sure it illegal though. So don't try it folks.  

[splodger]

i have often thought of doing that up in the woods - so has my dad - as he practically lives there anyhow

he has oodles of sheds that he has built, lecy and water - and a very dodgy home-made loo  :shock:

the thing i would miss would be the phone line - for my internet - i think i'd even miss this site  :roll: if i couldn't have a chat  :roll:

[jack russell]

I would love to do that but mrs russell would not have any ov it. now there's a thought :idea: i would miss the kids though :roll:

dont think the postie would find me though

[mashauk]

I couldn't live in the shed, can't swing a cat in there, but I am intending to sleep in the polytunnel one warm summer night, it WILL still be standing then  I also want to sleep outside there one night, to see if the story about Walthamstow aliens is true!!

[SnooziSuzi]

My next door neighbour has a lottie (well 4 actually!) and he says he regularly sleeps in his to try and catch the little * out! (burglars, not aliens!)

[scentedstock]

I can't think of anything better than waking up with the sun over the plot. When I had my garden at home during the Summer I would always get up at around 3:45am, head to the kitchen and make some breakfast. Open the greenhouse and then sit on the patio eating breakfast listening to the birds and feeling the morning sun touch my skin as it rose above the roof tops - taking my time and relaxing so finishing breakfast around 4:15/4:30am.

I'd then do a bit of gardening until 5:30am/5:45am, have another cuppa tea then head back to bed. Then wake up at 9am and set off for work. I used to start work at 10am before anyone asks.

It was great to be alone in the garden and only hear the birds, not the traffic or planes.

[SnooziSuzi]

IF I wasn't so drunk that would make me cry!  m souds idyllic!

[ToHellWithWeeds!]

I have thought about it often and at the weekend my new shed was erected and hubby said jokingly well thats you sorted now i will never see you suppose you will be sleeping down here and i thought it would be lovelly no moaming kids and washing up or house work or would that be shed work lol i think i might wait till it gets a bit warmer as i have no heating yet!!!