Men or Women sheddie – does it matter – We all need sheds

Today there has been some discussion on that interweb (yes you may have heard about it) about an article published in the Telegraph about how shed can help Men with their problems

Health experts say there is real benefit in letting men escape to their simple sanctuaries, that could even help them live longer.

As a result a network of communal ‘men’s sheds’ that provide a place for them to meet and be – or rather do – is springing up across the English-speaking world.

Men are getting together in them to bang nails, weld metal, shape wood, tinker with engines and drink tea. Talking is optional.

they of course we talk about the excellent Men sheds projects and we hope to have an interview with AgeUK about the project soon on shedblog.co.uk

then Lucy Mangan from the guardian has weighed in saying that Women needs sheds more than men

Yes, women need sheds far more than men. Where’s our charitable funding? I’m writing this in a freezing loft conversion and can hear husband and baby coming up the stairs to get me, though at least only one of them is crying at the moment. What I wouldn’t give for a dozen metres of muddy turf and a tangle of thorny thicket to deter them. Maybe I’ll just institute a mandatory prostate exam instead. Yes. That ought to do it.

But it should not matter – Sheds are for everyone – everyone needs their space – be it a damp old shed on the allotment – a shiny new garden office , a pub shed where all the family and friends can meet up if you don’t want to be on your own oe even a place that a certain Dr Who may want to escape to.

I know that we have not had a lady sheddie winning the shed of the year competition since I started it in 2007, but every year the judges have picked what they thought was the best shed the gender of the owner is not an issue – if the owner of  shed in 2012 is not a middle aged bloke then all the better 🙂 it’s the sheds we love here – and we learn to love the sheddies as they make us what we are – a community.

We have some brilliant lady sheddies who have taken part – who in my experience give a lot back to the community – where as (a few notable exceptions) the blokes tend to just go down the shed and that’s all you hear from them until they have made something or created an revolutionary new way to put wood presever on without spilling a drop.

 Debs Carr is one sheddie – who has promoted shedism with passion with her blog

Nicola Brown with her brilliant design business run from a shed is always telling people of the joys of shedworking.

 

and Eleana Thomas who covers sheds in all sorts (even way back in 2009) and of course don’t forget our Shed Judge Sarah Beeny, who has supported the shed cause from day one.

Even Women’s weekly has leaped over the fashionable  broadsheets with there love of sheds  in May 2011

So I say FREE SHEDS* for everyone 🙂

*ok buy one from the shedshop and share it on readersheds for Shed of the year 2012.