The winner for 2020 has been announced
LOCKDOWN INSPIRES CUPRINOL SHED OF THE YEAR COMPETITORS
Record twenty-seven finalists going head-to-shed
From a PPE workshop to garden schools, lockdown has spurred the nation’s sheddies to ever more imaginative heights as they compete for the Cuprinol Shed of the Year crown.
The 2020 contest sees two new lockdown-specific categories introduced – Lockdown Repurpose and Lockdown New-build.
The Lockdown Repurpose category celebrates those who have transformed their sheds in response to the coronavirus outbreak, including Sarah McGoldrick who responded to the PPE shortage in the early days of the pandemic by supplying frontline NHS staff with visors from her shed workshop in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
Teacher Ashley Bates from London swung into action as soon as schools closed by setting up The Shed School – a free online educational platform for key stage one children.
The Lockdown New-build category hails those who have overcome the challenges of lockdown.
These include Joe Melton from King’s Lynn in Norfolk who built a back garden bar to compensate for a dream holiday to Florida being cancelled by the pandemic.
And retired art school lecturer Michael Roberts from Bromley, Kent whose former pupils include Damien Hirst and Steve McQueen, who created an elaborate Chinese-style pagoda.
Elsewhere, on this year’s shortlist Pat Crook, from Ilkley, West Yorks, has recreated a beach hut to provide her father who suffers from dementia with soothing surroundings.
Adrian Backshall from Eastbourne, East Sussex has built his shed on a railway trolley, while Colin Furze from Stamford, Lincs uses his shed to come up with inventions including a full-size Star Wars Landspeeder which he shares with his millions of fans on his YouTube
channel.
Judges whittled down hundreds of entries to compile this year’s shortlist of 27 sheds.
There are nine categories including Budget, Summerhouse, Unique and Unexpected.
A winner from each will be decided by public vote, then an overall winner will be crowned by a panel of shed experts with a giant golden crown for the winning shed.
Alongside eternal shed glory, the overall winner will also receive £1,000, a plaque and £100 of Cuprinol products.
Head Judge and founder of the competition Andrew Wilcox said: “More than ever, the events of recent months have shown us what a valuable role sheds can play in our lives.
“They are spaces where we can help our NHS heroes, educate our children and care for our family.
“They highlight all that is great about Britain – our ingenuity, our eccentricity and our determination to help others.”
Kirsty Woodbine, Marketing Manager for Cuprinol said: ”We’ve been astonished by the quality of entries to this year’s competition.
“Our entrants have responded to lockdown with wit, humour and real imagination.”
Last year’s Cuprinol Shed Of The Year was won by Chris Shield of Buxton, Derbyshire, whose Hobbit-inspired hideaway was described by Andrew Wilcox as “brilliantly creative”.
Public voting is now underway for the 14th annual competition and will close on Sunday 9th August 2020.
