The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
City’s best lockdown projects ... bar none!
Families transform gardens with stunning DIY efforts
Some people love DIY– others not so much –but two city couples have really set the bar high with their lockdown garden transformations.
Both Jamie and Katie and Nicola andAndyaretheproud owners of new garden bars built entirely from recycledmaterials.
Katie (38) who lives in a village near Peterborough with husband Jamie (38) and daughter Lillie (five) said: “It all started when we bought a rattan sofa for the garden. I was so excited by it and it provided my family with great amusement as I plumped the cushionsandwouldn’tletanyone sit on it.
“My dad came over one day to see us and as he looked through the garden gate and I jokingly said: ‘All I neednowis a bar dad and I’m set for lockdown!’
“He laughed and said it actually wouldn’t be that hard. ThenoffhewentandIthought nothingofit. NextthingIknow dad calls me and says he’s got holdofsomepalletsandasked me to measure the back fence for him.”
Fastforwardafewdaysand Katie’s dadwasbacktoputthe bar up – and the whole thing was made using materials he already hadorthingsthat otherpeoplewerethrowingaway.
Teacher Katie said: “I documented the journey on my daily lesson plans for home learning. And as the lockdown news worsened and the reality hit, I think the bar gave
us a focus. I’m so proud of my dad– I wasexpectingafewbits of wood, but it’s a whole Tiki bar!”
Katie said the bar has been used for all sorts of activities. She said: “We use it all the time. We’ve played hotels with my five-year-old. We’ve made menus. And once it was allowed, we’ve had grown up drinks with another bubble. The bar is definitely a talking point. It tookdadadaytoerect it and about a week to gather all the materials. He made it in his workshop then brought it round. He did it all himself and it blew us away with how good it was.”
And Katie’s dad hasn’t stopped there! He’s made them some pallet planters, a pallet bench andhe’s currently working on a pallet sunbed.
Katie added: “We aren’t going away this year, but on a balmy summer evening aroundthebarandonmysofa, there is no where else I would rather be.”
Nicola and Andy Hibbert have also transformed their Peterborough garden over lockdownturning their eightyear-old son Aiden’s climbing frameandoldwoodendecking into a new garden bar.
Nicola said “While Andy was furloughed from work I wanted to keep him busy and I also really wanted to use the time to transform ourgarden.
“Andy is a carpenter and has built loads of amazing things for our home so we decided to use the old platform that once was home to our son’s playhouse and use the wood to build ourselves a garden bar.
“Andy recycled the old play area wood and decking and once he’d built the shell, I rubbed it all down and painted it.
“Wearesopleasedwiththe results. We can’t wait now to have all our friends round to enjoy it. We also built a new barbecue area. It’s like a different garden.
“I love our garden now and it’s almost like being on holiday .
“After a hard week at work it’s nice to relax in theevening, enjoy a cheeky gin and imagine we are somewhere more exotic.”
Have you transformed your homeandgardenduring lockdown? Email us with pictures of your project: news@ peterboroughtoday.co.uk