AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @p AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @pottersresortsfivelakes with @slwilson84. It was an action packed three nights with a full activity and entertainment programme, great food, lovely drinks and beautiful surroundings. 

The staff go above and beyond to make everyone feel at home and they ensure that everyone has the best time possible. I don’t think I stopped smiling all weekend.

The best thing about Potters holidays is that everything is included in the price you pay. Four meals a day, all your drinks - including wine, Prosecco, most spirits and soft drinks - great accommodation and so many activities. 

I’ll write a full review soon but for now here’s a little Reel of our weekend
I always have a lot of questions about accommodati I always have a lot of questions about accommodation when we stay anywhere as a family so I thought I’d share this little tour of our room at @windjammerlanding which was a pretty perfect place to stay.

It’s the ‘Ocean View Two Bedroom’ which was like a little house, with an upstairs and downstairs, built into the hillside. Both rooms had outdoor space and their own shower rooms. Such a great option for a family.
A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. We’ve been back a few days now but still miss the heat, the food, the pool, the constant sounds of wildlife and the lovely people. It was such a great holiday and I’m sure we’ll be back one day.
And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is watching her grow and what a wonderful young woman she is becoming. We could not be more proud. Love you Pickle, have a great birthday.
We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in S We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in St Lucia staying at @windjammerlanding and it was just the holiday we needed. Two weeks of sunshine and relaxation in what must be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. 

We can’t wait to go back again in the future. Here’s just a little snippet of our trip.
AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @na AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @national_motor_museum despite the rain! The children loved the Little Beaulieu play area and we loved exploring the National Motor Museum and Top Gear exhibit before having a ride on the monorail! We went on an old open topped bus, explored the Beaulieu Manor House and loved the gardens. 
Beaulieu is always a great day out - whatever the weather. This summer they have a whole ‘Summer of Fun’ planned, with activities most days - parades, bird shows and hundreds of sculptures within the grounds too. If you’re looking for a day out this summer definitely think about heading to Beaulieu.
AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to t AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to their first concert - but it was so much more than just a concert! @abbavoyage is incredible. With CGI ABBA and a live band, it’s like being at an ABBA concert 40 years ago but with modern lighting, effects and sound. ABBA look and sound real, it’s a mind blowing experience.
The set includes all the songs you know and love as well as a few less familiar ones.
You can’t take photos during the show which actually made a refreshing change. A whole arena focused purely on the show and soaking up the moment. It’s definitely something the four of us will always remember.
Now, I’m off to sing Dancing Queen all the way home.
AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdo AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdockyard today. They have a fantastic Ultimate Explorer ticket that lets you visit all the attractions as many times as you like for 12 months - and after a day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard we can see that you need more than one day to really do everything!

We explored HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Exhibition - which is incredible! We also saw where ships are built and restored and spent time in Action Stations where the kids climbed and did an assault course.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is such a fun, educational day out with something for all ages - we can’t wait to go on their harbour tours next time we visit!
AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To cel AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To celebrate #100YearOfARoads National Highways have launched their #ARoadsToSummer competition! It's all about celebrating summer holiday moments, time together, fun in the sun, days out and more.

So why not be in it to win it? To enter, all you have to do is send @nationalhways a DM on here with a photo or video of your favourite holiday moments. You can also comment on their Facebook or Twitter #ARoadsToSummer posts with your holiday photos. I've shared a few of our favourite photos to give you some inspiration.

The best six entries will each win a £500 @nationaltrust holidays voucher! SO what are you waiting for? Dig out your favourite holiday photos or take some new ones to share!

The #ARoadsToSummer competition runs from 24 July to 10 September 2023. Winners will be announced in September 2023.

Good luck!
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Home and Lifestyle Products & Services, Reviews · March 30, 2018

Shedstore Saves the Day – a Tale of Three Sheds

Disclosure: We received a discount on the featured products for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.

When we moved into our house, late in 2010, there was a huge shed taking up a massive chunk of the garden. It was a fairly old shed but it was solid, water tight and built to last. But, after our extension work our garden needed an overhaul – and that shed that had served us so well had to finally go.

Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds

We had our garden work completed at the start of the year and as part of the work we invested nearly £1100 on a shed. The shed we didn’t see for a couple of weeks after the gardeners put it up for us as we couldn’t walk on the garden. It looked fine from a distance and it was big enough to house everything from the old shed. I thought that was it – job done.

Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds

But, as soon as I saw it up close I realised what bad quality it was. None of the panels fit together very well, there were eye holes in the planks that water could come through and I could see strips of daylight through so much of it. Add to that the fact the windows were flimsy perspex only secured on two sides and the doors had nothing to secure them into place and I had one incredibly disappointing shed at the end of my garden.

The shed company first advised me to fix the shed. To put sealant along any joins and to patch up other aspects. But, there was no way I would be fixing a brand new shed. I wanted, and expected, such an expensive purchase to be fit for purpose – and this shed really wasn’t. It was as cold in the shed as outside in the garden and it looked like it would collapse in the next bout of bad weather.

In the end they took the shed back – with Dave and his brother dismantling it in the snow – and we finally got a refund a few days later. I have never known relief like it. But, thankfully this story has a brighter ending.

When the original company agreed to take the awful shed back I bought a new shed from Shedstore. I went for one which had installation included. After paying our gardeners to put the awful shed up for us and having to take it down in the snow the last thing we wanted was to lose more money on installation or to have to find the time to put it up ourselves. Plus, I figured that any company that included installation with a shed definitely had faith in their products – you wouldn’t install something yourself if it was rubbish. That’s my logic anyway.

In the end I chose the Shed-Plus Champion Heavy Duty Reverse Apex Double Door Shed. It was perfect for us and came in a range of sizes, finding one that was the exact dimensions of the old shed. It looked great – but I had to reserve judgement until we had it in the garden, after all, the previous shed had looked great online too.

So the shed arrived very early – by 7am – a few days after the old one got taken away. The base was ready and we’d made sure access was clear and I don’t think until this point I realised how stressed I had been about the whole shed saga.

The shed came direct from the suppliers – The Malvern Collection – and two really lovely guys delivered and installed it. The shed came in literally about ten pieces – compared to the other shed that was in about a million pieces. It also took less than two hours to put up – compared to the day and a half the other one took to construct.

I came back from the school run and very nearly cried when I saw the finished shed. I’m not exaggerating but it was such a relief after weeks of shed issues. It looked incredible compared to the other one and fit so well into the garden. It was perfect.

Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds

I walked into the shed and it was warm inside. I couldn’t see any daylight and the panels fit together like pieces of a jigsaw. The wood was all so solid and it was all reinforced – with extra supports around the shed and on the backs of the doors. I could see it was a great quality shed from the first moment I looked at it.

Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds

The windows were glass, in frames, and they both opened with proper latches to keep them open at whatever width I wanted. The door had a proper lock on it – with a knob to turn and keys. Actual keys!

Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds
Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds
Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds

It was more like a garden room than a shed and smelt of lovely, new wood. I have never raved about a shed so much in my life – and I doubt I ever will again. Before this I thought there were normal sheds and awful sheds. Now I know that sheds really do have a scale of quality and I think ours is pretty much at the top.

Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds

The shed cost us more than the old, awful one but, looking at Shedstore’s range I know that if we’d spent the original amount on a shed at Shedstore we would have still been happier than we were with the original one. Sometimes it’s not just about the price you pay but who you buy from as well – and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a shed from Shedstore in the future. Although, looking at our new shed I doubt we’ll need a new one for a very long time.

I’m so sad that we had so many issues with the original shed. It really tainted our garden renovation for us – something that should have been an exciting time. But, Shedstore saved the day and restored my faith that not all retailers are the same and some really do go above and beyond to give great service.

Shedstore Saves the Day - a Tale of Three Sheds

In: Home and Lifestyle Products & Services, Reviews

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Comments

  1. Plutonium Sox says

    March 30, 2018 at 10:52 am

    Oh I’m so glad this is sorted for you in the end. That does look really good quality and they’re local to us so we will definitely use them next time we buy a shed.
    Nat.x

    Reply
  2. Lara Jarvis says

    March 30, 2018 at 6:27 pm

    So happy that you managed to get it sorted in the end – Shedstore are such good quality aren’t they. Wish we had paid for the installation though, ours arrived in the snow – brrr! x

    Reply
  3. Kate | Lesbemums says

    May 29, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    I’m just researching sheds at the moment as our last one has died a death. Shed Store will most definitely be somewhere to look for our new one. Their service sounds perfect. Sorry you had to go through the previous issues before finding perfection.

    Reply
  4. Dale Robins says

    September 23, 2019 at 9:30 am

    Thank you for posting this, I could not find actual reviews or pictures of this shed anywhere.
    I’ve ordered the 12×8 version and am quite excited but nervous, however looking at yours it looks incredible!

    Reply
    • Donna Wishart says

      September 23, 2019 at 10:12 am

      Honestly Dale, 18 months on it still looks as good as new and the inside still has a new woody smell. We couldn’t be happier with it – I have everything crossed that your shed turns out just as good! 🙂

      Reply
      • Dale Robins says

        September 24, 2019 at 2:55 pm

        That’s really reassuring, so glad to hear you are still happy with it 🙂

        We did have a look at some “Plastic” Sheds as we read so many bad reviews of some wood based sheds, But ultimately I love wood and especially the smell.
        It’s going to be used mainly as a workshop so will spend a lot of time it in.

        It should be here in around 4-6 weeks, gives me ample time to get the garden ready for it.

        Reply

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