ISSN 2631-326X
JULY 2019
A Poet’s Tiny House On Wheels! Plankbridge Shepherd’s Huts
SUMMER 2019
ISSN 2631-3251
Tiny Living SUMMER! In PRINT
Tiny Beach Chalets! French Gypsy Caravans! Summer Awaits!
Our Summer Issue (a combination of April, May & June) is sold at these locations: LONDON Charlotte Street News, Fitzrovia, W1T 4QE LONDON Rococo News & Magazines, Notting Hill W11 2HX GLASGOW Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) Aye-Aye Bookstore, G2 3JD GLASGOW Tell It Slant Bookstore (in The Project Café), G3 6ST 01
- And online everywhere at www.Newsstand.co.uk
JULY 2019
Contents Send Us Your Photos!! Are you living in a tiny house, a narrowboat, a studio or other small space? Your story can help inspire others to follow their dreams! Email us at info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
The Wise ‘New’ Owl … Page
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The Shepherd’s Hut That Started It All … Page
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Wildflowers … Page
Why I Live in a Shed … Page
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd, Glasgow UK Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk On the cover: The Shepherd’s hut Photograph by Richard Lee Owl illustration www.vecteezy.com
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The Wise ‘New’ Owl
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Tone’s career as a writer has enabled her to travel extensively which is a real passion. She’s been travelling for over a decade and has stayed in small holiday lets, and has even lived on a boat. She had long wanted to create something where the space was fitted to her physical body and the way that she lives and moves. With a background in philosophy and writing however, she didn’t really have any building experience. But her father was a master carpenter. Sadly, he passed away about two years ago. He left behind many things - a window, a part of a boat, woodworking tools and the remnants of his various carpentry projects. Tone needed to do something with all of the pieces, so she decided to give them a new purpose. La Chouette seemed a fitting memoriam to her father. The building process was drawn partly from study, partly from logic, and partly from Japanese design. The pieces are meant to harmonise with each other. A very notable feature are leather panels with a dragon design. They are something that is both familiar and ever-changing. As the outside scenery changes, the dragons are a dependable reminder that she is at home wherever she may travel. But as the sun shines in varying amounts of light through the stained glass window, the panels change, taking on a different look as the light influences them.
If you happen to be traveling on the roadways, you might be lucky enough to spot this beautiful, little caravan home. And the driver who will be towing it is Tone Wasbak Melbye, a talented journalist, poet, songwriter and musician. Tone is a native Norwegian who’s making her way round the UK exploring, which included a visit to Stonehenge for the summer solstice in June. The amazing thing is – she built the caravan herself! She’s named the little cottage on wheels ‘La Chouette’, or ‘The Little Owl’.
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The bathroom is designed similarly to those found on trains, and all the wood is waterproof. She used sauna panel and bamboo, making the floor slightly slanted to allow for better draining, and installing a window to ensure air circulation to prevent mould. In winter, Tone uses a wood burning stove for heat which keeps the small space cosy, and she has an alcohol stove for cooking. The roof of La Chouette is flat and open and can be used for dining with great views! It has at times, been a small concert venue for audiences gathered on the ground below, to hear Tone singing and playing her original music on an instrument called a guitalele.
She uses her phone for internet and generally stays at campsites with Wifi access for her writing. She writes about travel, food, music and does book reviews. Humanitarian issues and cultural themes are also frequent subjects, along with her own poetry. Her tiny house on wheels is as functional, as it is artistic and welcoming. As Tone’ says, “Inspiration is great, but you also need a plan.�
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Visit her blog here OwlDwell.com You can find her poetry (Norwegian language) at erato.ink/tag/tone-wasbak-melbye
A Tiny Living Promotion
A World of Possibilities Awaits! Come visit the world of tiny houses at Tiny Eco Homes UK and see what’s possible. Stay in the ultimate tiny house,The Elegance Grand, for a unique holiday experience! If you’re interested in touring the homes only, then book an appointment for a tour of the gallery of tiny houses. You’ll get plenty of inspiration, and some practical tips from tiny house expert, Chris March. Chris has helped dozens of people achieve their dream of owning their own home. He can advise with customising the design to fit your needs,
including equipping it for sustainable energy, and finding land for it once it’s built. Every home is personally delivered and set up by Chris and his team, whether it’s a family home in Bristol, or a holiday home in Brussels. New models are being released all the time, but each home is individually built to your particular specifications. Tiny Eco Homes UK will be at The Glamping Show with one of their most popular models, 19th-21st September in Stoneleigh Park. To begin planning your dream home, click here: www.tinyecohomesuk.com
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The Shepherd’s Hut That Started It All
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“T he shepherd’s hut was the humble, yet charming, nomadic home of the sheep herders who once followed their flock from meadow to meadow. Its simple design is a part of the past of Great Britain. -But it is also, a part of its future!”
Richard Lee lives near the cottage of the famous poet and writer, Thomas Hardy. Years ago, when he would take his daily walks near the historic cottage, he would pass an authentic 19th century shepherd’s hut on the grounds of the house. At the time, Richard was a furniture maker who created garden furniture and kitchens, and he admired the shape and structure of the simple shepherd abode. One day on his walk, he saw the shepherd hut going past him on a lorry. His heart sank a bit to see the familiar landmark he had come to love being carried away to parts unknown. “If I had known they were going to sell it, I would have tried to buy it,” says Richard. But perhaps it was fate, because instead it inspired him to research the huts and how they were built. This was in 2000, and there were only a couple of companies building huts, but they were quite different from the traditional variety. “I’d been looking a long time for a repeatable structure [design], that would be a known shape and size, but could also be bespoke”. The shepherd’s hut seemed the perfect structure, and soon Plankbridge Shepherd’s Huts was founded. Amazingly, there are over 80 companies that build shepherd huts in the UK today! Richard’s company was the first, and he continues to build in the traditional way that honours the heritage of its original design, using English oak for windows and doors.
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His wife, Jane Dennison, is a co-director with the company, and their 17 year-old daughter Hannah lends expertise in the area of interior design and artwork. They now employ 14 people in the local area, and have trained four, 16 year-old apprentices in the art of bespoke carpentry. The team produce 40 to 50 huts per year, in any colour (including natural timber) Unlike its ancient 19th century cousin, the shepherd’s hut of today can be equipped with a water closet and shower room, a full kitchen and electricity. Richard and his team have shipped huts to Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Wisconsin, New York and many other places around the globe.
The shepherd’s huts are commonly used as a room for guests, a home office or studio for artists. One lady rescued terrapins and used the hut for her terrariums to house the creatures. But Richard is increasingly seeing the huts take on a more practical role, as a refuge for returning university students who are not able to afford a separate dwelling space, and also for extended families with mature parents who need or want to live near their children. In both cases, the shepherd hut provides much needed privacy, and preserves independence. To see more of the lovely huts they create, visit www.plankbridge.com
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Wildflowers
- The flower of disdain, that humbly provides colour and life to our world. By Pamela Palongue
The simple beauty of a field, clothed in a blanket of wildflowers, has inspired art, lifted spirits and supported the balance of nature since before time was even a concept. You don’t have to have a field of several hectares to appreciate this natural phenomenon, however. Wildflowers can be grown in a small patch of garden and even in pots for those in the city. Wildflowers provide food for insects, nectar and pollen for bees - and in the winter months -the seed is an important food source for birds. It may not seem like a small garden of a couple of metres, or a few plants placed on a balcony can make much difference to the ecology of our world. But small changes can be very powerful when combined with the efforts of the many.
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Wildflowers can be planted in the spring, but you can also plant them in September. To grow them in a pot, make sure you get a container with drainage holes in the base (rocks can also be added for drainage) Not surprisingly, wildflowers do not need nutrient-rich soils, and these easy-going flowers can abide in poor soil. Try to use wildflower seed mixes that are native to the UK. Even though this is a container, birds will carry the seeds to other areas, where they can be transplanted and overtake native wildflowers. -Try not to overplant the container with too many seeds. Add a little water, sunlight and some love, and you will have beautiful flowers to inspire you. Keep in mind, that wildflowers planted in the autumn, sometimes will not come up until the spring, so keep the faith!
Why I Live in a Shed ‘Homesick – Why I Live in a Shed’ was recently released on 11th July. Written by Catrina Davies, a writer, songwriter and musician, the book details her personal housing crisis and her decision to leave a box-room in Bristol, and return to her childhood home in the west of Cornwall. With determination, she turns a shed on her father’s property into a home, redefining the meaning of ‘home’ in the process. Surprisingly Catrina learns that “simplicity can be a tonic” rather than a sacrifice. Her imagery of the natural landscape of her home between the woods and the sea is beautiful and poetic. -A practical first hand, and philosophical look at the housing crisis. “Homesick” is available in hardback and on Kindle.
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Tiny Living
Loco!
For a look at the funny side of tiny living, visit our YouTube videos at Tiny Living Loco: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yLy7YZz35E
The Glamping Show! One of the biggest shows of the season will be taking place 19th -21st September, At Stoneleigh Park! There’ll be plenty of caravans, shepherd huts, yurts, holiday homes, and lots of accessories for small space living! To find out more, click here…
www.theglampingshow.com
EVEN A SUPER HERO NEEDS A HAND NOW AND THEN!
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