A Gym'll Fix It

Lizzie had never been remotely interested in her garden. Years of neglect had left it in a sorry state; scruffy, overgrown, unloved and devoid of any character, with an apology for a patio that was as crooked as a donkey's hind leg, consisting of a lot of ugly grey slabs which had been carelessly laid by the builders when the house was built three decades ago. Lizzie could never understand friends who would wax lyrical about the joys of gardening and she failed to see why they seemed to devote every spare minute to this pursuit. Lizzie preferred to close the curtains and pretend that the entire eyesore didn't exist. Husband Ron had little more enthusiasm for the activity. He would cut the weed-infested grass when it was knee-high, or if there was danger of the neighbours complaining, but that was about as far as it went.

But then, out of the blue, something happened to change all of that. In the summer of 2007, the heavy rains turned their garden overnight into a paddy field and their house was flooded, ruining all of their ground floor carpets and much of their furniture. Lizzie and Ron were shocked into the realisation that urgent measures were needed, at least to tackle the woefully inadequate drainage, if they were not to suffer a recurrence of this calamity.

Experts to the rescue, the drainage was sorted. As the weeks came and went, one stage seemed to lead to another and before Lizzie and Ron knew where they were, their mud patch had been transformed into something resembling a proper garden, with retaining walls, smart new brick-paved patio, recognisable borders and a newly turfed lawn. This had real potential and for the first time ever, Lizzie and Ron felt motivated to do something positive with their garden. Ron started to dig the borders and feed the lawn, whilst Lizzie discovered the delights of planting bulbs and seeds, and of seeing them grow, filling their new garden with colour and attracting butterflies, bees and blackbirds by the score. Lizzie had to concede that her friends had a point. It was all remarkably therapeutic.

But what to do with that expanse of old slabs, rescued by the landscapers and skilfully positioned at the bottom of the garden? It was now a beautifully flat platform, but looked a little stark, as if it was crying out for some sort of structure to enhance it. It wasn't long before they had the answer. A garden gym; the ideal opportunity to become fit and toned, or just to relax, whilst taking full advantage of their new-found views. It was something they'd both often hankered after, but there was no space for such a luxury in the house. Lizzie and Ron had no difficulty in selecting just the right building for them; a perfectly proportioned, contemporary design completely in-keeping with the smart style of the new garden. Contacting a company that specialises in such buildings, they discovered that, as in the majority of cases, they didn't need planning permission and were able to have their garden refuge tailored to exactly their own requirements, making optimum use of the space available. First of all, they had a survey carried out, free of charge, just to make sure there wouldn't be any hiccups, and they found that they were able to customise the design according to their own specifications. All the advice they needed was at hand from their supplier and nothing was too much trouble. Their garden room, delivered and installed remarkably quickly by a friendly, highly efficient and helpful workforce, was a dream; light, airy, warm and bright. Constructed with strong, secure foundations and fitted with ample electrical sockets, it was enhanced with stylish oak flooring and soft recessed lighting and was thermally and acoustically insulated to the same standard as a modern house. The exterior, clad in maintenance free red cedar, blended fabulously with the ambience of their new garden. The interior was finished in a smooth, painted plaster and all glass panels were double glazed to the highest standard. All that remained now was for Ron to install the fitness equipment (for Lizzie) and an area for some 'gentle aerobic exercise' (for himself).

So now, just a few months after the devastation of The Flood, Lizzie has her own fitness room, her sanctuary. Looking out at the haven she and Ron have created as she cycles away happily on her exercise bike, she glances at Ron, snoring on the Olympic weight bench with can of lager in hand, and muses how nice it would be to have her own 'fit' personal instructor to go along with it. Well, a girl can dream, can't she?