Replica Sheds

If you should happen to be passing number 28 Fernly Mews in Stockport, you might notice something rather unusual in the back garden. It's a painstakingly detailed replica of a garden shed, built out of an old TARDIS by long-time shed fan Mark Cornell.

Mark, who first got interested in sheds when he was seven years old, bought the old police box prop on eBay, realising that it would be the ideal size and shape to convert into a Waltham's Model 48B, a type of shed which Mark has always dreamed of owning. Mark set to work stripping down the paintwork, modifying the roof and installing shelves. The project has taken him almost ten years, but the end result is almost perfect in every detail and Mark believes that it has been worth all the effort.

Mark's wife is very supportive of his hobby, although she does sometimes find it difficult to understand his obsession. "The house is piled high with shed magazines, shed books and shed models," she says. "He even has shelves full of shed-related DVDs and he frequently goes off to shed conventions with all these people dressed like tools. But it keeps him out of my way, which is handy because I'm having an affair with his cousin."

So does the completion of this project mean that Mark will be free to spend more time with his family? Well, it seems that Mrs Cornell can breathe a sigh of relief. We're reliably informed that Mark has already made a start on his next challenge - a Webbley Triple-Panelled Reinforced Maxi-shed, made out of Luke Skywalker's old X-Wing Starfighter.