A man, his garden shed, and a very unusual pastime
<p><span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="men">men</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shed">shed</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="garden">garden</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="tools">tools</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="books">books</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="retreat">retreat</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="solitude">solitude</span>. <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="proud">proud</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="built">built</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shed">shed</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="sheds">sheds</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="sheds">sheds</span>.</p><p><span word="Take">Take</span> <span word="Kevin">Kevin</span> <span word="Kicks">Kicks</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Oxfordshire">Oxfordshire</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="central">central</span> <span word="England">England</span>. <span word="On">On</span> <span word="Sunday">Sunday</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="shed">shed</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="tens">tens</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="enjoying">enjoying</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="summer">summer</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="difference">difference</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="drove">drove</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="at">at</span> 88 <span word="miles">miles</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="disused">disused</span> <span word="airfield">airfield</span> <span word="runway">runway</span>.</p><p><span word="Kevin">Kevin</span>, <span word="whose">whose</span> <span word="shed">shed</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="impressive">impressive</span> <span word="wooden">wooden</span>-<span word="planked">planked</span> <span word="affair">affair</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="double">double</span>-<span word="glazed">glazed</span> <span word="windows">windows</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="proper">proper</span> <span word="A">A</span>-<span word="framed">framed</span> <span word="roof">roof</span>, <span word="mounted">mounted</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="van">van</span> <span word="chassis">chassis</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="joined">joined</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="dozen">dozen</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="frankly">frankly</span> <span word="weird">weird</span> <span word="tastes">tastes</span>.</p><p><span word="Whilst">Whilst</span> <span word="Kevin">Kevin</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="muscling">muscling</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="runway">runway</span> – <span word="he">he</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="break">break</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="record">record</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> – <span word="another">another</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span>-<span word="eccentric">eccentric</span> <span word="mounted">mounted</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="jet">jet</span>-<span word="propelled">propelled</span> <span word="shopping">shopping</span> <span word="trolley">trolley</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="blasted">blasted</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="of">of</span> 61.18 <span word="miles">miles</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>, <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="astride">astride</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="jet">jet</span> <span word="turbine">turbine</span> <span word="engine">engine</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="strapped">strapped</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shopping">shopping</span> <span word="cart">cart</span>. <span word="Matt">Matt</span> <span word="McKeown">McKeown</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="brave">brave</span> <span word="man">man</span>. <span word="Daft">Daft</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brush">brush</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="quality">quality</span> <span word="Britons">Britons</span> <span word="prize">prize</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="else">else</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="eccentricity">eccentricity</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="know">know</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="eccentrics">eccentrics</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="maternal">maternal</span> <span word="grandfather">grandfather</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span>, <span word="bombastic">bombastic</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="chief">chief</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bona">bona</span> <span word="fide">fide</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="hero">hero</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="I">I</span>, <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="boxer">boxer</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="youth">youth</span>. <span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="subtle">subtle</span> <span word="man">man</span>.</p>
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