Throughout my rather ridiculous existence to date, I have experienced a number of things I could perhaps classify as 'somewhat exciting'. One, the day I received a tax refund, and another the moment before the start of the Dresden Philharmonics' bashing-out a bit of Beethoven at the Colston Hall some months back. Another was when I recently passed a credit check, while another still was when I discovered a girl I quite fancied liked me too... which was nice. That latter event was, of course, a long time ago; long before the lobster, lager and lamb bhunas had all found the warmest of welcomes in my tummy, and I could actually produce a natural smile on my face without my subconscious mutating it into an uncomfortable grimace akin to a sociopath recently flicked on the forehead with a hot spoon. Similarly, there are all too few things I regard as impressive, although one such 'thing' is a life-size origami monkey in the window of my local sushi bar I have just passed on my way to compose this. Haven Timber, the new shed and fencing company in Norton St Philip is also quite impressive indeed.
I guess 'somewhat exciting' is perhaps rather an overly-enthusiastic way to describe any shed and fencing company, if only because I have never once recognised any variation in my emotional state when thinking about a fence, and would rather ponder an alternate universe in which Natalie Portman and I would one day be picking out curtains than spend a moment considering the merits of a shed. For some however, not least the staff at Haven Timber this is not the case as they clearly have a passion for what they do. And they seem to do it very well.
I visited recently in my father's tow. He has been at the helm of Westward Landscape in Frome for over fifty years and buys a great deal of dirt and wood. I have accompanied him to many suppliers before including the previous Whites Garden Warehouse (Haven Timber's new home), and on that day he needed what he calls postcrete and I call cement. In clear contrast to Me, he actually knows what he's looking at.
What impressed me throughout was the friendly and professional service, and the assistant even helped load the truck. I would have helped too, of course, but I had my hand full with my third free cup of hot chocolate which, along with tea and coffee is something they provide for any and all. My father was impressed as well, because the prices were the best around. I wouldn't have known this, but after fifty years in the game I think he is more qualified than most to comment. There is a wood yard at the easily-accessible rear of the building and it is much as one would imagine: a yard... for the stock of wood. Not Woodstock, of course, as that could conjure up a variety of psychedelic images in one's mind's eye considerably inappropriate and out of place, but it is worth pointing out that the volume of wood (stock) is significant, by which I mean there is enough of it to keep a colony of beavers happy until the sun explodes. They can even choose from an appealing range of trellis... although I have yet to see a show on which David Attenborough mentions that as being of interest to any buck-toothed rodent.
Apparently, Haven Timber also has the largest display of sheds in the South West. My father told me this on the way out as when the perfectly-pleasant assistant mentioned it I was in my Happy Place: in Ikea with Ms. Portman eating meatballs and discussing our need for a new 'snijplank'.
Inside the warehouse is a vast range of garden furniture, much of which appears to have been built by Thor. I returned momentarily to my Happy Place as I took notice of what is called a 'Love Seat', shortly thereafter imagining the weight difference between us catapulting Ms. Portman into the sky, thereby making me suddenly feel rather depressed. For a moment I thought about joining a gym, but the moment soon passed and so I didn't.
One of the other displays I found interesting was the range of nail guns. I have never used one, do not need one, and have little or no need or use for one in the foreseeable future as I do not plan on getting a cat. I am however, a boy, and so anything that looks like a gun is automatically appealing, albeit quite wrong. Apparently, the models of nail guns sold here are 'the best in the world', a claim backed-up by reviews of people who use them and can write good.
To conclude, Haven Timber has not only modified the concept of a shed and fencing business open to tradesmen, retail customers and even people like Me, they have reshaped and remoulded it, ground down the jagged edges, added a nice coat of paint and garnished it with a sense of professionalism and pleasantness, much like a good restaurant should garnish sausages with ketchup. Even I can see that the quality of the garden furniture means it will probably outlive You. You should visit soon. read more
