DJ Chris Evans signs up for shed challenge

DJ CHRIS Evans has been unveiled as a celebrity judge in a contest celebrating shed conversions.
 
The BBC Radio 2 presenter revealed live on air that he had been invited to take part in Cardiff-based competition, Shed of the Year 2009.
 
He told listeners of his early evening show: “We are able to exclusively announce that in addition to the usual celebrity judges, this year there will be me. I am honoured to be invited into such illustrious company.”
 
The competition is run annually by Cardiff web developer, Andrew Wilcox through his website www.readersheds.co.uk. The 37-year-old has been a guest on Chris’ drivetime radio programme for the past two years, announcing the unique competition’s winner every July as part of National Shed Week.
 
Andrew said Chris’ involvement stemmed from an appearance on the show last summer.
 
He told the Echo: “When I was on last year I mentioned to Chris that he should get involved. I dropped him an e-mail, and he said yes.”
 
The competition is now in its third year, and other high-profile judges include wind-up radio inventor Trevor Baylis, Property Ladder’s Sarah Beeny and shed-based writer Alex Johnson.
 
Previous winners have included Sudbury solicitor Tim McNeill, who converted one of his four garden sheds into an octagonal-shaped pub, and 61-year-old electronics engineer, Tony Rogers, of Reading, who transformed his shed into a grandiose Roman temple.
 
Around 1,000 entrants have already been received for this year’s competition, which closes in May.
 
Among the most prominent entries is one from ex-ITV newsreader Arfon Haines Davies, who in 2004 converted his 8ft shed into an old fashioned railway platform.
 
The 60-year-old train enthusiast, of Cyncoed, Cardiff, says he uses it as a place to reminisce about the days when “steam trains crossed the Cambrian line”, and sees it as a private retreat that is rarely used by his 55-year-old wife Angela and 15-year-old daughter Catrin.
 
He said: “This gives me a place to put all my memorabilia – signalling clocks, milk bottles and old signs. I have also painted it chocolate and cream, the old Great Western colours.
 
“There is something truly comforting about the shed, I think"