Incredible Only Fools and Horses themed man-cave nominated for Pub Shed of the Year 2023
Shane Rankin is the brains behind 'The Nags Shed'
An Only Fools and Horses themed bar in a garden shed is among the DIY man caves in the running to be named Britain’s Pub Shed of the Year 2023. Three incredible back garden boozers have been announced by judges for this year’s final after being whittled down from more than one thousand entries.
They include the Only Fools and Horses tribute cleverly named the Nags Shed, in Staffordshire, which comes complete with a Trotters Independent Trading retro arcade machine.
The Nag’s Shed, in Staffordshire (Image: twofb.com / SWNS)
Shane Rankin is the brains behind The Nags Shed, which also has a fully-functioning bar, seating area, dart board and big screen TVs.
He said he wanted to pay tribute to the Trotters favourite watering hole The Nags Head from the classic British comedy Only Fools and Horses. Shane added: “We were sat in our local on that fateful day as the Covid announcement came in that all establishments were closing that very night.
“As avid pub goers we were distraught and declared ‘no-one’s going to keep us out of the pub’, so we built our own.”
He added: “Deliberating over the name for the pub, we had many ideas for names. With us being sited on an old colliery, we’d gone down the route of The Miners Arms. With forces connections and as an act of remembrance we also thought about naming it the Lest We Forget Inn.
“As an ode to Only Fools and Horses we had also thought about referring to the Trotters favourite haunt, The Nags Head, but ultimately couldn’t decide.
“Whilst digging the foundations for the pub shed, we came across a lump of corroded metal hidden deep in the soil. A quick clean off revealed an old cast iron horseshoe, more than likely discarded from an old pit pony from the colliery.”
He continued: “This fate nailed it for us and took it as a sign of history and settled upon The Nags Shed.”
It is estimated in excess of 2 million back garden pubs and bars are now in operation after their popularity exploded during the pandemic.
Drinkstuff.com and Twofatblokes.co.uk now run an annual competition for back garden publicans to enter the converted Pub Shed of The Year.
The other two finalists include the Engine House, in Hampshire, based on a fire station where a retired firefighter worked with his dad – boasting its own home brewed fire service themed beers; and the Irish Pirate, in Cornwall, which has a cosy Irish pub feel with wooden décor and is plastered with Guinness memorabilia, including a pool table and dart board.
The trio of amazing pub sheds will now go head-to-head to be crowned the winner of this year’s national contest on November 11.
