22nd September 2022
Sanctuary
At Sanctuary, we’re committed to sustainability and doing our bit for the environment – and our residents share those same passions too.
One local resident at our Leyfield Court housing scheme in Lache, Chester has been brightening the gardens with upcycled furniture, a new patio area and, most recently, an eye-catching new garden feature made from a rusty old bicycle and some waste wood.
Anthony Allmark is a joiner by trade. He often teams up with neighbour Peter Gadsby to create something useful or fun for the garden.
Anthony said: “I inherited an old, rusty bike ornament for the garden. We were wondering what to do with it, when we saw some wood left out in the street, free to take. It was good quality pine, and I realised we could make a man to sit on the bicycle. He’s not small – he’d be 5ft high if you stood him up straight.”
“We put a nice, brimmed hat on him and black boots. We used washers and two little bolts to make his eyes. Now he’s happy as a lark, sitting in a corner of the garden where everyone can see him.”
Peter added: “We wanted to brighten up the garden. Now we’ve got a barbecue and a six-seater table. We’ve got bird feeders, nesting boxes and bird baths – we like our garden visitors.”
Pamela Bruce, Housing Officer, said: “We work closely with groups and individuals to make sure that the areas where people live are welcoming and that residents are engaged with their surroundings.
“Anthony and Peter have made this garden beautiful. They have won our local garden competition several times and it seems like they always have a project on the go.”
