workspace, though admittedly you get more bees than in the dining room,” he says. He’s just one of the thousands of homeworkers, from solicitors and antique dealers to masseurs and, as you’d expect, shedloads of writers, from Philip Pullman to Andrew Marr, who’ve found inspiration at the far end of the garden.

As has Johnson himself: his book on the subject is crammed with fantasies like mini railway stations in sheds plus off-the-peg versions like the National Trust’s Writer’s Retreat, a version of George Bernard Shaw’s revolving hut, yours for £6,995, mechanism extra. (Shaw called his shed “London”, so he could tell unwanted callers that’s where he was.) Before you pick up a brochure, contact your

local council. Planning permission and building regulations aren’t normally needed for sheds smaller than 8ft by 8ft, but there are exceptions. And, joy oh joy, if you use your shed for work, you can claim the entire cost against tax, says Johnson. Even better, as it’s not part of your house, there should be no liability for capital gains if you move. Why wait? » Shedworking by Alex Johnson is out this month.

...show off your snaps

How to

ANY MOMENT NOW, YOU’LL BE BACK FROM YOUR TRAVELS WITH A MEMORY CARD FULL

OF PHOTOS, which of course you’ll upload just as soon as you have time. Or not. In which case there may be no evidence that you’ve been on holiday since 2001, when digital photos took over from “enprints”. And not only are you completely unable to remember that stunning chateau or the nice people you met a few years back, but also you have nothing to share with your best friend or your mum.

...find your keys

How to

THINK LIKE A SIX-YEAR-OLD IF YOU’RE CONSTANTLY mislaying your glasses or losing your keys. Groaning that something’s “yuk” or sniggering at toilet jokes can help jog your memory because we’re primed to remember things that are violent, absurd or disgusting, says Grandmaster of Memory Ed Cooke, author of Remember, Remember (£12.99). “Just

thinking, Euugh, that’s horrible, makes it stick in your mind,” he

explains. The trick is to imagine your glasses or keys as a hand- grenade or an alien, say. Then next time you lose them, ask yourself, when did I last see an explosion, or blue-faced avatar? And head straight for the fridge.

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