The swinging archway

When it comes to objects, I do love duality of purpose.  Perhaps it's my natural frugality - after all, this is the equivalent of BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) - but whatever the reason, I'm always keen to find these metamorphic creations.

Last week I did my traditional school holiday bolt to my parents with the kids, which means I saw one of my favourite dual use ideas - the swinging archway. 

It was designed and built by my father and is an extremely solid oak garden arch with a leaded 'roof' and fixings for attaching an oak and rope swing.  There is also an oak 'baby swing attachment'.

I'll admit the design has had one or two tweaks. The frame itself had to be bolstered with some firmer foundations after it began to 'swing' with the occupant in a rather unsettling manner.  Also, the baby seat's first outing did result in my niece taking an unscheduled dive out, head first.  Oh, and then there's the fact that fifty percent of the possible landing area is an inforgiving combination of gravel over concrete... 

To be fair, this last point shouldn't be a criticism as the arch was originally created not for the children, but for my mother, who loves to swing (and,let's be clear, that's a sentence that does not have a dual purpose.)

Comments

[Potty Mummy]

And - I'm assuming your mother doesn't read this blog...?

[Rhizy]

I would love a swing for me in the garden, don't know why I have never thought about it before

[Esther Montgomery]

I'd be so pleased to have an object like this! (Suitably, slightly, adjusted.)

What a specially elegant waterproof lid.

Esther

[Scented Sweetpeas]

:-) love that last comment, that made me giggle.

[MarkD]

Seeing swings always leaves me suffering from imaginary scuffed knees, lovely as that swing looks

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Potty Mummy - Hmmm.... actually she does. Still, she has a sense of humour about such things. I hope.

Rhizy - I would love one myself but it's surprisingly difficult to find one strong enough to take adults (officially at least)

Esther - Lovely isn't it! I wasn't actually aware swings needed lids, but my father obviously knows something I don't.

SS - Let's hope my mother feels the same!

MarkD - You wuss!

[Jo]

Lovely. You can usually find me on the swing next to my daughter at the park.

[small garden ideas]

Its really nice to have something nice to do on a beautiful sunny day. My idea of fun is doing a little gardening in the vacant lot at my backyard along with some reading.