Delivering a Gypsy Henhouse

Our Gypsy Delivery Squad (a grand name for what boils down to a nice drive around the countryside eating liquorish torpedoes) were out and about again this week, delivering a lady her second Gypsy Henhouse and what incidentally, is Flyte so Fancy's thirty ninth Gypsy Henhouse delivery.

But before these two (Delivery Team pictured above) takes to the road to drop off these little chicken Shangri-Las, there is another "delivery" that takes place first; the complete hand building of the Gypsy hen house by a Dorset Craftsman.

To begin with the shell of the Gypsy is constructed using our joinery grade timber. It is then hand sanded all over (resulting in a condition reminiscent of tennis elbow for the workshop foreman), any edges are planed and hand sanded again, so that there are no sawn edges and running your finger over the wood of the hen house is like soft velvet. Once the core of the Gypsy is done, the foreman then dresses the hen house with its solid chandlery brass hinges, locks and latches; often having to make the minutest of cuts into the wood so that everything fits perfectly.

Once the hen house is dressed, it is de-frocked of its brass fittings and our resident artist administers three layers of the finest quality breathable paint, all applied by hand, with the ample help of the Rolling Stones playing on the stereo. It as this point that any unique hand painted decoration is added to the house. The ivy and daffodil finish will always be my favourite, I think.

The Gypsy hen house then returns to the workshop for the foreman to give it the once over, those little necessary finishes, before he moves onto the next phase of applying the roof. Made of the strongest heavy gauge steel, they assure terrific protection from the elements for the residents within. Once the trim is on the roof our foreman turns his attention to the last stage of constructing this beautiful hen house.

Handmade by a local artisan, the wheels and axles are forged from heavy gauge solid steel. Once they are double coated for maximum durability they are attached to the hen house. A final going over with a soft brush to get the sawdust out of those corners, the pulling bar is attached and the Gypsy makes it grand exit from the workshop.

It is at this point that the aforementioned Gypsy Delivery Squad swoop in; load it up into the Flyte so Fancy trailer and go on to deliver the Gypsy Henhouse (pictured below in situ), the foreman goes for a well earned cup of tea and all the hubbub and excitement dies down...well until the next one at least.

James
Flyte so Fancy