David Cameron Has Battle On His Hands For Control Of Luxury Shepherd's Hut

David Cameron Has Battle On His Hands For Control Of Luxury Shepherd's Hut
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Former prime minister David Cameron says he has a battle on his hands to try to turn a luxury cabin for his Cotswolds' garden into his writing den.

Mr Cameron, who suddenly stepped away from the cut and thrust of Westminster politics last year, has seen battle lines drawn with his family for control of a hut from Red Sky Shepherds Huts, whose prices start at £16,500 but jump with all the added extras.

His children have firm plans for the Farrow and Ball-painted hut, he said in a blog for the Oxfordshire-based company.

He said: "Well, there's been a bit of a fight already. My children want to use it as a Wendy house, I want to use it as a book-writing room and my son also wants it as an alternative bedroom. So, quite a lot of competition.

"When it first arrived there was great excitement - who was going to spend the first night in it?

"Who won? That was my son ... I wasn't going to take him on!"

The Camerons are the proud owners of a 16ft x 7ft hut with arched roof, metal wheels and painted hardwood stable doors to the side and front.

The timber-framed hut has tongue and groove interior pine walls plus five layers to each wall and the floor. There is sheep's wool insulation. Painted-wood cladding was picked by the Camerons instead of having a corrugated metal finish.

The Camerons' hut is decorated internally with Farrow and Ball shades. The wheels, steps and roof are painted black.

An internal wooden frame, providing more nooks and crannies, Kirkpatrick hinges on all the doors and retro Bakelite-style dimmer-light switches were among the special features which were designed into the hut for the Camerons.

They also have a corner-set wood-burning stove and a pull-out double sofa bed.

Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha had decided on a hut after both admiring one which had been owned by Mr Cameron's mother-in-law in Scotland.

In the blog, Mr Cameron says: "I should say here that Samantha makes all the design decisions in this family. As ever she has made a very good choice."

Another unexpected selling point was Paul Bennett, founder of Red Sky Shepherds Huts, whose dream of becoming an artisan cabinet maker was helped by one of Mr Cameron's policies while in power.

It was a policy to allow people to free up money in their pension at 55 which made a difference.

On the blog, Mr Bennett said he has "never looked back" after using his pension money to set up the business.