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It began with an early rise. The sun had yet to peek it's head over the horizon, but when your plan is to set off at 6am? There's just no other way... 

Today was the SMSA's AGM: A chance to network, meet our fellow shedders from all over Scotland and hear about the amazing work going on in the wider Men's Shed movement. And - as our title would suggest - it's where the SMSA's Shed of the Year award winners were to be announced.

Before all that though, we had quite the commute ahead of us. This year, the AGM would be held in Perth meaning we had (according to Google) a 2-hour drive ahead of us. To add to that, we had heard that Storm Amy would soon be making her presence known to the world.

So, to recap: It's 6am, we're sleep-deprived, heading into rush hour traffic and there's a weather warning.

Hit it!

I'm glad to be able to say that, despite the weather and traffic, we arrived way ahead of schedule. We used the time wisely, opting to stretch our legs and let them guide us to the nearest café. It wasn't long before the all-too familiar sight of a Starbucks logo loomed over us. Before we ventured in, a short discussion took place:

John: Are we definitely set on going into Starbucks? Should we maybe seek out a local place rather than give our money to a big, faceless, American conglomerate?

Ronnie: No. I want to give my money to the big, faceless, American conglomerate.

And who can blame him? The big, faceless, American conglomerate gives you loyalty points. They even have an app!

The AGM Begins

We arrived to the warmest of greetings. First from chairman David Gardner and then with a lively performance from Auchterarder Shed's very own ukulele band. To our slight alarm, we were informed that this wasn't to be a mere performance but a singalong too! We were a little unsure at first, clumsily warbling along to songs we'd never heard before, but when the kazoo solo kicked in we were filled with renewed vigour. You might not think it to look at him, but our Ronnie sings with a pitch-perfect falsetto! It'll take you right back to your choir boy days.

The Shed of the Year Awards

With Storm Amy adding a sense of urgency to the day, we pressed on to the announcement of this year's finalists: First place went to Clyde Coast & Cumbrae Men's Shed, St Andrew's Men Shed took the silver and as for us? We were hugely honoured to be presented with the bronze finalist title. 

Breaking for lunch we had some time to move around, mingle and meet some more of our shed cohorts. Lots of kind words about our shed seemed to find us from every direction, with people particularly taken with our connection to Pokke Kotan.

While parked over on a bench to catch our breath, Ronnie and I were pleased to see a familiar face: SMSA Communications & PR Officer Michelle Wibrew who came bearing gifts. [see photo below]

After lunch we spread off into our separate workshop groups. We finished the day with our hunger sated and our thirst for knowledge quenched. The workshops gave us lots to take home with us, giving us clear guidance on the process of a Community Asset Transfer and an enlightening afternoon with Axminster on the importance of a good extraction system. 

And then, as the storm seemed to tighten in on us, we set off for home once more. A little wetter than when we had arrived but no worse off for it.

Reflections

It's been a truly wild few months since we threw our hat into the ring with the awards back in June. What started as a show of faith in the boys for their incredible work quickly gathered momentum and became a real landmark moment in our shed's history.

It started small at first, wondering "Wouldn't it be great if we heard back from them?". Shortly after that, it became "Imagine if we actually won the regionals!" and lastly "How crazy would it be if we made it through to the finals?". I think that's where the wondering stopped for us and the basking in the moment began.

And in that regard, I think that's why we felt like winners the moment we walked through the door. Heads held high, proud to be a part of something so special.

It's now we feel that we have many thanks to offer - thanks to everyone who came along on this journey with us, thank you to the SMSA for facilitating such a wonderful event and a huge thank you to everyone who believed in and voted for us.

We'll see you all again in 2026!