Way back in the early 1900s a chap called Thomas Lee went on
holiday to the Adirondacks - with his family of 23.

Looks a wonderful, wonderful area - wish I could afford to go there !

Anyway, when he got there, he had a quick roll call - all present and correct.
Then found he did not have enough chairs, well very understandable really !
So he got on with sawing and nailing, cutting and trimming, shaping and straightening producing chairs of all different shapes and sizes - and comfort levels.

Using all his, now probably really fed up, family as testers, he eventually hit upon one design which every bruised and battered bum of his nearest and dearest sank into with surprised, and astounded, relief.
( he had absolutely no experience or knowledge of carpentry let alone chair making ! )

We know it as the

Adirondack Chair

He actually didn’t call it anything - except perhaps “ Eureka !!! ” - but as he was staying in a town called Westport first examples were called the ‘Westport Chair’ but certainly not by Thomas.

This was due to a chap called Harry Bunnell - now he was a carpenter.
While Thomas was happy just ensuring that all his family could sit down comfortably,
Harry saw some real potential in these chairs scattered around his friend’s house and garden.
They were so unlikely looking - but so really, really comfy.

So off he went and patented the design - bit sneaky really !
( If you can get hold of one of Harry’s early chairs look after it - they are worth oodles !)

Anyway, ever since these chairs have now comforted bums millions of times, countless drinks and snacks have safely rested on their broad arms, and many lawns have been left uncut as a “little sit down” rapidly turned to a long siesta.

And that’s just Joe’s chair !

In fact, it’s my fault really.
It was me who bought our first ‘Adirondack’ for his birthday years and years ago - then I got another to save arguments.
( Well, I mean he kept going on and on about it was his birthday present - so why couldn’t he have a go !)

So you see, we have really tried and tested these chairs.

Gnawed by puppies, knocked by balls, perched on by thousands of birds, painted and repainted they are still going strong - but they do look a bit genteelly faded side by side with our new ones.

These are made for us by the lads and lasses of the Widemarsh Workshop and, apart from the sawing, they make them entirely by hand using FSC approved wood.
This includes sanding down to the smoothest possible finish, with no sharp edges on the broad, nicely rounded, arms.

The only thing they leave for you to do, and that’s to make it easier to transport, is simply to screw the back onto the base using the pre drilled holes ( and screws ) they have left for you.

You could use a Swiss Army knife for screwing in, because that has a corkscrew as well, and Joe was looking for one within few minutes - it really is that easy.

Even for him !

These chairs in fact are miles better than our old ones - they’ve been ‘Tanalised E’

“Oh yes - good” you say - but then I didn’t want to admit I did not have a clue either !

Well it means the wood is treated under pressure with a mixture of a copper formulation and some organic biocides.
The chairs should last for years, quite safe from insect attack or the general wood decay of which, unfortunately, our old Adirondacks are beginning to show the signs.
Although you may see some cracks appearing and disappearing, this is just normal as the wood expands and contracts.

This does not mean you cannot paint them with wood paint though - I have blue in mind for ours.
If you do though, suggest you do it somewhere nice and ventilated but under cover.
( In fact old Mr Lee used his chairs inside the house as well as in the garden - well, why not ?)

Why am I going on about painting undercover - well, in a word “Butterflies”.

They do seem to love these chairs.

Within minutes of putting the chairs on the lawn - they were landing on them.

This chair is just in front of an old Apple tree, which really is just in front of the “wild” bit.
( Joe’s favourite - see Jenny’s Wildflower Gardening ! )

All of these photo’s were taken on a summer’s afternoon early in August.

It would be really so sad if they came along to visit just as your paint was drying. .

Another point is that I’ve mentioned birds love to perch on the chairs, and unfortunately they don’t always just perch !

A reminder of their visit could be around a long, long time if the paint was still wet.
(Sticky feet could also be a real problem for lots of smaller birds too.)

I’m really are so proud of these chairs for so many reasons.
All the care that goes into making them - for example every piece is hand sanded.
The design of the “scooped” arms - much more comfortable than straight, and square edged, armrests.
How the treated wood will gently age - it will turn a darker colour with time.
Their tremendous strength, the tradition behind them, Oh I could go on and on ( all right - I know I am.)

But I really don’t know of any chair that looks so at home in the garden, and is just so comfortable !