Coolidge Corner Clubhouse

Welcome to the new entertainment end of the garden, added to Ben's great climbing frame is Jude's dream addition ....... the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse. 

So what is it, and how did this all come about?









This was built last summer (but Jude is only getting round to updating about it now).  You can see from this pic what the garden looked like before ...... to the left were 4 massive trees (only one visible here) and tucked in behind it was an old wooden hut.  The area was huge, but underutilized and full of potential.

So Marguerite and Jude's plan from day one was always to develop this area into an entertainment zone, for all the family.





After a few years of chatting about it ..... and trying to finalize plans ...... they got stuck in.  Firstly - down came the four massive trees.ext the wooden shed was dismantled. And what was left was this large space ..... an area so big a couple of normal sized houses could be stuck on it.  Then the building started.








By now Ben was 6 years old and Marguerite and Jude were determined to make sure he had a great climbing frame to enjoy in those classic primary school years. 


Here he is enjoying the swing amid what was really a construction site at that time.  As soon as this climbing frame was build work started on part two of the project. 





Just over to the left this wasted ground soon became ......













....... a proper building site as the digger dug out a massive hole to measure 20ft x 20ft.

As you can see the garden took a bit of a battering at this stage!

And around that hole was built a square wall of six blocks high, which was then ......







..... filled with a proper job of concrete.















It really was a proper foundation ....... good enough to hold any structure.

What next?











The wooden structure was started.  To an untrained eye like Jude's this was amazing to watch ........ just how precise and brilliant the building of this was.











Soon enough things had taken greater shape.

Here Marguerite surveys the main job so far.

 

Next up was getting electricity connected up for exciting things like TVs, fridges, lights and whatnot.  To get things started Jude dug a track all through the garden and cable was laid.

Jude's friend Dunners then came and did the Electrician work.









Here is Marguerite making sure the Sky Sports channels are all operational.













Marguerite's brother Michael did a great job laying the floor.













Great job Michael ...... thanks!














Last jobs to be done on the outside was the grass re-seeding and painting the outside of the house.

But what would go in this building?  What would be it;s centre-piece?










A classic 8ft x 4ft slate bed Snooker Table.

Jude grew up playing snooker at his friend's ((Denis and Adrian Crawford) house and he always dreamed of having his own one day.

Well that day had arrived.

Check out the additional electric appliance in the corner there behind Ben ....... the fridge! 






And here is Marguerite trying her hand at a game of pool.











Inside the walls are adorned with some real cool things like this hurl.

The hurl was used by Jude on the day when Loch Mor dal gCais won their first ever senior hurling match in July 2016.  Jude got it signed by the whole team and framed with the team photo from the day.








Also on the walls are lots of nice photos and pictures, and even a cool bottle opener from the 148th Open Championship (Portrush 2019).













The finished job.

Looking good.

By now the transformation of the garden was complete.  The plan was always to develop this area and the final outcome could not have been netter ...... it was all Marguerite and Jude had planned and more.

A perfect play area for kids and adults. 




It gets used for all sorts of things besides playing snooker ....... like sitting in the sun on the decked area .....










...... family movie nights .....














.... BBQs and beer nights ......














....... and even Star Wars adventures!!!


   

But what was it called?  No point building something impressive like that and not naming it.  Factors to be considered were things like: it's location in the corner of the garden, it's purpose being a clubhouse for playing and having fun in, and possibly something to tie it to a family location or place lived in.

It could only be called one thing then ......

........ Coolidge Corner Clubhouse.

It's in the corner.  It's a clubhouse.  Coolidge Corner is the area of Brookline which Jude, Marguerite and Ben lived in.  And the local pub in the area was called this very same name. 

And the brilliant thing about the Clubhouse is that it will be there for Ben as he grows .....a little den for him to enjoy with his friends.














Thanks to all who helped in any way with this project:

NI Climbing Frames, especially for putting up with our mid build changes in such a nice way, but also for doing such a great job.  And for helping along the way Michael Snr & Michael Jnr.  Also Gary 'Dunners' Dunlop for his excellent work on the electrics.