When I was fifteen I completed a Design & Tech GCSE in “Resistant Materials”, which included a practical woodworking section. I ambitiously tried to build a desk using mortise-and-tenon joints, but none were strong enough. My teacher laughed at my project in front of other teachers, mortifying me.

I scrapped it and focused on passing the exam. Years later, my partner Jenny and I needed a dog gate to stop our mischievous dog Fern from going upstairs. After finding a YouTube tutorial, I built one using a Black & Decker workmate, handsaws, a square, a drill, screws, and wood glue.

We bought wood from Sydenhams and cut it to fit our Skoda Octavia. The gate took a weekend to build; my cuts weren’t perfectly straight. I mounted it using rawlplugs and screws, later adding two more after it sagged.

I painted it with Dulux satinwood without primer. The bolt fix was insecure, but we like the 1mm clearance so the gate can rest unlocked. The drill scraped the wall, and we lack matching paint.

After this, I gained confidence and started a patio raised bed project in June, watching more YouTube tutorials. I was introduced to a new technique, but the article cuts off before details.