About Us

During my childhood summer only officially started when my parents decided to get the ancient garden swing seat out of its winter hibernation. For my brothers and I it always signified the long summer holidays stretching blissfully out in front of us.

When my husband and I married and had children of our own, we realised we couldn't buy one anywhere - not even ebay! So the 'Idler' was born, or should I say reborn. These swing seats were first sold during the early Edwardian period in 1910s through the Army & Navy store in London. They were very popular and the originals do still exist in gardens throughout the UK. A lot of our customers recall them from their childhood and think of them very fondly as they are part of their summer memories, and regardless of how elderly the remaining originals may look now, no-one throws them out, they just get refurbished.

My parents still have the original 'Idler' despite it looking a little more 'senior' than it used to. It's been through three families and some pretty rough treatment and many uses: children's den, spare bed, cat hideout, dog hideout, goal posts, climbing frame, swing for teenage boys (not recommended) and it still works perfectly well.

We believe we've kept all the charm of the original swing seat and improved on it. We hope you will find the new Idler as much a part of the family as we have.