A Stoke-on-Trent man has reached the finals of Pub Shed of the Year 2023 for his fantastic themed 'man cave'.

The Nags Shed, built by Shane Rankin, is an Only Fools and Horses tribute and comes complete with a Trotters Independent Trading retro arcade machine.

The pub shed also has a fully-functioning bar, seating area, dart board and big screen TVs.

Shane said he wanted to pay tribute to the Trotters favourite watering hole The Nags Head from the classic British comedy Only Fools and Horses. 

Shane added: "We were sat in our local on that fateful day as the Covid announcement came in that all establishments were closing that very night. 

"As avid pub goers we were distraught and declared no-one's going to keep us out of the pub', so built our own. 

"Deliberating over the name for the pub, we had many ideas for names. With us being sited on an old colliery, we'd gone down the route of The Miners Arms. 

Shane's pub shed has a fully-functioning bar, seating area, dart board and big screen TVs (SWNS).

"With forces connections and as an act of remembrance we also thought about naming it the Lest We Forget Inn. 

"As an ode to Only Fools and Horses we had also thought about referring to the Trotters favourite haunt, The Nags Head, but ultimately couldn't decide. 

"Whilst digging the foundations for the pub shed, we came across a lump of corroded metal hidden deep in the soil. 

"A quick clean off revealed an old cast iron horseshoe, more than likely discarded from an old pit pony from the colliery. 

"This fate nailed it for us and took it as a sign of history and settled upon The Nags Shed."

The shed faces competition from The Engine House in Hampshire, and The Irish Pirate in Cornwall.

The three finalists will go to a public vote and the winner will be announced live on Pub Shed Radio on November 11. 

Anyone wishing to vote can do so here.

READ MORE: Improvements coming to busy motorway junction in Stoke-on-Trent 

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