TOMORROW is The Shed’s 18th birthday party, an occasion to be marked by the Snake Davis Band’s night of hot sax action and the inimitable hospitality of Simon Thackray at a sold-out Hovingham Village Hall at 8pm.

Charles Hutchinson has a word with Simon, the Brawby impresario who brought forth the Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race, Mrs Boyes’ Bingo with live percussion, the Fish and Chip Van Tour and the Elvis woollen wig.

What prompted you to start The Shed, Simon?

“I listened to two powerful people on the same day in 1991 and it was like two worlds colliding. One was the Rev Dr Donald English launching the One Voice project in York (the first Ecumenical mission to take place in the city), and the other was Labi Siffre at the Irish Centre in Leeds.

“The emotional effect of that day propelled me to put on two fund-raising gigs in Kirkbymisperton Church in June 1992 to support the One Voice project. The first was a Gambian Kora player, booked through Labi Siffre’s agent, and the second was a string quartet comprising members of the Halle Orchestra.

“The gigs went really well and I decided to do another, so I persuaded Labi Siffre to perform in Brawby Village Hall in November 1992. That was the first time I took my trademark shed door with me.”

What is The Shed’s raison d’etre?

“Raison d’etre? Enthusiasm gets the better of me. I get over excited and can’t help telling people about things that I like, be it a musician, a painting or whatever. I was passing through Manchester station the other day and I told a train driver he should try and see Trains 'n' Roses (Zugvoegel), the wonderful German romantic film about train timetables. I assumed the guy must like trains, which in fact he didn’t. We laughed!”

Other left-field arts project have sprung up but what makes The Shed still stand out from the crowd?

“I’ve been lucky to be able to work with really great musicians and poets and I also have a great audience. A fundamental part of my job as a promoter is to try to bring the two sides together. I know that if I’m excited about something I stand a chance of communicating the fact to others, one way or another.

“Some people have telephoned The Shed and had very long conversations because my stories are like strawberry plants with roots and runners all over the place. There’s ripe fruit at the end of course!”

What has been your favourite Shed gig/happening and why?

“Trombonist Alan Tomlinson and the River Seven in March this year. All the elements came together on the day, at the given hour, and there was only one way to find out if it would work and that was to do it. And it did and I will feel forever blessed to have been there, watching Alan play knee deep in the water at Rosedale.”

Your least favourite Shed show and why?

“Can’t go there.”

What has been the maddest moment on stage?

“Possibly the oddest, if not maddest, moment was back in the mid-90s in Brawby when a saxophonist had to lie on a single bed mattress between solos because she’d fallen down some concrete steps in Leeds the night before and injured herself quite badly.”

The maddest idea on your part?

“Sailing Yorkshire Pudding Boats on Bob’s Pond in Brawby comes to mind but there have been quite a number!”

What credentials make an act suitable for The Shed?

“That’s hard to define. Most of the people I deal with are non-mainstream artists. By that I mean you’re not likely to see many of them on telly. Unless I put them in a council skip perhaps [as Simon did with Lol Coxhill].”

Name the top acts in terms of number of Shed appearances.

“Barnsley poet Ian McMillan has performed many times since 1993 and we’ve done several projects together which have taken us to southern Ireland, the V&A in London and everywhere from Sky News to the Daily Telegraph. We even got invited to Her Majesty’s Royal Arts Party at the Royal Academy a few years ago.

“ Hank Wangford and Snake Davis have done over 20 gigs each so they’ll be top of The Shed pops.”

What is your favourite Ian McMillan comment on The Shed?

“Soon it’ll be like Woodstock: people will pretend they were there – people will want to say, ‘I was there when it all started’.” As quoted in the Independent On Sunday in 1999.

Assess the future for the independent arts promoter like yourself in the new Con-Dems era of politics.

“I think it’s too early to say but I hope we survive because man doesn’t live by bread alone and music is the food of love after all.”

What plans do you have for The Shed in the years ahead?

“I want to keep turning new corners and walking ever-so-slightly up hill. That way life and art will bring surprises and I’ll keep fit post 50.”

When will it be time to put The Shed to bed? (Not that I'm advocating that!)

“As Ian McMillan once said, ‘When you stop loving your teddy, it’s time to get rid of teddy’.

“I’m still sucking my thumb and pulling out plums and far too young to sleep alone.”