History was made this summer when judges at elite RHS flower show at Tatton Park awarded a prestigious Silver Gilt Award to a garden that centred round an onion! A Handspring Onion is no ordinary onion however, and our sculptural seating structure with accompanying trio of arches made a wonderful centrepiece to leading landscape designer Jackie Knight's stunning show garden 'Natural Selection'.

"We are amused" said Queen Victoria as she walked over the delightful rustic timber-framed bridge in Weston Park, Sheffield, waving her parasol at the team of makers from Handspring Design.

Of course the part of Queen Victoria was merely a flimsy reconstruction lasting only for the duration of a launch event for the multi-million pound Heritage Lottery Fund restoration programme at Sheffield's key city centre park. Handspring Design's reconstruction of one of the Victorian park's lost bridge was however a more substantial job, and the park now has a beautiful feature that will last long into the future.

The design for the new oak bridge is drawn directly from ancient photographs of the original, but in order to meet modern safety requirements a contemporary touch of stainless steel has been subtly added in the form of a top rail and upright struts.

Work has now completed on a 6m long Curl Bench and Apple Shelter with leaf stage at Willows Special School in Rotherham. After falling in love with the Apple Shelter design, the school asked us to install one with an integrated 'stage' area that the children could use as both a performance and play area. The Curl Bench was also designed with dual purpose - providing spectator seating and a play feature that encourages pupils to investigate different ways of interacting with it.

Phase 1of this joint landscape project with the architects from Bureau of Design Research at has now finished. The bare tarmac playground has been transformed into a garden of delight with new planting areas, timber play ramps and Shipwreck Benches designed to encourage creative physical play activities.

For the 4th consecutive year architecture students from the University of Sheffield joined Handspring Design for their final Live Project. The challenge for 2007 was to create a temporary installation that would give local people a creative, experiential insight into 'The Whirl', an exciting community eco-house development that Handspring is working on with Ruth Nutter. The installation was a great success, a roofless, wall-less woodland home complete with solar shower, chill-out pod, kitchen and living room materialised for a few enchanted hours engaging young and not so young in eco living concepts.

In between creating new playground features and shelters for schools in Sheffield and Rotherham, the Handspring team have spent the autumn weekends making fire sculptures around South Yorkshire. Director Scot Fletcher's wedding provided an excuse to create the first fire structure of the year back in August, the next two projects being at major community events. Handspring collaborated with Exponential Theatre and dance troop, Mr Fox at The South Yorkshire Wood Fair to create a magical fiery labyrinth and live fire performance to herald the arrival of autumn. Two weeks later the team raised the flag for regeneration with a permanent installation and fire show on Parkwood Springs, a neglected and misused green space overlooking Sheffield. Handspring worked closely with Sheffield City Council Parks and Countryside service and storyteller Shonaleigh to make a flaming phoenix rise at the top of the hill inspiring the community to revision, and reclaim Parkwood as a place to visit and enjoy.

We were delighted to play a part in a fantastic new community project, Grow Sheffield. The project's vision is to realise the potential of the urban food growing landscape. 'Abundance' is Grow Sheffield's scheme to harvest and freely distribute, the unpicked or excess fruit grown in public spaces and gardens around the city. Project co-ordinator Anne-Marie Culhane asked us to create a special fruit cart for the project, which you can see in action at www.growsheffield.com

In May 07 Handspring Design was thrilled that an Apple shelter was selected as a centrepiece for Huddersfield's brand new Media Centre. Handspring was further honoured as the structure was chosen to be the focus for the Media Centre's official opening by HRH The Queen. The structure, dubbed 'Fruit of our Labour', has a stunning solar powered lighting feature and provides a peaceful atmospheric space for contemplation day and night. Utube link to this event.

Handspring will be showcasing the Apple and Onion structures at the Winter Gardens, Sheffield this month. Accompanied by food from Zoobies, live music and artwork from dust there will be a private view on Thursday the 22nd of March.

Award Winners Handspring Design have recently scooped second prize in the Architect's Journal annual 'small projects award' for the composting toilet. [for projects under 250k] The project was a collaberation between us, and Sheffield Universtiy architecture students [diploma-live project team with funding and support from Sheffield City Council-Parks and Woodlands.

Handspring will be installing the Grand Glazed Onion at Barkers Pool, outside Sheffield City Hall on Wednesday 7th February for the 'Sheffield Is My Planet' climate change event.

Later in February both the Onion and Apple Shelters will be taking up residence in the Winter Gardens for a couple of weeks, watch this space for further details and private view event.