I'll have a Crocodile Bench - and make it snappy

Sometimes I feel like a very core demographic. Here in the UK, we get a week of intense sun, and, as if called by the leaflets pushed through every door, I hurry to buy garden furniture.

The trouble is, of course, that the discerning shopper doesn't want what Joe Average wants. The garden centres are filled with green plastic and cheapo wooden furniture which this year seems to come in an alarming shade of orangey-brown. Now, if you're the kind of person who decorates your interior with care and attention, you are not going to give up your taste when you step through the garden door, are you?

The problem here, of course, is that, as when furnishing a nursery, you haven't got forever to find the perfect pieces. No scouring the flea markets: here in the UK, at least, we can only reckon on about six weeks of good sun, so every delay in purchase is a lost opportunity.

Here, then, is your answer - if you are affluent enough, of course. The Crocodile bench is beautiful, and will please the kids too. It's £479 (approx USD $960), yes - but at least you can be sure you won't be lounging on the same furniture as your neighbour.

Incidentally, it looks as if they will happily ship abroad, but I imagine that this would add considerably to the already hefty price tag.