A 42-year-old electrician has combined his love of 1940s US and gaming by creating an American diner in his garden, with a games room on the side.
The 24ft by 12ft shed has a pool table, bar, black and white floor tiles, seven-inch vinyl records on the wall, an acrylic Coca-Cola sign and American number plates on the wall.
Dave Mason has spent a year converting the bottom of his garden into an outdoor retreat for his family.
Dave, of Sileby, built the retreat on his own, apart from having help laying the foundations.
He said: "As soon as I came back from work, I would work on it.
"I am dead chuffed with how it has ended up. I just love the 1940s and 50s style.
"I always wanted a games room when I was a kid and, as a hobby, I build arcade machines. That is where it first started.
"Over the past year, my kids have been buying me stuff to go in it.
"It has been worth every penny because the family use it. We have had so much fun with it already. It has brought the family closer together."
To fit in with the theme, Dave also has pictures of James Dean, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor on the wall.
To add to this, his and his partner's children dressed up as the movie stars, and their photos hang on the wall alongside the others.
Sian Mason, 19, is dressed as Audrey Hepburn, Jack Noon, 12, imitates James Dean, Leah Mason, 17, poses as Marilyn Monroe and Charlotte Noon, 21, pretends to be Elizabeth Taylor.
He plans to keep adding bits to his diner. For example, someone has given him an old-style American phone that he will hang on the wall.
In the 12ft by 4ft games room, there is a collection of old and new games consoles – from the Atari 2600, released in 1977, to PlayStations and Xboxes.
"I also managed to get an old leather car seat. You sit on it while you are playing the games," he said.
Dave's daughter Sian Mason said she thinks the diner "is amazing" with the photographs of them dressed as celebrities adding a personal touch.
She said: "In the evenings, we will all meet up to have a game of pool. I am dead proud of him. He is quite creative in that way."
Dave contacted the Leicester Mercury about his American diner after we launched a campaign asking people to contact us about their special outdoor spaces.
We want to hear from readers who have lovingly transformed their outdoors into relaxing spaces to spend time getting away from it all.
E-mail or tweet your pictures to reporter Samantha Fisher at:
samantha.fisher@leicester mercury.co.uk
@SamanthaCFisher
