Lord Gowrie's lecture will take place at 8pm, and will be chaired by IoS editor Rosie Boycott.DARTINGTON HALLWith its medieval buildings, extensive gardens and riverside walks, Dartington Hall makes for a stunning setting. As well as the nonstop programme of talks, discussions, workshops and readings, there are plenty other things to do around and about, including the colourful Lescaze-designed modernist house, and Dartington Hall's own outdoor swimming pool. own grounds.SPECIAL DAY TICKET FOR IoS READERSThe special ticket for IoS readers covers all events on Sunday 13 June, the day of the Independent on Sunday Lecture, with Lord Gowrie on the future of the arts. The day ticket costs pounds 24, with admission to seven events, including Ian McEwan `On the Brink of the Surreal', science writer Lewis Wolpert and Independent columnist Polly Toynbee on the nature of belief; and talks by war correspondent Kate Adie and the leading theatre director, Max Stafford-Clark. Lord Gowrie's lecture will take place at 8pm, and will be chaired by IoS editor Rosie Boycott.. Who said swimsuits were meant for swimming? Anyone who spends pounds 75 and upwards on a bikini or swimming costume does not have Olympic training in mind For that, stick to Speedo or Adidas. But if you're the sort of girl who swans around the pool, cocktail in hand and high heels on feet, these heavy-pose-factor sun-suits are just for you Main picture: chocolate-brown bikini, pounds 79, by D&G, from Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, SW1 (tel: 0171 235 5000); gold tusk earings, pounds 110, from Detail, 4A Symons Street, SW3 (tel: 0171 730 8488).

Opposite page, top, beige halter-neck bikini, pounds 75, by APC, 124 Draycott Avenue, SW3 (tel mail order: 00 331 44 39 0660). Opposite page, bottom, black cutaway swimsuit, pounds 140, by Herve Leger, from Harvey Nichols, as before, Browns, 23-27 South Molton Street, W1 (tel: 0171 491 7833); black-mesh heels with ankle strap, pounds 185, by Martine Sitbon for Stephane Kelian, 48 Sloane Street, SW1 (tel: 0171 235 9459) STYLING BY SOPHIA NEOPHITOUSYLIST ASSISTANT: HOLLY DAVIESMAKE-UP AND HAIR BY ALEX BABSKY FOR ESTEE LAUDERMODEL: NATASHA. Overnight it seems that the humble garden shed has been blasted into the realm of philosophical speculation, in the wake of a book by an American, Michael Pollan. A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder has set the chattering classes humming, as the author grapples with existential doubts and finds himself through the simple act of building his own shed. Some of his tome may have claims to a place in Pseud's Corner, the column in Private Eye, but no one would deny that the dream of a garden shed has a powerful allure. A little haven of tranquillity at the bottom of the garden, it's an easy symbol of the good life, miles away from the ethos of B&Q, where, as a spokeswoman puts it, "A shed is a shed, isn't it?" So if you feel the urge to raise a structure at the end of your garden, what are the pitfalls to look out for? And can a shed be more than just a place to store the garden tools? Can it really be a retreat for the adults of the house, away from the spouse and the kids?Roger Trapp, a journalist based in Dulwich, south London, turned this idea on its head when he converted the shed in the garden of his house into a playroom for his children. "The kids helped decorate it and they spend lots of time out there, especially in the summer," he says.

"And it cost hardly anything to convert, including putting in a couple of windows."Others have turned their shed into a gym, or a home office. More sophisticated uses such as these will almost certainly require an electricity supply and possibly a telephone line and running water as well, and these will push the price up. Labour costs will suddenly become an issue and if you want something elaborate, so too might a bill from an architect.A basic shed should, however, be within reach of those with basic DIY skills. One bonus is that it will almost certainly not require planning permission. Contact your local planning department to check, but as a rule of thumb, a new structure that is less than 4m tall and less than 300sqft in area does not usually require consent. However do, as a matter of course, consult your neighbours, especially if the unit may affect any boundary conditions or be joined to a party wall. If they have grounds to object and get in touch with the council once it is erected, you may find yourself forced to take the whole thing back down.Building a shed can be a creative exercise, from choosing materials to deciding on design and the shape of the structure.