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Pissed Up Dad Digs Hole In Garden And Then Turns It Into Swimming Pool

Pissed Up Dad Digs Hole In Garden And Then Turns It Into Swimming Pool

Result.

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

We've all said and done dumb things after a few drinks, and we usually end up regretting it the next day. However, few of us go to the extremes that Andrew Ellery did.

The 59-year-old from Cardiff was drinking at home with some friends in 2015 when they decided to dig a hole in the back garden "for a laugh."

When he woke up the next morning, his wife Stella wasn't too pleased with the large pile of dirt in the back yard, but instead of putting it back where it had came from, Ellery decided to transform the drunken mishap into a positive by actually turning it into a swimming pool.

Credit: Mercury Press

Over the course of the following week, he turned the hole into a 10 foot deep pool, spending a grand total of £300 to make it. He later added a sauna at the bottom of the garden, which he managed to build for just £600.

"I spent £200 on timber," said Ellery, "and went to Sheffield for a £400 heater and water bucket."

Credit: Mercury Press

His MacGyver-like antics have made the family local celebrities, with the pool and sauna combo becoming something of a tourist attraction for their friends and neighbours.

"Our house itself isn't big - we have three bedrooms - and it's a former council house, but we have become quite famous on the street," Mr Ellery said. "Neighbours and our grandkids' friends always knock on the door wanting to have a look."

It's not just for show, though - the family say they use the pool frequently.

"I go in it quite a lot after work," said Mr Ellery. "I love going in the sauna then jumping straight into the pool to cool off. I don't mind the cold - I've worked outside all my life. The grandkids love playing in it, too. The younger ones actually learned to swim in there."

Credit: Mercury Press

Currently, the pool is seven feet long and six feet wide, but there are already plans to make it larger.

"I'm actually planning on extending it," the grandfather said. "In the next year, l'll put in heaters and filters. It's a pain to clean though - I guess it's just one of those things."

Hopefully all the attention the pool is getting won't alert the local council, who so far seem to have been strangely quiet about the whole thing. Maybe they're just as impressed with Ellery's DIY skills as everybody else. Only time will tell...

Featured Image Credit: Mercury Press

Topics: Dad, Drunk