Safestore

Big padlocked crates. There, that’s my new attempt at a three word review. What do you think? Should I employ the tactic more?
I jest! Of course I’m going to talk far more about Safestore, that dull essential one finds oneself turning to when downsizing or moving. But my story’s far more interesting. In fact, I’ll divulge my personal history, then I’ll tell you all about the various crazy things you can use storage for.
When my parents moved from a small village near Wigan to the Canary Islands, I’d arranged to move into an unfurnished apartment, so they sold some of their furniture and kept enough for me to set up home. But wait. What could they do? They’d already flown over there and sold the house, I was over there with them, and my apartment wasn’t ready yet. Ye Gods, the horror! Calm down, they’d already used Safestore Warrington. Yes, situated not far from the UK’s flagship Ikea store is a similarly blue and yellow behemoth which instead of offering you furniture will happily take yours and keep it safe and dry for as long as needs be.
With a minimal rental period of just one week and no maximum, the possibilities are endless. It’s ideal for when you’re moving house and the prices are very reasonable, based on the amount of space your stuff requires. There are discounts for students, a week’s free storage, pre-​pay discounts, you name it. My stuff stayed there for around six or seven weeks before I finally got it into my apartment. But business is booming for Safestore since the recession. I saw a BBC Breakfast item once about how not only are people having to downsize, hence keeping larger items elsewhere, these giant crates are even being used for activities. Yes, a professional dancer had hired out her own crate and decorated it with mirrors and an electric heater so that she could practise without needing to rent a studio. It worked out far cheaper. Even small businesses have started using the larger crates as offices, and the lack of heat and electricity hasn’t bothered them because they have light, they can plug kettles into generators and bring bottled water. How cool is that?
So you can be boring and use these things for what they’re intended for. Or you can be creative and rent one as an extremely cheap office. I’d do both if they were required. Safestore truly is safe, both in the secure sense and in the cool sense.