It has become popular for restaurants, bars and cafes to allow their patrons to eat and drink outside their premises and they often place tables on the pavement or forecourt for this purpose. This is beneficial for the establishment as they increase the number of patrons they can accommodate at the same time. Furthermore, people generally prefer to remain outside during the summer months and are more likely to use a restaurant or bar when they can do so. Many restaurants or cafes place a fence or barrier around their outside area to contain customers within a designated space. This is often important as the establishment may only have planning permission or licence to use a specified area in front of the restaurant and so it is necessary to prevent patrons from moving outside it and potentially blocking a public right of way that might lead to forfeiture of their licence.

Various screen or fencing systems for enclosing a space outside a restaurant, bar or shop are known. However, they suffer from a number of drawbacks because they are not easy to erect and take up a considerable amount of space when not in use.

Furthermore, their use is generally restricted to areas that are substantially flat so they cannot be used on undulating, sloped or stepped forecourts. Many of them also have limited degrees of movement making them inflexible and prohibiting their use when the area to be enclosed is of an irregular shape.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system which overcomes or substantially alleviates the problems discussed above and seeks to provide a flexible and easy to erect fencing system which is easy to erect, disassemble and store on a daily basis,

According to the present invention, there is provided a fencing system for enclosing an outdoor seating or assembly area comprising a plurality of posts and awning support bars, each bar extending between a pair of said posts when the system is erect, the posts and bars including co-operating means thereon for releasable attachment of the bars to the posts, and an awning hanging from each support bar between said posts.

As the fence is preferably formed from an opaque material that is impervious or semi-impervious to the transmission of wind therethrough, it also functions as a windbreak in addition to providing privacy and security to patrons and their possessions. The fence also improves the overall appearance of the premises by introducing colour and/or branding into the forecourt area.

In a preferred embodiment, the cooperating means comprises at least one elongate slot in each post to receive the end of a support bar, the bar having a pin thereon which locates against the inside of the post adjacent to the slot to prevent lateral movement of the bar from the slot.

Preferably, the dimensions of the slot slightly exceed the dimensions of the bar received in the slot to allow a degree of movement of the bar relative to the post.

The awning is preferably provided with an eyelet at each corner remote from the bar and the post is provided with attachment means thereon. Conveniently, a flexible strap or bungee extends between the eyelet and the attachment means to directly attach the awning to the post providing tension to the awning to maintain a smart presentation and provision for the awning to"spill the wind"in gusty weather conditions.

Preferably, the attachment means comprises a ring to which the flexible strap may be hooked or tied, the ring being spaced from the post and attached thereto by supporting legs.

In a preferred embodiment, a mounting plate is disposed within the upper end of post such that the end of a bar inserted in a slot rests on said plate. The plate has a threaded aperture therein.

Advantageously, a screw cap having a threaded shaft is mounted to the top of each post, the shaft engaging the threaded aperture in the plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a base for each post permanently installed in the ground beneath the surface at the installation site. Each base conveniently includes a sleeve to receive the post. A base plate is preferably attached to the sleeve and has an aperture therein for the drainage of water from the sleeve. A second mounting plate is preferably disposed in the sleeve, the post being supported by said mounting plate when inserted in the sleeve. The mounting plate advantageously includes a threaded aperture therein such that, when the system is disassembled and the post removed from the sleeve, the screw cap removed from the post can be inserted into the sleeve so that the threaded shaft engages the threaded aperture and seats flush with the forecourt surface thereby sealing the upper end of the sleeve.

In another embodiment, especially when the system is designed to be left in place overnight, the posts may be permanently fixed in position via a threaded rod in the bottom of the post that locates in the threaded aperture in the mounting plate or in a threaded tube upstanding from the mounting plate.

In another embodiment, hinge means are mounted to the end of each bar.

Preferably, the hinge means comprises a first hinge leaf rigidly attached to said bar and a second hinge leaf having an aperture therein for attachment of said leaf to the upper end of a post using said screw cap. The hinge leaves are pivotally attached to each other.

In another embodiment, the post includes an outer section and an inner section slidably received therein. Preferably, the outer section contains a threaded rod in engagement with a threaded aperture in the inner section such that rotation of the

inner section moves the inner section up or down the rod and out of or into the outer section respectively providing height adjustment.

In another embodiment the system includes an above ground base member, the post being removably mountable on the weighted base member. Conveniently, the base member includes adjustable feet for adjusting the angle and height of the base member above the ground.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures la and 1b show a front view and a sectional plan view along the line A-A of Figure la of a portion of the windbreak system respectively according to an embodiment of the invention; Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show a plan view of the post, the post with two awning support bars mounted thereto and the post with the retaining cap mounted thereto, respectively, according to a first embodiment ; Figures 3a, 3b and 3c show sectional front views of the upper portion of the post corresponding to the plan views of Figures 2a, 2b and 2c according to a first embodiment; Figures 4a, 4b and 4c show sectional side views of the upper portion of the post illustrated in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c according to a first embodiment ; Figures 5a and 5b show a sectional plan view of a lower portion of the post and the post when inserted into the sleeve, respectively and in accordance with all the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 11; Figures 6a and 6b show sectional front views corresponding to the sectional plan views of Figures 5a and 5b in accordance with all the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 11; Figure 7 shows the base following removal of the post, where the screw cap is inserted flush with the ground level; Figure 8a, 8b and 8c show a plan view of the end of a bar, the plan view of the end of two bars placed one on top of the other on the upper end of a post and a plan view showing the cap in position on top of the post and bars, respectively and in accordance with a second embodiment;

Figure 9a, 9b and 9c shows sectional views of an upper portion of the post with one bar attached thereto, with two bars attached thereto and with the screw cap mounted thereon, respectively ; Figure 10 illustrates a sectional view through a modified post according to the present invention that may be used together with the system described with reference to either the first or second embodiment; Figure 11 illustrates a side sectional view of the modified version of the post when partially extended; Figure 12 illustrates a further modification for use when bases cannot be permanently installed at the installation site or where it is preferable to use portable bases; Figures 13a and 13b illustrate side sectional views of a modified version of the base permanently installed in the forecourt to receive a post as shown in Figure 13a, and a screw cap when the post has been removed, as shown in Figure 13b; Figures 14a and 14b show top plan views of modified versions of the base for wall mounting rather than surface mounting and Figures 14c and 14d show front sectional views of the base shown in Figure 14a with the post and screw cap mounted therein, respectively; Figure 15 illustrated another modified version of the base for mounting in soft ground; Figure 16 illustrates an extractor tool and handle to facilitate removal of the base shown in Figure 15 from the ground; Figures 17a and 17b illustrate a partial side sectional view and a top plan view respectively of a modification to any of the posts of the present invention to assist in their installation, removal and handling; Figure 18a illustrates a partial perspective view of a further modified version of the post according to the invention, Figure 18b illustrates a partial side view of a modified version of the awning support bar which cooperates with the modified post of Figure 18a and Figure 18c illustrates a partial side view of the other end of the awning support bar; Figure 19a illustrates an exploded cross sectional view of a modified arrangement for the lower part of the post and Figure 19b illustrates a cross sectional assembled view of the lower part of the post shown in Figure 19a; and

Figure 20 shows another embodiment of post with a removable and rotatable head section.

Although the system is described primarily for installation on the forecourt of a premises, it will be appreciated that it can be used to enclose any outdoor seating or assembly area and its flexibility enables it to be used in for example, shopping malls, pavements or on open ground.

A first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 1 to 8. This embodiment is the simplest arrangement and is the least flexible. It is primarily designed for forecourts having a fairly level surface, although it does have a degree of flexibility for small height variations across the site to accommodate forecourt incline and pitch.

Referring now to Figure 1, the system 1 comprises a plurality of uprights or posts 2 (only two of which are shown) connected by a rigid support bar 3 that extends between a pair of posts 2. These components may be made from aluminium alloy or steel, such as 316 marine grade stainless steel. An awning, canvas or banner 4 hangs from the bar 3 and has an eyelet 5 adjacent to each corner remote from the bar 3 to enable it to be attached to the post 2 by a flexible strap or bungee 6. Each post 2 is received in a base 7 cemented into the forecourt 8 so that no part of the base 7 protrudes from the upper surface 9 of the forecourt when the post 2 is removed therefrom. Instead of a canvas material, the awning may be formed from reinforced polyester sheet. Irrespective of the material from which it is made, the awning can be digitally printed with images or branding.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, it can be seen that the post 2 is tubular and has up to four identical elongate slots 10 spaced at 90 degree increments, 60 degree increments or as required, cut into the upper end 1 lb of the post 2 and that extend parallel to the axis of the post 2. The slots 10 terminate at a mounting plate 11a permanently fixed within the post 2 at a depth from the upper end 11b that is slightly greater than the height of a support bar 3. Each slot 10 is also slightly wider than the thickness of the bar 3 for reasons that will become apparent. Gaskets are

inserted into the slots to reduce wind vibration and/or electrolytic action caused when the posts and bars are manufactured from different metals. The mounting plate 1 la has an aperture 12 therein which is coaxial with the tubular post 2 and a captive nut 13 is attached to the underside of the plate 11b for reasons that will also become clear. Instead of a captive nut 13, the aperture 12 may be threaded or, a threaded tube may upstand from the mounting plate 11a.

A pin 14 protrudes from either side of the bar adjacent to each of its ends, as most clearly seen in Figure 3b, so that when the end of a bar 3 is inserted downwardly into one of the slots 10 from the upper end 11b of the post 2 into contact with the mounting plate 1 la, the pin 14 engages the inner wall of the post 2 and prevents lateral withdrawal of the bar 3 from the slot 10.

To secure the or each bar 3 in position in a slot 10 in the post 2 and prevent it from being lifted out of the post 2, a cap 15 having a threaded shaft 16 is fitted to the upper end 11b of the post 2. The threaded shaft 16 has sufficient length so that it passes through the aperture 12 in the mounting plate 11a and threadingly engages with the captive nut 13. If a tube upstands from the mounting plate 11a, then the threaded shaft engages with the thread in the captive nut 13 after having first being passed through the tube. Alternatively, the threaded shaft engages with a threaded aperture in the mounting plate 11a rather than with a captive nut 13. The cap 15 is sized so as to completely cover the upper open end 11b of the post 2 and so retains the or each bar 3 in position in its respective slot 10. The cap 15 is provided with recesses (not shown) in its upper surface for insertion of a tool to enable it to be tightened when fixed to the upper end of the post or, in the sleeve when the post is removed.

As the width of each slot 10 is slightly greater than the thickness of the bar. 3, and the depth of the slot 10 slightly greater than the height of the bar 3, the bar 3 has a small degree of lateral and radial movement in the slot 10, as demonstrated by arrows X and Y respectively, in Figures 2c and 3c.

A modified version of the post and awning support bar is shown in Figures 18a to 18c. In this embodiment, the post 100 is provided with a number of closed elongate openings 101 located at radially spaced apart positions around the circumference of the post 100 a short distance from the upper end 102 thereof. In a preferred post design, there a five openings 101 evenly spaced around the post 100. The post 100 is provided for use with a modified support bar 103 illustrated in Figure 18b and 18c. The support bar 103 is integrally formed with a hook part 104 at one end (Figure 18b). The other end of the bar 103 (Figure 18c) narrows to form a locating tab 106. The tab 106 has a small notch 107 on its lower edge for reasons that will be explained. As described with reference to the earlier embodiment, a cap 15 is attachable to the top of the posts 100 to prevent the bar 103 from being removed from the post 100 until the cap 15 has been unscrewed. As the construction and means of attachment of the cap 15 is the same as described for the earlier embodiment, it has not been described or illustrated again in connection with this modified arrangement.

To attach the bar 103 between a pair of posts 100, the tab 106 is inserted, in a radial direction relative to the axis of the post 100, into an opening 101 in a post 100 so that it is fully received in the opening 101. The hooked part 104 may now be inserted into an opening 101 in the other post 100. As the hooked part 104 is inserted, the tab 106 is partially withdrawn from its post 100 so that the notch 107 locates against the lower edge 105 of the opening 101. Once the hook part 104 has been inserted, release of the bar 103 causes it to drop so that the hook 104 engages the lower edge 105 of the opening to retain the bar 103 on the post 100. The cap 15 is then attached to the top of each post 100 to retain the bar 103 in position.

Removal of the bar 103 from the post 100 can simply be achieved by first removing the cap 15 from each post 100 and by then lifting the bar 103 slightly at each end so that the hook 104 clears the edge 105 on one post 100 and the notch 107 clears the edge 105 on the other post 100 and withdrawing the bar 103, in a radial direction relative to the axis of the posts, from the opening 101.

In another embodiment, illustrated in Figure 20, the openings 101 are formed in a separate detachable or head part 120 of the post 100. In this construction, the head

120 is provided with a plate 121 having an opening 122 therein to receive an upstanding boss 123 on the upper edge 124 of the post 100. A thread 125 passes through the boss 125 to enable the cap 15 to be used to attach the head 120 to the post 100 as well as retain the support bars 103 in the openings 101. The head 120 is free to rotate relative to the post 100 when the cap is removed or loosened.

A lower portion of one of the posts 2,100 is shown in Figures 5 and 6. Three angled legs 16 extend outwardly from the post 2 and a ring 16a connects each of the legs 16 together. The ring 16a provides an attachment point for a bungee 6 that has been passed through an eyelet 5 in the awning 4. The angled legs 16 are welded to the post 2 and the ring 16a is welded to each leg 16.

A modified version of the post 2 is shown in Figures 19a and 19b. In this arrangement, a plate 110 is received within the post 111. The plate 110 has three radially spaced apertures 112 (two of which are shown in Figure 19a) formed therein and a central threaded aperture 113 by which the post may be attached to a base (not shown). The. apertures 112 can be aligned with three corresponding holes 114 in the post 111. The legs 115 extend at right angles from the post 111 and are separate from the ring 116 (not shown in Figure 19a). To assemble the post 111, the plate 110 is inserted into the post 111 and the legs 115 are inserted through the holes 114 in the post 111 and into the apertures 112 in the plate 110. To retain the legs 115 in position in the post 111 and apertures 112, the ring 116 is now attached to the legs 115 protruding from the post 111 by welding. This holds the plate 110 in position within the post 111. This arrangement provides a more positive connection of the post 111 to the base via the plate 110 and avoids stresses being placed on welds which would occur if the plate 110 was welded to the post 111.

The post 2 is removably mounted in the base 7 permanently installed in the forecourt. The base 7 comprises a tubular sleeve 18 having an inner diameter that is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the post 2 so that the post 2 is a sliding fit within the sleeve 18. A second mounting plate 19, similar to the mounting plate 11 a within the post 2 is attached within the sleeve 18 at a depth within the sleeve 18 which is equal to the depth of the mounting plate 11 a from the upper end 11b of

the post 2. A second captive nut 20 is attached to the underside of the second mounting plate 19. As with the first mounting plate 11a, the second plate 19 can be provided with a threaded plate, instead of a captive nut 20, and a tube 65 (not shown in Figure 6) upstanding therefrom for retaining the cap 15 at an appropriate level when it is locked in position within the sleeve 18 (i. e. so that its upper surface is flush with the level of the ground in which it is mounted). The tube also serves to stiffen the shaft 16 of the cap to prevent inadvertent removal of the cap due to vehicles or other traffic passing over it. The sleeve 18 is mounted on a base plate 21 that has an aperture 22 therein coaxial with the axis of the sleeve 18 that acts as a drain hole to prevent the sleeve from filling with rainwater. The sleeve 18 together with the plate 21 is mounted in a concrete footing 23 in the surface 9 of the forecourt so that it is completely flush therewith. The concrete footing 23 has a conduit 24 therein beneath and in communication with the aperture 22 so that water passing through the aperture 22 is drained out of the footing 23 and into the surrounding ground.

Figure 7 illustrates the base 7 when the fence is not in use and the post 2 has been removed from the sleeve 18. The open end of the sleeve 18 is concealed by re- inserting the screw cap 15 flush with the upper surface 9 of the forecourt, which has been removed from the upper end 11b of the post 2, in the sleeve 18. The shaft 16 threadingly engages with the second captive nut 20, or a threaded aperture in the mounting plate 19 to retain the cap 15 in place in the sleeve 18.

Assembly of the fencing system will now be described. Firstly, the cap 15 is removed from the sleeve 18 in each base 7 by unscrewing it from the captive nut 20 by means of a tool. The bottom of a post 2 is then inserted in each sleeve 18 so that it rests on the second mounting plate 19. In an alternative arrangement, a threaded rod may protrude from the lower end of the post 2 for engagement with the second captive nut 20 or threaded aperture in the second mounting plate 19. A bar 3, from which the canopy or awning 4 is attached, either by inserting the bar 3 through a seam in the awning 4 or by some other means, is then mounted between two posts 2 by inserting either end into a slot 10 in each of two spaced posts 2. A screw cap 15, removed from a sleeve 18, is then attached to the upper end of each post 2 to retain

the bar 3 in place. A bungee or flexible strap 6 is then tied between the eyelet 5 and the ring 16 on each post 2. Disassembly of the fencing system is the reverse of the assembly.

A second embodiment of the fencing system will now be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. This system is intended for use on sites having inclined forecourts and is more flexible than the system described with reference to the first embodiment. The construction of this embodiment is identical to that of the first in every respect, apart from the ends of the bars 3 and the upper portion of the posts 2 that provides a different means of attachment of a bar to the post. For the avoidance of doubt, those features which are the same as those in the first embodiment will not be described again.

As will be apparent from the drawings, a hinge 30 is attached to the end of each bar 3. The hinge 30 comprises a first hinge leaf 31 rigidly mounted to the end of a bar 3 by means of nuts 31a. The second hinge leaf 32 is pivotally connected to the first hinge leaf 32 for rotation about an axis 33. The upper end of the post 2 is closed by a plate 34 and has an aperture therein with a captive nut 35 attached thereto coaxial with the aperture and the post 2. The hinge leaf 32 also has an aperture therein so that when it is positioned on the upper end of a post, the threaded shaft 16 of a cap 15 may be inserted through the aperture and threadingly engaged with the captive nut 35 to attach the bar 3 to the post 2. As shown in Figure 8b and 9b, two bars may be attached to the same post by placing the hinge leaf 32 of one bar 3 on top of the hinge leaf 32 of another bar 3 and inserting the threaded shaft 16 through the apertures in both hinge leaves 32. It will be appreciated that a bar 3 can be rotated about 360 degrees about the axis of the post 2 and so can be oriented in any desired position. If two bars are attached to the same post 2, one bar may be rotated approximately 280 degrees about the post axis relative to the other bar 3, as indicated by arrow A in Figure 8c. It will also be understood that each bar can pivot about axis 33 as shown by arrow B in Figure 9c, so that it can be oriented at an angle which is greater or less than 90 degrees relative to the axis of the post 2.

It will be appreciated that the second embodiment provides a more flexible arrangement as the bars 3 are not constrained in slots in the post 2 and are free to rotate about both the axis of the post 2 and the pivot axis 33. It will also be appreciated that the same cap 15, as described with reference to the first embodiment, is used and so can still be placed in the sleeve 18 in the base 7 to conceal it when the post is removed therefrom.

A third modified embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. This embodiment is substantially the same as the second embodiment described above except that the posts are telescopic giving the most flexible system. The telescopic posts of this embodiment can also be used in conjunction with any embodiments of the invention.

The post 40 comprises an inner portion 41 telescopically received within an outer portion 42. The outer portion 42 contains a threaded rod 43 which is coaxial with the axis of the inner and outer portions 41,42 of the post 40. The lower end 44 of the rod 43 is attached to a plate 45 mounted within the post 40. The inner portion 41 of the post has a bottom wall 46 having an aperture therein and a captive nut 47 attached thereto to threadingly engage the rod 43. It will therefore be appreciated that when the inner portion 41 is rotated, it slides upwardly or downwardly within the outer portion 42. An end cap 48 is mounted to the top end 49 of the rod to prevent the inner portion from completely unscrewing and coming away from the rod 43.

A fourth modified embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figure 12. This embodiment can be used in conjunction with any of the previously described embodiments and is used in situations where it is not possible to permanently sink bases 7 into the ground at the installation site.

As can be seen from Figure 12, instead of inserting the post into the sleeve 18, it is attached to a dished base member 50 which rests on the surface 9 and is unattached to the ground. The base member 50 has a central upstanding threaded rod 51 which threadingly engages with a threaded socket coaxial with the axis of the post 40. The

top of the threaded socket retains the bottom of the threaded rod 43. In this embodiment, the ring 16a is welded to the post 40 lower down its length. The base member 50 is provided with feet 53 which threadingly engage in captive nuts 54 in the underside of the base member 50. The height and tilt angle of the base member 50 may be adjusted by means of the feet 53. To prevent the base from moving or the post from toppling over in strong winds, it is filled with lead or steel to weigh it down. In addition, the flexible straps or bungees that attach the awning 4 to the rings 16a on the post 2,40 allow the awning to'give'and thereby'spill the wind'in windy conditions. The tension provided to the canvas by the bungee straps prevent the canvas from being lifted easily to guard against property being stolen by reaching through the fencing system. The bungees also provide the fabric with more "give"and so will help prevent injury to persons who might fall into canvas, as well as prevent damage to the components of the fencing system.

A modified version of the base 7 illustrated in Figure 7 is shown in Figures 13a and 13b. This version is simpler to install because it does not require a concrete footing in which to mount the sleeve 18. Instead, a sleeve plug 60 is located in a core drilled hole directly cut into the substrate. As with the sleeve 18, the upper end of the sleeve plug 60 includes a mounting plate 61 having an aperture therein and a captive nut 62 attached to its underside to receive the shaft 16 of a screw cap 15 when the post is removed from the sleeve plug 60 to close the open upper end of the sleeve plug 60. It will be appreciated that this embodiment can also be used where a dwarf wall already exists. The sleeve plug 60 may be mounted in core drilled holes cut into the top of the dwarf wall. In this variation, shorter posts may be provided.

In some installation sites it may be necessary to mount one or more posts close to the outer wall of the premises. In this situation, the construction of a base beneath the forecourt surface such as those illustrated in Figure 7 or Figure 13, or the use of a freestanding base such as that illustrated in Figure 12, may not be possible due to the proximity with the premises. A wall mountable base such as those illustrated in Figures 14a to 14d may therefore be used. As can be seen from the Figures, the wall mounted bases include a sleeve 63 which is similar to the sleeve 18 described with reference to Figure 6 and has a mounting plate 64 with a threaded tube 65

upstanding therefrom to receive either a threaded rod protruding from a post or the threaded shaft 16 of a screw cap 15. However, instead of being sunken beneath the forecourt, these sleeves 63 are attached to mounting brackets 66 to enable the sleeve 63 to be mounted on the outer wall of the premises or any other vertical mounting surface. The mounting brackets 66 may be formed as a flat plate for mounting on a flat wall surface. Alternatively, an angled bracket may be used for corner mounting. Each mounting plate 66 is provided with holes 67 to enable screw mounting of the sleeves 63 to the wall. It will be appreciated that in a fencing system, the wall mounting bases can be used in conjunction with any of the other mounting means described herein to affix the posts 2 in position.

Figure 15 illustrates a further type of base. In this embodiment, the base 68 includes a sleeve 69 that is identical to the sleeve 63 of the embodiments described with reference to Figure 14. However, the sleeve 69 is mounted on an elongate spike 70 to enable the base 68 to be firmly mounted in soft ground, such as grass. The spike can have a number of configurations but, in the present embodiment, it has a"X" shaped cross section with a pointed tip portion 71 for ease of ground penetration and ground retention.

To facilitate removal of the spike, an extractor tool and handle, illustrated in Figure 16a and 16b, are provided. The extractor tool 72 is similar to the screw cap 15, in that it has a threaded shaft 16 for engagement with the threaded tube 65 attached to the mounting plate 61, except that the head 73 is thicker and has a cylindrical aperture 74 extending therethrough. The handle 75 comprises a pair of elongate handle portions 76a, 76b and an elongate threaded rod 77 extending from one end of one of the handle portions 76a. The other handle portion 76b has a threaded hole 79 therein for engagement with the rod 77.

Use of the extractor tool 72 and handle 75 to remove the base 68 from the ground will now be explained. The threaded shaft 16 of the extractor is threadingly engaged with the threaded tube 65 upstanding from the mounting plate 64. Next, the elongate threaded rod 77 is inserted through the aperture 74 in the head 73. The other handle portion 76b is then connected to the rod 77 protruding from the

aperture 74. The handle portions 76 can then be used to apply leverage to the base 68 to facilitate its removal from the ground.

A modification to any of the posts according to the invention is illustrated in Figure 17a and 17b, in which only part of the post is shown. The post 80 has a sleeve 81 mounted within it and extending across its diameter. An aperture 82 is formed in the post at either end of the sleeve 81. The sleeve 81 permits insertion of the rod 77 of the handle 75 described with reference to Figure 16b to enable the post 80 which is threadingly engaged with a base to be tightened or loosened by rotating the post 80 via the handle 75. Alternatively, the handle 75 can be inserted in the sleeve 81 to assist in pulling the post 80 out of the base in which it is mounted and to enable the post 80 to be carried easily or, alternatively, to enable the post to be moved whilst remaining connected to a weighted freestanding base.

It will be appreciated that the fencing system of the invention can be developed so as to form the walls of a conservatory type construction. This would require posts of considerably greater height. In this case, bracing bars may be fitted between the posts between the canvas support bar 3 and the bases. These would releasably co- operate with the posts. In addition to providing more rigidity to the system, they would also help to brace the canvas to prevent billowing.

It is also envisaged that the embodiments could be modified to include a cooling system. For example, a microprocessor may be concealed within the posts to control a flow of water to the awnings or panels attached to them. Alternatively, the posts may be heated or have heaters attached to them. Finally, the awnings may be formed from sound negating material or panels and the posts may have sensors within them to detect ambient noise. A microprocessor may then be employed to generate a sound through loudspeakers to cancel the ambient noise.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the embodiments of the invention provide a flexible, easy to erect, dismantle, store and maintain system for enclosing a space in the vicinity of a restaurant, café or bar or outdoor event.

It will be understood that there will be many modifications or alterations to the preferred embodiments but which have not been described. However, these are also considered to fall within the scope of the invention.