Bridgemere Garden World

Lots of people enjoy a visit to a garden centre. They go there with high hopes of creating a lovely sunny garden at home. Garden centres vary from small limited outlets for bedding plants etc to large areas including sales of clothing, bird food, human food and so on. Depending on where they are set up the visit can be very enjoyable.
Some days ago we decided to visit Bridgemere Garden World on the border of Cheshire and Shropshire, not far from Nantwich. I hasten to say here that this was classed as a day out that included the purchase of plants. The establishment is over 100 miles from our home in Anglesey! After driving for almost two and a half hours we arrived on the car park of the Swan Hotel in Woore, the village just down the road from the garden World. It was over 5 years since we last used the Swan and we were looking forward to sampling their lovely food for lunch. Shock, horror! The place was deserted! We did get a cheery welcome from the young woman in the bar. Yes, food was available. We ordered what we thought would go down well and waited. When it came it was served as a bar snack and it tasted acceptable. The trouble was that we knew what food there used to be like and this was not the same. Still, we had our lunch and left for Bridgemere.
Even Bridgemere Garden World has changed over the past few years. Cotton Traders have an out let there as well as other similar people. The plants were there aplenty and we had a lovely time walking round and choosing things for our garden. We met a lovely old lady from Stoke on Trent who was recently widowed and had a chat with her in the pelagonium greenhouse. There was a special electric bus taking visitors round the display gardens which we thought was a good idea. The usual quality of plants was still a feature of our experience and we appreciated this. We enjoyed afternoon tea. Pauline was able to order Earl Grey tea and I had English Breakfast tea - both with coffee gateaux! the sun shone and we relaxed before setting off home to Anglesey.
It had been a great day out, despite the Swan Hotel disappointment. Driving through Cheshire with its distinctive red brick architecture is always pleasant. We arrived home, glad for a day out after a long period when we felt restricted at home during our heath problems which had begun on 28th December. The weather has been good since that day so the plants are out in the garden with just two wall baskets to fill and place at the front of the bungalow.
All in all we thought it a good escape that day. We shall go again and spend some time in the display gardens which we felt would take up too much time this time round. It was much better than paying a fortune to visit Chelsea Flower Show and see everything artificially grown and displayed at great expense. In the meantime we shall continue to visit Fron Goch Garden Centre near Caernarfon where we can purchase lots of wonderful plants any day. To find this pearl you drive along the main route for Porthmadog, cross the roundabout where you can turn down to the Welsh Highland Railway terminus, and then turn right . The signpost says "Saron". You go past an old hospital which is up for sale and continue along a fairly narrow road. Not far after a level crossing on your right you arrive at the Garden Centre. They also have a sales outlet for Hootens, the farm shop in Anglesey - recommended!