Misnamed
On the southern edge of Sheffield, just beyond the Batemoor and Jordanthorpe council estates, there are three garden centres - New Leaf, Ferndale and Tommy Ward's. I visited all three of them earlier today - searching for a particular Christmas gift for my brother Robin who lives in south western France. The gift idea is garden-related. In passing I noticed four identical things at each garden centre:- 1) The car park was almost full 2) They each had a lot of Christmas tat on display. 3) There was nobody outside looking at the plants and trees etc.. 4) The cafe tables were all full and there were customers queuing at the counter. It seems that a visit to a garden centre may not be about horticulture any more. Not about seeds and slightly pink hydrangeas or watering cans and shasta daisies but more about tinsel and singing snowmen made in China as well as cups of tea and toasted sandwiches or slices of chocolate cake and bowls of carrot and ginger soup. I have nothin...
